TOKYO — One of the first things the Marines noticed, after the bright eyes and radiant smile, is that Miss USA Chelsea Cooley is down to earth.

When you think celebrities, “you think that they’re not real people,” said Sgt. Timothy Dynys, one of the Marine Guards from the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo who had breakfast with the beauty queen Wednesday. “She eats real food. She’s down to earth and just a normal person.”

Cooley was in town as part of a trade promotion for textile companies in North Carolina, her home state. The expo was marketing biodegradable grain-based socks in Japan. As part of the visit, Cooley spent a few days in Tokyo, and the Marines volunteered to escort her.

Dynys attended a press function with Cooley on Tuesday.

“I was just surprised how relaxed and cool she was around so many people,” he said.

On Wednesday, before jetting off to China, Cooley stopped by the Marine residence for a southern breakfast: grits, pancakes, eggs, biscuits and gravy. And lots of photos, autographs and laughs.

“I do a lot of work with the USO (United Service Organizations) so it seemed fitting to come do this,” she said, noting that visiting the Marines was the best part of her trip. “I think it takes a very special type of person to do the work they do.”

At breakfast, Cooley talked about what it’s like to be Miss USA and the work she does. She also asked the Marines about where they came from and what they like about Japan.

The hourlong visit was a rare treat for the Marines.

“It’s one of those things, in the normal Marine Corps you don’t get to do this type of thing,” said Cpl. Samuel Perez, who besides being a guard, oversees food at the house and planned Wednesday’s breakfast. The Marines seldom sit down for a meal at all, much less one with a special guest, he added.

He didn’t say too much to Cooley during breakfast, however.

“My girlfriend told me to limit myself to 10 words,” he said.

Most of the Marines were surprised that Cooley ate the hearty fare. She said visits like this help dispel the stereotypes about beauty queens being vacuous or starving themselves.

Gunnery Sgt. Luis Sanchez, the detachment commander, said he expected someone tall, stick-thin and possibly stuck-up.

“She’s very down to earth,” he said. “We talked about her goals, her family. Her taking the time out to spend with us, and her personality, are not at all what I expected.”

Cpl. Brett Buonamici said he was aware of the stereotype and thought she’d be a normal person. But she was better than expected.

“She got here and she was like a hot college girl,” he said. She is in fact a college girl, studying fashion marketing, according to her bio.

Buonamici added that she broke his heart when she mentioned having a boyfriend. But despite that letdown, he and his fellow Marines shared a similar sentiment of their time with Miss USA:

“It was a real cool experience.”