Who started USO? Photo credit Bob Hope Legacy LLC. “They increased the morale immensely,” Ronning recalled. After seven years and nearly 6,000 hours of volunteer service to her credit, Terry Grimes has no plans to slow down. From World War II to Vietnam to Desert Storm, Bob Hope was there for our nation’s heroes. Fort McCoy is one of the busiest training centers in the continental United States, but until recently, it didn't have a USO on base. “We had a regular life, and then all of a sudden we’d see Dad up on stage, singing and dancing and telling jokes and everybody laughing and having a good time in hangars. Bob Hope knew what it meant to be away from home during the holidays. USO has been entertaining the troops since World War II and continues to this day. His daughter, Linda, one of Bob and Dolores Hope’s four children, said was simple. “He would be angry if my school schedule wouldn’t let me be in one of the Christmas specials. https://www.uso.org/stories/154-bob-hope-the-uso-s-one-man-morale-machine The legendary entertainer dedicated his talents to our service members by bringing a bit of home wherever he went. Bing Crosby was heavily involved with the Armed Forces Radio Service during World War II.. Background. The Allies used the island as a support and supply base. I am so proud of our men and women serving (past and present) in the armed forces. We have her contract from Sept 1943. During the Second World War, the USO was an organization which oversaw and provided recreation and aid services for the men and women of the United States Armed Forces. The USO provided both recreational and aid service to troops overseas and on the homefront. The number of men and women deployed to the front lines may be fewer today, but the USO is becoming more expeditionary to meet their needs. Santo eventually became the second largest US base in … “The letters were amazing,” Linda said. Holidays for the Hope kids took on a new meaning. The government would build and lease buildings and citizens would staff and fund centers through the newly formed USO. There must have been at least 20 of them that traveled. It was 1 p.m., and it was hot. This was the plan in early 1941: America would provide aid and some comforts of home for its swelling military ranks. The records deal solely with the USO entertainment effort during World War II and Korea, as well as the USO entertainment effort in the veterans' hospitals during and after the war. shows brought out the stars and boosted morale like few other performances in American history. Whether Christmas or any other time, it was always an event for the Hope children to say goodbye to their father as he headed off on a tour, Linda said.“We would go to see them off at some private airfield. And even though he had 60, 70 years difference between the young men and women who were serving at that time and himself, he tried to be topical and bring the same kind of feeling to the show.”. If you're interested in learning more about the USO, including how you can assist in offering your support in a myriad of ways, visit http://www.uso.org/. Dedicated to the memory and appreciation of our “Greatest Generation” and the 1940’s decade. “He came up with the idea of finding out who were the officers and what were the situations at the various bases and built his monologues about those particular things. The Lonnie B. and Vicki G. Show (1968) The Ralph Kimbrough and Dee Steele Show (1969) Quintessence 1970 (Clive and Stanley Romney, Sheryl Albiston, Jack McDonald, Ruth Sorensen) References This page was last edited on 30 April 2021, at 03:40 (UTC). Connie Stevens, 77, has a similar view of the Bob Hope USO shows. She was 15 when she performed in her first show in 1981, “Bob Hope Salutes the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.” It was her first of 27 shows with Hope. Bob Hope USO Show 1944. “I produced that show. In fact, from the South Pacific I still get Christmas cards from old diseases!”, Linda Hope, left, produced her father’s USO tours toward the end of his career and joined him on his final tour in 1990 during the Gulf War. Hope would identify the base right away, opening his monologue with “This is Bob (insert location here) Hope.” “It didn’t take Hope long to figure out how to win an audience of troops. One woman with a truck and a tent changed that for thousands of service members. And he’d tell all of us that with the DoD and the USO we’ll be as safe as possible.”. From his first show at March Field in Riverside, California, in 1941, to his final USO tour in 1990 to Bahrain and Saudi Arabia as part of Operation Desert Shield, Hope loved to make ’em laugh. My mom was an entertainer in the USO The was from chicago, she died young when I was a child and I am in awe and appreciate your courage. 28, 2021 Bob Hope was known for his dedication to American troops, … The live events were basically variety shows that featured combinations of singers, comedians, actors, bands, and more. It was always an emotional couple of hours knowing that the men and women will not be home with their families. “Landing on the USS Kennedy in 1983 was one of the most emotional Christmases I have ever spent. Bobby Crane uses his experience, knowledge and kind demeanor to make every soldier and military family member feel at home. People don’t think of the fact that the Les Brown band traveled with Dad for so many years—to Korea first and Vietnam. “I got up and went to the cockpit and made a speech to the boys and then I sang, ‘Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.’ It was very poignant to me. The USO shows weren’t without calamity: In fact, over the years twenty-eight performers died from various causes, including plane crashes or illness. I am hoping, possibly through this email, a service person needing emotional support will contact me. The USO is a wonderful organization and still very much a vital part of our nation's patriotic heritage. Linda got a firsthand taste of USO tours when she began producing her father’s television specials, something she did for the last 20 years of his performances. The USO Camp Shows kicked off in October of 1941, two months before American’s entry into World War II. “He really wanted to continue his presence with the military and that’s what we’re trying to do—is reach out to veterans. For more than 70 years, the USO has provided a few hours’ respite from the thankless tasks at hand and lifted the spirits and morale of those who needed it the most. | But then her mother, Bob Hope’s wife Dolores Hope, always put it in perspective for her. Remember the boys and girls whose fathers may never come back.’”. To everyone involved past and present, thank you! Mar 30, 2016 - The USO has been around since the 1940's entertaining and helping US troops around the world. Al Jolson, notable for being the very first performer to appear overseas, contracted malaria and had to end his “tour” prematurely. “He had the same caring attitude. Behind the grit and determination of a tough soldier making dangerous, daily patrols outside Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan, is a vibrant, charming USO volunteer who seems to bring everyone he meets into his circle. “On that island it was 113 degrees every day,” said Ronning, now 63 and a former mayor of Appleton, Minnesota. The USO Camp Show Publicity Records consist of reports, clippings, posters and photographs for the years 1941 through 1955. Watch later. The USO club was a place to go for dances and social events, for movies and music, for a quiet place to talk or write a letter home, or for a free cup of coffee and an egg. “The people back at home loved hearing something from a base from where one of their loved ones was stationed,” Linda said. Think of boys and girls who don’t have their dads for years and years because they are serving overseas. Thank you for keeping us safe and allowing our country to have its FREEDOMS. “They were just amazing audiences—with their courage and their love of laughter and humor,” Linda said. She recalled that she and Hope were once on a plane on Christmas Eve. The types of USO services offered were: Clubs, Lounges and Traveler's Aid Service, Mobile and Maneuvers Service, Home Hospitality, Service to War Workers, Service to Women in the Armed Forces, Service to African … When the USO was founded in 1941 and Hope began performing, he provided a crucial link to home for military families. From interviews he gave around that time he fully expected to be called up. “I think one can’t be near that in large doses and not be touched. You could see the joy that it gave them for us to be there.”. “There were a number of close calls. He brought such enthusiasm, brought your life back to you. For over 50 years, the USO and NFL have joined forces to keep service members connected to family, home and country. Some of our bases are pretty remote. Copy link. “A platoon in the South Pacific had marched to get to this base where Dad was doing some shows. By war’s end, $185 billion had been raised through bonds and stamps, and USO Camp Shows had entertained 161 million soldiers in the U.S. and abroad. Besides the USO shows, the Boys were involved in some of the most successful War Bond drives throughout World War II. In March 1942, the Third Marine Brigade, organized around the Seventh Marines, sailed for Western Samoa. In February 1941, the USO was chartered and soon began “Camp Shows” at bases within the U.S. Popular entertainers selflessly volunteered to perform for free, and with the U.S. entry into WWII after Pearl Harbor, expanded their services to U.S. outposts globally. Dolores Hope, meanwhile, worked hard to try to give the kids a normal upbringing, not that of a movie star’s children. When war came in December 1941, only 8,918 Marines were assigned to the Old Breed, far short of the authorized strength of almost 20,000. Tap to unmute. My mother, Laverne. Last Christmas in Alaska, I met a GI who was so lonely he was going steady with his tattoo. They sometimes had as many as 700 shows a DAY going for the troops. Espiritu Santo was an important base of operations during WWII. The appearance of DoD visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement. Photo credit Bob Hope Legacy LLC. Share. “Bob would say, ‘Come here, let’s do this,’ and we’d go into one of our little bits. In October, USO CEO and President J.D. In 1944 Bob Hope wrote a book, I Never Left Home, about his work entertaining members of the armed forces during World… Shopping. USO centers have served and supported military members and their families for the past 75 years. Bob Hope, Bing Crosby, Humphrey Bogart, Judy Garland, Frank Sinatra, Laurel & Hardy, the Marx Brothers, Jack Benny, Lucille Ball, The Rockettes, Glenn Miller, James Cagney, Irving Berlin, Al Jolson, Fred Astaire and countless other “legends” entertained troops during the 1940s, and in later years, iconic figures such as Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Danny Kaye, John Wayne, Sammy Davis, Jr., Raquel Welch, Ann-Margret and Redd Foxx entertained troops in both Korea and Vietnam. 1944 U.S.O. He got a real connection with the guys that were serving,” Linda said. I have seen badges similar to this but without the staff addition. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});
. Celebrities offering their services represented every corner of show business. It’s a scene that played out again and again for nearly 50 years—from World War II, through Vietnam, to the Gulf War. I also try to stay in touch with popular culture, however. It was always something he felt compelled to do.”. Private and public contributions are also majorly involved in supporting the USO, which is commonly referred to as a “home away from home” for service members in foreign lands. Here is a USO Camp Shows Staff DI. “I wouldn’t have been able to go and produce the show if my father hadn’t been there to oversee me and be responsible for me, even though I was the one doing all the business and the work to set up things to protect him and all the cast and crew.”, “To see him on the backs of trucks and doing shows, climbing on ammo crates and in and out of helicopters, it was really inspiring for me,” she said. Dad heard that this platoon marched all this way and missed the show. As the COVID-19 outbreak is evolving, the USO has pivoted resources across the entire global enterprise in an approach that helps care for military members and their families. They arrived late and the show was over and this one fellow was saying how disappointed he was. Ann Oldenburg is a Washington area-based freelance writer and former Washington Post and USA Today writer. Brasholz was a domestic USO , during well, tap dancer Nov 16, 2012 - Explore Margaret Mott's board "WW11, Stars who served & USO Entertainers", followed by 237 people on Pinterest. The official motto of the USO is “Until Every One Comes Home,” and that effectively sums up the organization’s goal. His secretary would sit down with him every week or two, and he would dictate responses to be typed up and mailed off. This man drives himself and is driven. By Robert Klara. Part of Hope’s schtick was to poke fun at the unit’s own military brass, a technique that always worked. When the USO joined forces with the NFL in 1966 for a series of goodwill tours to visit U.S. military members stationed in Vietnam, four future Hall of Famers led the way. “Anywhere we went, whenever we landed … we would always do an impromptu show,” she said. “It was miserable there. They are actively and effectively providing so much support and encouragement to our service men and women and their families all around the world. “I’m not sure he touched them in the same way that he did in World War II,” she added, wistfully. USO2GO kits can transform a remote outpost into a place where troops can relax, organize a pickup football game, jam on a guitar or even access the Internet and connect with their loved ones back home. So he would rearrange the schedule.”, Traveling on USO tours with Hope is an experience Shields, 50, said she’ll never forget. But it was a rigorous schedule, the actress recalled, and Hope lead the charge. I would like to find out more information about her time dancing Why did Hope do it? Humanity, caring, commitment, support of the troops—that was the mission of the USO, and it was the mission of the Bob Hope USO shows too. USO Camp Shows, Inc., a division of the USO, was formed just six months after the creation of the USO. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Shawn McKinley's idea of slowing down to let his broken arm heal was to volunteer at his local USO center. It was a very interesting experience because of all the restrictions in the Middle East—respecting all their religious [traditions],” she said. “That was one of the biggest thrills of my life.” Be the first to learn about news, service member stories and fundraising updates from USO. The actress and singer said the years she spent touring with Hope provided some of the most “meaningful” moments of her life. It is the common language spoken by all Americans, and it often addresses issues in a clear and fundamental way that a more intellectual approach cannot touch. From World War II onward, these U.S.O. I remember the USO mostly from the Bob Hope Christmas Specials. Then we’d go to the next place. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); © 2010 - 2019 The 1940's • 1940-1949 • Fashion History Movies Music. All these other families have their dads home for Christmas,” Linda said. A few even met their future husbands while dancing the night away. 10 of the Stars Who’ve Made the USO the Biggest Celebrity Brand in History. Life goes on,” she said. And his buddies kept asking him if she’s got a sister!”, He’d also poke fun at himself: “Working in a war zone is great for a comedian. Of Hope's USO shows in World War II, novelist John Steinbeck, who then was working as a war correspondent, wrote in 1943: When the time for recognition of service to the nation in wartime comes to be considered, Bob Hope should be high on the list. Seabee Ron Ronning, 19, and his fellow naval construction buddies worked around the clock to build a runway for Bob Hope’s C-141. A very popular “show” during recent Christmas appearances has been WWE RAW (World Wrestling Entertainment) matches. The comedy legend was about to put on what would be his final USO show of the Vietnam War. As part of the USO Transition 360 Alliance, RP/6 connects service members and their families with resources in their community that can ease their transition. You can always blame the bombs on the enemy.”, And at the USO, too: “The USO and I have had a wonderful relationship over the years, extending to all parts of the world. Bob Hope and Lola Falana, right, perform for thousands of U.S. troops stationed in Vietnam in 1970. See more ideas about movie stars, famous veterans, old hollywood. He loved to joke about sex and women: “There’s still a great need for the USO. Hope broadcasted a total of 144 radio shows during the war, the majority of which were from military bases. Communication wasn’t instantaneous like it is today. But among the more than 180 USO locations around the world, two of the newest were built specifically to address the needs of wounded, ill and injured service members and their caregivers. Althoug… You felt like you were renewed,” said Seabee Ron Ronning, who saw Hope perform during his final USO show of the Vietnam War. I can honestly say being able to attend the 1970 Bob Hope Christmas Show in Long Binh was the highlight of my Vietnam tour.”. THANK GOD TO ALL WHO GIVE THERE BEST SO GRACEFULL N EXTRA THANKS TO ALL WHO SERVED N/OR SERVING KEEPING USA HOME OF FREE DUE TO BRAVE. “He had complete commitment and real respect for them.”According to Shields, Hope’s legacy is “Humanity for our men and women in uniform.”. If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device. Your email address will not be published. “His whole style was based on his vaudeville experience and variety shows, and things had changed. He was constantly on, constantly entertaining—whether it was three people in the commissary, or the entire unit. But that visit really made the difference in our deployment—that got us through the next four, five months. “We went to the local parish school,” Linda said. It is a brave thing you are doing for your country. Connie Stevens, right, was just a one of the many stars who joined Bob Hope on his USO tours around the globe. In 1940, America’s military was essentially “on alert” and escalating both in enlistment and training in preparation for what appeared to be inevitable entry into World War II. I care about people and I welcome this opportunity to reach out and be a friend to someone who has the same need. Linda works through the Bob and Dolores Hope Charitable Foundation and its programs to ensure her father’s memory and contributions will not be forgotten. “That was one of the biggest thrills of my life.”. Why was the USO created? “I think it has to do with laughter.”. We would see all the wives and families of the band members. The back has a drop in pin with one of the busiest maker marks I have ever seen. Christmas at the Hope house in Toluca Lake, California, usually meant one thing: Dad was gone. The scene: the tiny island of Diego Garcia, in the middle of the Indian Ocean. 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