Just dont mention the war. Heres a look at 10 of the greatest performers to grace the USO stage. The USO was officially created on February 4, 1941, with one of the first centers opening on May 28 at the Charleston Navy Yard. Thank you. I tried to stick it out, but I was too upset. I carried the crossbow and arrows throughout Vietnam and onto the plane that brought me home. After every performance hed choose a volunteer to join him in a quick-draw contest. While local and volunteer talent might be found on the bill, stars of huge magnitude soon gravitated to the events. The film starred Ronald Reagan, then a captain in the Army Air Force. A Vietnamese woman in Catholic nuns habit emerged from the building. One service member recalled, "Hope was funny, treating hordes of soldiers to roars of laughter. He remembered a "Bob Hope Follies" USO show, which included actress Ann-Margret, Miss America, football star Rosey Grier, and others. USO snack bars sold cigarettes to troops, but didn't sell liquor. The Real WOMAN OF THE YEAR", "Terrie Maxine Frankel: Digital Collection: Veterans History Project (Library of Congress)", "Launch your own missile from Battleship New Jersey: Warship Museum Prepares New 'Interactive' Combat Control Center", "Robert J Hudson, Master Sergeant USMC Retired. That day we gave two shows, the last at twilight. No matter her official title, Krause did not spare herself in her work, pouring her heart and soul into her service of the troops. I must have passed inspection, since he went on talking. Shows were also performed with comedian Joey Bishop of the Rat Pack. "I had never danced with a celebrity before, so I felt delighted, privileged even, to meet her. You try to help them, try to sing and dance. She did forty-eight shows for "broken soldiers," who were mostly lying on stretchers in the lobbies of hotels, watching as she entertained them. Today, she claims that "veterans were still stopping her and thanking her for visiting Vietnam over 30 years later."[38]. You may look, the nun said, standing alongside one of the cribs. The United Service Organizations Inc. ( USO) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed Forces and their families. The eldest daughter of legendary crooner Frank Sinatra, Nancy Sinatra went on to have a successful singing career of her own in the 1960s and early 70s. Since 1941, it has worked in partnership with the Department of War, and later with the Department of Defense (DoD), relying heavily on private contributions and on funds, goods, and services from various corporate and individual donors. She held the gate open for me to leave. As I walked from bed to bed, I saw depressions in the blankets were one or both legs were missing. Hope was among the first to say yes. Robin Williams. The USO was in Vietnam before the first combat troops arrived, with the first USO club opened in Saigon in April 1963. Harrisburg U.S.O., Penn Station, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Entrance View I.Gottscho-Schleisner, Inc., photographer, Sept. 3, 1943. The troop consisted of Doublemint Twins Terrie and Jennie Frankel, Gaslight Club singer Sara Sue, Comedian Tony Diamond and personality Sig Sakowitz. Krause trudged from one end of Vietnam to another by Jeep and helicopter to photograph GIs for hometown newspapers and to deliver the thousands of gifts and letters sent through the USO.. La grafa Vietnam, y no Viet Nam, es la recomendada para referirse a ese pas asitico cuya capital es Hani, con tilde en la o. I was horrified. (LogOut/ Draft-card burnings on college campuses angered him". Veths letter explained that Krause quickly realized upon arrival in Vietnam that many service members did not receive correspondence from the homefront, so she decided to change that. Bob Hope. Whether its in USO centers around the country or on military bases around the world, the USO works hard to bring a slice of home to those serving abroad and in distant lands. [18], Fundraising was also aided by non-USO entertainment groups. Hugh O'Brien, famous as TV's Wyatt Earp, was the star of a USO tour in Vietnam. Its still fought in the bodies and minds of the men who waged it all those decades ago. Our USO troupe consisted of thirteen singer/dancer/actors, as well as four musicians. She seemed to be omnipresent, said Michael Case, the USOs senior digital archivist. Between 1941 to 1947, more than 400,000 performances took place. We ate a somber dinner in the Officers Club; then went to the non-coms club to socialize with the men. The annals of wartime history are illuminated by the lives of men and women whose deeds of devotion, courage, and sacrifice have been called heroic. My first week here ah got malaria out there in the Delta, so they put me in the hospital. Im sure many of them would have wanted to help. The best known was the Bob Hope Shows, but few of us were ever actually able to attend one of his Christmas Specials. Thank you for coming today, she said, grasping my hands in hers. Ahm from Kentucky. He stopped. "[57], War correspondent Quentin Reynolds wrote in 1943, "He and his troupe would do 300 miles in a jeep, and give four shows One of the generals said Hope was a first rate military target since he was worth a division; that that's about 15,000 men. But the organization became mostly known for its live performances called Camp Shows, through which the entertainment industry helped boost the morale of its servicemen and women. The 23 centers in Vietnam and Thailand served as many as a million service members a month, and the USO presented more than 5,000 performances during the Vietnam War featuring stars such as John Wayne, Ann-Margret, Sammy Davis Jr., Raymond Burr, Phyllis Diller, Martha Raye, Joey Heatherton, Wayne Newton, Jayne Mansfield, Redd Foxx, Rosey Grier, Anita Bryant, Nancy Sinatra, Jimmy Hawkins, Jimmy Boyd, Lola Falana, George Peppard and Bob Hope. He turned away and closed his eyes. "[21], According to historian Paul Holsinger, between 1941 and 1945, the USO did 293,738 performances in 208,178 separate visits. Some in that audience never made it back. [13] At its high point in 1944, the USO had more than 3,000 clubs, and curtains were rising on USO shows 700 times a day. Its now one of the most popular memorials in Washington. I left the room, too upset to speak. Presidente de Viet Nam renuncia a su . This page was last edited on 7 April 2023, at 11:05. You can quote me as saying that we should use entertainment as an essential industry so long as it's for the boys in service. A few days later we flew to an isolated base on a mountaintop in the Central Highlands. Mark Hopkins, Jr., taking his last name and moving to the San Miguel military base in the Philippines. Even with some Americans at home debating Vietnam War policies, the USO continued to assist soldiers far away from home, by whatever means necessary. It was given to you by a Montagnard chief.. I cant take it. was launched. We traveled in planes and helicopters of all sizes and shapes. By 1946, hostesses had served more than two thousand soldiers a day while also providing facilities for the wounded and convalescent who were on leave. The Bob Hope Legacy Reading program allows service members record and send a video of themselves reading a book to their children at home. 2. In 1947, the USO was disbanded,[30] due partly to lack of funds. But you will., He smiled. And there were the well-known free coffee and doughnuts. He paused. Hope, of course, was one of the biggest stars involved. This show would be great for our boys in Viet-Nam, he said. And we pray.. I want you to have it. He handed me the bow and quiver. "[39], But for GIs who saw the show, it was worth it: "We turned to watch Ann perform, and for about two minutes of American beauty, the war was forgotten. The USO relies on your support to help service members and their families. Two long rows of folding cots ranged down both sides. [35]:51. "[40], The visits by the stars meant a lot to the men and women in Vietnam. At this time, the USO also began centers at major U.S. airports to provide a place for servicemen to lounge and sleep between flights. Rooney also participated in USO tours during the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Hugh OBrien, famous as TVs Wyatt Earp, was the star of a USO tour in Vietnam. Funds from the sale of film rights for a story about the New York Canteen went toward providing USO tours of shows for overseas troops.[14]. Over the last seven decades, some of the countrys best performers have taken the USO stage to entertain troops with music, dancing, and comedy routines. Vietnam War: Racquel Welch from Bob Hope Christmas Special 1967Help us caption & translate this video!https://amara.org/v/t1fU/ During the Vietnam War, USO social facilities ("USOs") were sometimes located in combat zones. The name Bob Hope just seems to be synonymous with the USO, as Hope devoted so much time to the organization and the troops. Her name? Several orderlies were running towards a bed where a man thrashed and screamed like an animal being slaughtered. When you look at the pictures and you see all the different locations, she was everywhere. Be the first to learn about news, service member stories and fundraising updates from USO. Everybody was sent to a government health clinic for a series of shots against tropical diseases. President Bill Clinton named Hope an Honorary Veteran in 1997, to which Hope said, Ive been given many awards in my lifetime but to be numbered among the men and women I admire most is the greatest honor I have ever received.. Although the book's publishing representative for the signing event would not allow her to sign anything other than her book, the veteran's wife recalls: She took one look at the photo, tears welled up in her eyes, and she said, 'This is one of my gentlemen from Viet Nam and I most certainly will sign his photo. Anybody who has been there would insist on it. USO historian Julia Carson writes that this "nostalgic hour," designed to cheer and comfort soldiers, involved "listening to music American style" and "looking at pretty girls, like no other pretty girls in the world American girls. I rang it, wondering if I should get the hell out of there. Reading a list of early USO performers is reading a who's who of Hollywood's decorated stars: Bob Hope, Raquel Welch, Marlene Dietrich, Fred Astaire, Jack Benny, John Wayne, and Elizabeth . I had an opportunity to travel all over Vietnam visiting remote sites, delivering gifts, just talking with men and bringing them a bit of home.. In those years, the USO opened centers at Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Fort Riley, Kansas; Fort Bliss, Texas; Fort Carson, Colorado; and Afghanistan. Similarly, Ann-Margret during a book signing was approached by a veteran who asked her to sign a photo he took of her performing in Vietnam. [13] The USO was also supported by the National War Fund. You don't know what entertainment means to the guys who do the fighting until you've been up there with the men yourself. | The American Presidency Project", "Quentin Reynolds Talks on Terrific Job Big and Little Showbiz is Doing Overseas", "Dear Donna: A Pinup So Swell She Kept G.I. She was the recipient of multiple certificates and awards of achievement and appreciation from military leaders and other groups.
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