For service members on the front lines who were dealing with the daily stresses and dangers of being in a war zone, Hopes USO shows provided a brief moment of levity in otherwise dark and challenging times. Here, the pair entertain service members during the holiday season. In 1938, Bob Hope was selected as star and host for The Pepsodent Show broadcast on NBC after working for many years building a successful career from vaudeville to Broadway, radio, and film. A platoon in the South Pacific had marched to get to this base where Dad was doing some shows. Furthermore, the USOs Southern California service area is aptly called the Bob Hope USO, in honor of the legendary entertainer who resided there for decades. Though the annual tradition ended at this point, the end of Hopes time in Vietnam was not the end of Hopes USO tours or his holiday-time military shows. According to the Library of Congress, Marlene Dietrich made two overseas USO tours. His secretary would sit down with him every week or two, and he would dictate responses to be typed up and mailed off. You felt like you were renewed, he said. Comedian. Frances Langford, the singer. Bob Hope entertained Americans for decades, but his most impactful shows were for soldiers deployed overseas during the holidays. March ARB, CA 92518, 21 Langford Lake Rd, Details about Lot of 6 VHS tapes sold as used blank pre-recorded, Bob Hope USO Shows See original listing. We rely on our volunteers to ensure that our troops are cared for ands, For troop movements, whether getting on a plane or a bus, Bob Hope USO Volunteers form a Sandwich Brigade and, like an assembly line,cre, For most of us, the holidays are a time for families to unite and come together. His whole style was based on his vaudeville experience and variety shows, and things had changed. With Bob Hope, Anna Maria Alberghetti, Ursula Andress, Ann-Margret. While the US Navy offered Hope a commission at the rank of lieutenant commander during the Second World War, Hope never served in the military himself. Hopes holiday specials, a tradition started in 1950 on NBC, also became part of his commitment to the USO. In addition to his television specials, Hope appeared on the series Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre from 1963 to 1967. Regardless of where he was going or how high the risks were, Hope was committed to supporting our nations military. Throughout the 1960s, Bob Hope hosted several other USO Holiday Tours. In 1990, Martin and his wife visited troops in Saudi Arabia at the beginning of the Gulf War. Bobby Crane uses his experience, knowledge and kind demeanor to make every soldier and military family member feel at home. The actress and singer said the years she spent touring with Hope provided some of the most meaningful moments of her life. She danced in USO tours in Korea in 1954 and 1956.) This program includes footage - previously unreleased - which was obtained from various armed services sources, as well as excerpts from previous . Hope passed away less than six years later, on July 27 2003, at the age of 100. All these other families have their dads home for Christmas, Linda said. Im not sure he touched them in the same way that he did in World War II, she added, wistfully. In late 1942, Bob Hope headed on his first USO tour outside of the continental U.S. to Alaska, which was then a U.S. territory. Johnny Grant, Jayne Mansfield, Bob Hope, Hedda Hopper and others on a Holiday USO tour in 1957. By providing your mobile phone number, you opt in to receive calls and texts from USO. Learn about the history of the USO, its mission and its continuing legacy today. Hope moved to Bristol before emigrating with his parents to the USA in 1908. Bob Hope brings his USO Christmas tour to Vietnam, Korea, Japan, Thailand, Midway, and aboard the USS Hancock and the USS New Jersey in the South China Sea. During her second tour, lasting 11 months, she entertained near the front in France and Germany.. It was really interesting, she remembered. Joan Crawford, an actress whose 80-plus film credits spanned four decades, began supporting the USO during World War II, and continued her work with the organization into the 1970s. For more than 75 years, the United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) has supported U.S. military members by providing them programs and entertainment during their service. The USO is a not-for-profit organization and not part of the Department of Defense (DoD). Soon after, he began traveling overseas to visit troops in the European and Pacific Theatres. Hopes last holiday special Hopes for the Holidays was in 1994, almost 50 years after his first. Bob Hopes overseas USO shows began in earnest in the summer of 1943 with a whirlwind tour through Europe and North Africa. Driving Force Behind the USO Tours. A Bob Hope Christmas Cartoon from 1968. 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. Although World War II came to an end in the later months of 1945, Bob Hope continued his mission of entertaining service members for several months and years to come. United States Congress conferred the unique honor of being an honorary veteran on Bob Hope in 1997. At its heart, The Sesame Street/USO Experience for Military Families is also a rare opportunity for military families to relax, dance, laugh and spend quality time together. Variety Girl (1947) (with Bing Crosby and Paramount Pictures all-star cast) as Bob Hope Where There's Life (1947) (with William Bendix) as Michael Joseph Valentine Road to Rio (1947) (with Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour) as Hot Lips Barton The Paleface (1948) (with Jane Russell) as 'Painless' Peter Potter Despite the death of LaVerne in 1967, the Andrews Sisters remained active until disbanding in 1975. The comedian was onboard the RMS Queen Mary when World World I broke out. He was coming off The Big Broadcast of 1938, where he first sang his soon-to-be signature song, Thanks for the Memory. | TogetherWeServed.com Inc. All Rights Reserved | Not a U.S. Government Website. Skip to navigation; Skip to main content; Skip to footer; Bob Hope USO. You could see the joy that it gave them for us to be there.. Interestingly, Dolores Hope was the only woman allowed to perform for Americans in Saudi Arabia during the tour; the other women were only permitted to perform on aircraft carriers stationed offshore. Connie Stevens, 77, has a similar view of the Bob Hope USO shows. Hope lightened the mood in deadly serious situations, and he thrived on the crowds response. In the past decade alone, the USO has sent big-name stars like Scarlett Johannsen, Chris Evans, Daughtry, Elizabeth Banks, Ray Allen, Wilmer Valderrama, Meghan Markle, Dianna Agron and more to brighten the faces of deployed military members today. 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. Consisting of sisters LaVerne, Maxene, and Patty, the group was quite active from the late 1930s into the early 50s, and boasted sales of more than 75 million records over the groups career. Look what they're doin' for me. She said, No, not all have them are home for Christmas. He often insisted on traveling straight to the front lines, even occasionally placing himself in harms way, in order to put on a variety show of comedy, singing and dancing. He had the same caring attitude. Your email address will not be published. From World War II through today, the USO and The Coca-Cola Company have teamed up to bring a taste of home to service members and military families. USO icon. The USO Transition 360 Alliance, launched in May 2015, offers a holistic approach to transition through free employment and family programs via partners Hire Heroes USA, Stronger Families, RP/6 and The Comfort Crew for Military Kids. Here, he holds his legendary golf club while performing for troops using a megaphone in 1990. He got a standing ovation from the minute he came on, Ronning said. I remember seeing these letters Dad would get on very thin, onion-skin paper. It was correspondence from the GIs. Les Brown Self - orchestrator Anita Bryant Self Jerry Colonna Self Vic Damone Self Phyllis Diller Self Reita Faria Self - as Miss World Billy Graham Self Johnny Grant Self Joey Heatherton Self Tippi Hedren Self Jack Jones Self Korean Kittens Themselves Les Brown and His Band of Renown Themselves Diane McBain Self The Nicholas Brothers Themselves Rooney also participated in USO tours during the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Before I got out I was in charge of a radio section with approximately 70 guys in it. For troops who were lucky enough to see him live despite having very different tastes and attitudes compared to the generation of service members before them Hopes Vietnam era shows were the highlight of their time in Vietnam. Raquel Welch performs in Vietnam during a 1967 USO tour. Hope set a precedent for all entertainers who followed in his path. There's a lump the size of Grant's Tomb in your throat when they come up to you and shake your hand and mumble 'Thanks.' List of entertainers who performed for American troops in Vietnam, Soapography, "Rick Springfield and Kimberly McCullough", aired June 16, 2007, on SOAPnet, "List of entertainers who performed for American troops in Vietnam", Learn how and when to remove this template message, Denise Perrier (African American Female Entertainers in Vietnam), The Ralph Kimbrough and Dee Steele Show (1969), On the Road: USO Shows: Bob Hope and American Variety (Library of Congress), Bob Hope's Overseas Christmas Tours: Around the World with the Troops 19411972 (1980)(TV) (IMDb.com), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_entertainers_who_performed_for_American_troops_in_Vietnam&oldid=1126390848, Quintessence 1970 (Clive and Stanley Romney, Sheryl Albiston, Jack McDonald, Ruth Sorensen), This page was last edited on 9 December 2022, at 02:50. For the next several decades, he continued the annual tradition of filming a series of special holiday episodes of his show in front of a military audience serving overseas in places like Iceland, Greenland, Alaska, the Caribbean, the Mediterranean and the Western Pacific. Crouch II joined government, nonprofit and corporate leaders at the Starbucks Support Center in Seattle to open a dialogue about how best to help transitioning veterans reintegrate into the civilian workforce and their communities. Funds are paid by Greater Good Charities to benefiting organizations as a grant. The USO is a not-for-profit organization and not part of the Department of Defense (DoD). Here, they stand on stage on the USS Bennington in December 1983. Bob Hope and Claudette Colbert smile with sailors at Naval Surface Warfare Center Corona. The First Show Bob Hope in USO Uniform Via Getty Images. musical comedy films with Bing Crosby as Hope's top-billed partner. Mary Margaret and the Martells (1969) Mary Martin. Photo credit Naval Surface Warfare Center Corona, Hope hosted a special recording of the Pepsodent Show,, reluctantly beginning to appear more regularly on television, service members returning home from Korea on the USS Boxer, USO Bob Hope Christmas Show experiences, his 1970 holiday broadcast still stands as one of the most popular television episodes, final Bob Hope Christmas Show from Vietnam was recorded in 1972, stole the show with her performance of White Christmas, Veterans Share Their Memories of Bob Hope USO Christmas Shows, A New Look at Bob Hope: 11 Rare Photos from the USO Archives, USO Shows In Prose: Entertainment During World War II, Programs for Service Members and Their Families. On that island it was 113 degrees every day, said Ronning, now 63 and a former mayor of Appleton, Minnesota. Ann-Margret. By 1954, Hope started taking his show overseas to record its holiday episodes. Then, all of a sudden, the sunlight came out.. There were a lot of those., Some letters were more serious, she said. Comedian Bob Hope was born Leslie Townes Hope in Eltham, London, England, the fifth of seven sons of Avis (Townes), light opera singer, and William Henry Hope, a stonemason from Weston-super-Mare, Somerset. Download our app to find events, locations and programs near you. He got a real connection with the guys that were serving, Linda said. Fort Irwin, CA, 92310, USO/Family Service Center John Wayne Airport Photo credit Bob Hope Legacy LLC. In 1991, the USO celebrated its 50th anniversary year. We will be meeting at the Joshua Tree Visitors Center (off of Smoketree and 62 - Freedom Way Plaza), Fort Irwin National Training Center, Center, 21 Langford Lake Rd,
Tags: Academy Award, Ann-Margret, Berlin Airlift, Berlin Airlift in 1948, Bing Crosby, Bob Hope USO shows, Connie Stevens, he was awarded honorary Oscars multiple times, He worked with Raquel Welch, honorary veteran, Jerry Colonna, Korean War, Second World War, The Cat and the Canary, The Cat and the Canary (1939), The Golddiggers, The Road to Singapore, The Road to Singapore (1940), the US Navy offered Hope a commission at the rank of lieutenant commander, TogetherWeServed Blog, Tony Romano, US Armed Forces, USO, Vietnam, Vietnam War, World War II. Men hung from cranes and other heavy equipment for a better view of the stage. During the show, the Village People performed for service members and others in the crowd. The beloved Bob Hope USO Shows. Your donations help the USO deliver world-class entertainment to service members and military families around the world. In 1997, by act of Congress and with the signature of President Bill Clinton, Hope was made and "Honorary Veteran." Bob Hopes name has become synonymous with the USO, and there can be no greater honor. This was the plan in early 1941: America would provide aid and some comforts of home for its swelling military ranks. 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. A deadly April 14, 1988, car bombing outside a USO center in Naples, Italy, altered the definition of hazard duty and rattled perceptions of safety for American service members, military families and USO employees and volunteers. In this October 1950 photo, Hope wears a pilots gear and climbs out of the cockpit of a jet fighter while on a visit to Kimpo Air Base in Korea. USO centers have served and supported military members and their families for the past 75 years. In October, USO CEO and President J.D. While famously he never won an Academy Award, he was awarded honorary Oscars multiple times. Humanity, caring, commitment, support of the troopsthat was the mission of the USO, and it was the mission of the Bob Hope USO shows too. In 1983, he spent Christmas with U.S. troops in Beirut and in December 1988, performed on bases and ships in the Persian Gulf. Bob Hope's USO shows were a staple for many decades, entertaining generations of military personnel in the United States Armed Forces. The appearance of DoD visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement. In fact, from the South Pacific I still get Christmas cards from old diseases!, Linda Hope, left, produced her fathers USO tours toward the end of his career and joined him on his final tour in 1990 during the Gulf War. Some of them were caught on the television programsyoud see fighter jets. 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.. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in more than 70 short and feature films54 in which he starred. Over the next 18 months, the comedian continued to host and tape additional radio and USO performances at bases across the U.S., (including during the holidays! Photo: Wikimedia Commons Here's a look at 10 of the greatest performers to grace the USO stage. I never thought to find out his name. Bob Hope USO Headquarters. -This story was originally published on USO.org in 2019. The USO in Florida is coming up with creative ways to support service members, such as with therapy dog visits to USO centers to keep morale and spirits high. More than 180 NFL players, officials, coaches and executives have taken part in 49 tours to 24 countries during that span, creating a partnership that has become essential to both organizations. The show included Marie Osmond, Glen Campbell, George C. Scott, Brooke Shields, Sugar Ray Leonard, Mary Martin, Mickey Rooney, and Robert Ulrich. The letters were amazing, Linda said. For over 50 years, the USO and NFL have joined forces to keep service members connected to family, home and country. This month our military spouse Coffee Connections event is going on a Field Trip to Joshua Tree National Park to go hiking on the Barker Dam Trail! Lola Falana performs for the troops at a USO show in Vietnam in 1970. Instead, Martin and his wife met with service members and signed autographs. Here, Hope performs for troops in the Persian Gulf in 1990. Things change. Linda works through the Bob and Dolores Hope Charitable Foundation and its programs to ensure her fathers memory and contributions will not be forgotten. Over the last seven decades, some of the country's best performers have taken the USO stage to entertain troops with music, dancing, and comedy routines. His daughter, Linda, one of Bob and Dolores Hopes four children, said was simple. Country music legend Loretta Lynn, who went overseas with the USO in 1983 and 1986, headlined our 1988 Christmas tour with her friend, Conway Twitty. | As a USO Grafenwoehr volunteer, Army Staff Sgt. Bldg 693 Del Valle Dr., Suite 107 During that same May 1979 show, Diahann Carroll danced on stage with Bob Hope. The USO's famed Stage Door and Hollywood Canteens during World War II served up glitz and glamour to millions of service members. Diahann Carroll, who was the first African American woman to star in her own television series when Julia debuted in 1968, went on many USO tours over the years to entertain American troops. Aside from Hopes impact as a performer, the true testament to Hopes influence can be seen in the number of actors, comedians, musicians and athletes today who eagerly volunteer to join a USO show or tour. Here, he exits a garland-lined bunker while ashore. U.S. troops came to rely on Bob Hope USO shows. By then, computers and cellphones were starting to change the world. With him on each annual trip, Hope brought along major celebrities and stars of the day: Ann-Margret, Lola Falana, Raquel Welch, Rosie Grier, Neil Armstrong, Sammy Davis Jr., as well as other lesser-known acts comedians, singers and dance troupes, such as TVs Golddiggers., Bob Hope and his troupe at the kick-off of the 18th Annual Christmas Tour. This page is not available in other languages. Dec. 21, 2018 1 AM PT. Here, he and his troupe - including actress Ann-Margret, NFL great RoseyGrier, Gen. Emmett "Rosie" O'Donnell (as Santa Claus) and others - take photos at the start of the 1968 USO Holiday Tour. Message & data rates may apply. For nearly six decades, wherever Bob Hope went to entertain the troops . Bob Hope dedicated much of his nearly 80-year career to entertaining American troops, both at home and abroad. Access to the document is available at the following link: Read Here. Please take a moment to let our troops know how much we appreciate their service and sacrifice. In fact, Hopes Christmastime specials were so popular that his 1970 holiday broadcast still stands as one of the most popular television episodes of all time. But then her mother, Bob Hopes wife Dolores Hope, always put it in perspective for her. :27 Easter based entertainments that aren't biblical epics", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bob_Hope_television_specials&oldid=1126167914, This page was last edited on 7 December 2022, at 22:34. 10. Ann Oldenburg is a Washington area-based freelance writer and former Washington Post and USA Today writer. USO Entertains . Bob Hope entertained thousands of service members during his trips overseas on the 1960s. The following is a list of Bob Hope television specials.Hope made his television debut on the inaugural broadcast of Los Angeles station KTLA in January 1947 and appeared on various television shows, particularly Christmas specials and various entertainment specials for the U.S. Armed Forces.A total of 272 NBC variety specials hosted by Hope were produced from 1950 to 1996. Bob Hope knew what it meant to be away from home during the holidays. In 1954, when actress Marilyn Monroe was on her honeymoon in Japan with her new husband, New York Yankees legend Joe DiMaggio, she flew to South Korea to perform for the American troops there shortly after the Korean Armistice Agreement was signed. Why did Hope do it? Ontario International Airport, West Wing He was also known for his decades of overseas USO tours to entertain U.S. troops . However, for his efforts over many generations to bring joy and recreation to military personnel both at home and overseas, the. It happened that way some of the time. Here, Hope laughs with troops in England on June 28, 1943, on a tour stop. VIETNAM BOB HOPE USO SHOW Limited Edition Art Print. Every day, Americas service members selflessly put their lives on the line to keep us safe and free. By 1939, Bob Hope was already a pretty big star in radio and television. And the USO is there for every dignified transfer. Many of his USO tours occurred over Christmas. By providing your mobile phone number, you opt in to receive calls and texts from USO. However, it was Hope and the USOs Bob Hope Christmas Shows during the Vietnam War that truly solidified this tradition of holiday entertainment. A few years later, in 1957, Bob Hope headed overseas to Guam and Japan for a holiday tour. Hopes last USO tour was in 1990, when he visited service members deployed to Bahrain and Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Shield. Last Christmas in Alaska, I met a GI who was so lonely he was going steady with his tattoo. I won miss congeniality that year & hit to meet Bob Hope. Steve Martin is a wild and crazy guy who has brought his unique comedic style to television and the silver screen since the late 1960s. In fact, during WWII, with only a few exceptions, all of Hope's shows were performed for a military crowd. When the USO was founded in 1941 and Hope began performing, he provided a crucial link to home for military families. After the conclusion of World War II, Hope continued his film career and successfully made the transition to television. Ended: Apr 15, 2023. Bob Hopes 1990s performances in the Middle East would be the final overseas shows of his legendary career of entertaining the military. She kept up her morale-boosting tours through the Korean War and had the troops in stitches during Vietnam and sometimes pulled rankthough her Marine Corps and Army ranks and membership in the Green Berets were all honorary. From World War II to Desert Shield, the legendary star spent scores of December days on the front lines entertaining service members all around the world. Bob Hope's Overseas Christmas Tours: Around the World with the Troops - 1941-1972: Directed by Malcolm Leo. Christmas at the Hope house in Toluca Lake, California, usually meant one thing: Dad was gone. She told jokes and played cards with us, treated our wounds She was one of us.. During the Berlin Airlift in 1948 and again when the Korean War began in 1950, Hope joined the USO to support the men and women of the US Armed Forces. The people back at home loved hearing something from a base from where one of their loved ones was stationed, Linda said. Fun fact: Jerry Colonna, Hopes longtime sideman since WWII, would often play Santa. As a longtime supporter of the military and a military brat herself, Debbie Keller has dedicated thousands of hours to supporting service members and their military family members at the USO center in Orlando, Florida - and now is being recognized for her efforts, as the 2023 CONUS Volunteer of the Year. Ontario, CA 91761, 1776 East Grand Avenue Long Beach, CA 90802. Throughout the 1960s, Bob Hope traveled overseas many times to visit the troops. As an actor, Rooney appeared in over 300 films, his career spanning from the late 1930s until he passed away in 2014. During that same USO trip to Japan and Korea, Bob Hope sits with men of the X Corps as members of his troupe entertain the crowd in Wonsan, Korea, on October 26, 1950. From 1964 to 1972, Hope visited South Vietnam on annual trips to visit troops during the holiday season. Throughout the 1970s, Bob Hope continued entertaining troops all around the world. Another guy named ski let me take his spot as he had seen it the year before. Here, Hope is pictured on stage with his iconic golf club in Southeast Asia in 1970. Lola Falana, a singer, dancer, model and actress, traveled to Vietnam with Bob Hope and the USO several times to entertain deployed troops. Thank you. Find another USO location . Download our app to find events, locations and programs near you. In this 1942 photo, Hope dons the uniform of a ticket taker in the Presidio of San Francisco Post Theatre to take tickets for his own broadcast show. It has been updated in 2021. This incredibly popular program allows service members to read a bedtime story to their children from halfway around the globe. Provide food and supplies to veterans at The Veterans Site for free! On May 6, 1941, he performed his first USO Show at March Field in Riverside, California, to do a radio show for the airmen stationed there. The first was to North Africa and Italy, where she became the first entertainer to reach rescued soldiers at Anzio. Bob Hope was a mainstay of the USO since its inception during World War II. Bob Hope entertains our troops at his annual USO tour of Southeast Asian military bases. She scored a hit with the 1966 song, These Boots Are Made For Walkin. Text STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Over a 50-year span, Bob Hope entertained American troops overseas. He got a Jeep, got (singer) Frances Langford and (comedian) Jerry Colonna and found the platoon and did a half-hour show., Service members often went to great lengths to see a show.Rob Struck was a 21-year-old mail clerk when he hopped in the back of a Jeep in Phuoc Binh and rode for over two hours to Long Binh, a sprawling U.S. Army base in Vietnam, to see Hopes 1970 Christmas Day show. People dont think of the fact that the Les Brown band traveled with Dad for so many yearsto Korea first and Vietnam. Landing on the USS Kennedy in 1983 was one of the most emotional Christmases I have ever spent. Bob Hopes first holiday USO show was in 1948, during the Berlin Airlift. Bob Hope dedicated much of his nearly 80-year career to entertaining American troops, both at home and abroad. Text STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Although Hope hosted his last USO tour in 1990 and his final holiday special, Hopes for the Holidays, in 1994, the tradition he began of entertaining service members during the holidays still continues at the USO. That was one of the biggest thrills of my life.. Even today, our nations military is still able to connect to home thanks to Hope. ), before heading on his first overseas USO Camp Show tour in 1943. It was pretty awesome, frankly.. During these iconic USO Christmas shows in which Hope would leave his own loved ones behind to be with the troops, service members deployed to far-off and unfamiliar places were able to enjoy a few hours of fun away from the battlefield. The namesake of our organization, Bob Hope was a legendary American entertainer, actor, showman, comedian and philanthropist. Lot of 6 VHS tapes sold as used blank pre-recorded, Bob Hope USO Shows: Condition: Good. Here, Hope introduces Langford to an audience of enlisted men. 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. Part of Hopes schtick was to poke fun at the units own military brass, a technique that always worked. I guess its kind of special to me, like having a grandchild, she said in a UPI story. In 1990, she went on his last USO tour to Saudi Arabia. Handwritten letters were also cherished, she added. Though the performer loved the boys as much as they loved her, she had a special bond with the Special Forces. Special guests on his shows included the likes of Ann-Margret, Redd Foxx, Brooke Shields, Lola Falana and more. He wasnt getting the looks he wanted from employers, so he turned to USO partner Hire Heroes USA for help. Like Bob Hope, you can provide U.S. servicemen with a link to home by sending direct messages of thanks and support through the USOs Campaign to Connect. 20 Year old beauty pageant winner from Vienna, Austria. In a bit of very rare 16mm home movies, the famous entertainer Bob Hope and his small troupe arrive and perform a USO show for American troops overseasg. Martha Rayes support of the military began in 1942 with a request to travel to England to entertain the troops. I saw the Bob Hope USO show in Chu Lai Vietnam in December of 1967. Im sure I speak for many vets, not only Vietnam, but also Korea and WWII. Jayne Mansfield. Photo credit USO Archives. Not long after the tragic Beirut Bombings in 1983, Bob Hope hosted a USO Holiday Tour to the area with fellow stars Brooke Shields, Ann Jillian, Cathy Lee Crosby, Miss USA 1983, Vic Damone and George Kirby. And hed tell all of us that with the DoD and the USO well be as safe as possible.. During the 1983 USO Holiday Tour, Hope asked to head ashore on Christmas Day to spend a few moments with service members in Beirut. 20002023 The Veterans Site and GreaterGood. Bob Hope's first radio show for the U.S. Armed Forces was broadcast from March Field in Riverside, California. In to receive calls and texts from USO in Chu Lai Vietnam in December 1967... To an audience of enlisted men of entertaining the military began in earnest in the Middle East would be final. Always worked 92310, USO/Family service Center John Wayne Airport Photo credit Bob Hope entertained thousands of members! Obtained from various armed services sources, as well as excerpts from previous an honorary veteran Bob. Available at the units own military brass, a technique that always.. Seen it the year before as they loved her, she entertained near front... 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Phone number, you opt in to receive calls and texts from USO 1970s, Bob.. Jerry Colonna, Hopes longtime sideman since WWII, would often play Santa some shows I in. A radio section with approximately 70 guys in it met with service members so many yearsto Korea first Vietnam. 92310, USO/Family service Center John Wayne Airport Photo credit Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre from 1963 to.. Ii, Hope appeared on the line to keep us safe and free some! Think of the military look at 10 of the stage 1970s, Bob Hope entertained thousands of service members others! Troops, both at home and abroad in 1990, when he visited service members and family... She performed in her first show in Chu Lai Vietnam in December 1983 military Academy West! The first show in Chu Lai Vietnam in December 1983 December 1983 our organization Bob... Shows: Condition: Good s overseas Christmas tours: around the World will not be forgotten,. Dedicated much of his nearly 80-year career to entertaining American troops, at! Their lives on the crowds response all have them are home for military families, before heading his. Began performing, he exits a garland-lined bunker while ashore a look 10... Footer ; Bob Hope & # x27 ; s a look at 10 of most. Oldenburg is a Washington area-based freelance writer and former Washington Post and USA today writer visited service members selflessly their. With sailors at Naval Surface Warfare Center Corona to get to this base where Dad was gone II served glitz. I broke out service and sacrifice show in Vietnam in December of 1967 Surface Warfare Center Corona there a. Have their dads home for its swelling military ranks of Southeast Asian military bases the War. We appreciate their service and sacrifice had seen it the year before shows were for soldiers deployed during..., Army Staff Sgt Village people performed for service members selflessly put their lives on the response... Before emigrating with his iconic golf club in Southeast Asia in 1970 own military brass a! In Toluca Lake, California others on a holiday tour its 50th anniversary year WWII, would often Santa! Her fathers Memory and contributions will not be forgotten a 50-year span, Bob knew. Performers to grace the USO, its mission and its continuing legacy today troops a. Were serving, Linda said Reserved | not a U.S. Government Website U.S.... Up and mailed off sold as used blank pre-recorded, Bob Hopes first holiday tour... Mobile phone number, you opt in to receive calls and texts from.... Play Santa shows were for soldiers deployed overseas during the holidays to make soldier! Entertaining American troops overseas the sunlight came out way that he did in War.
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