He taught me how to serve my country, Stevens said of Hope. Despite the death of LaVerne in 1967, the Andrews Sisters remained active until disbanding in 1975. He loved to joke about sex and women: Theres still a great need for the USO. Hopes holiday specials, a tradition started in 1950 on NBC, also became part of his commitment to the USO. Thanks to his radio broadcasts, Bob Hope was already immensely popular with the troops when World War II broke out. This incredibly popular program allows service members to read a bedtime story to their children from halfway around the globe. 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. -This story was originally published on USO.org in 2019. 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.. Measures 24" x 115762288302. VIETNAM BOB HOPE USO SHOW Limited Edition Art Print - $46.78. . Bob Hope traveled with several other entertainers during his 1943 USO tour of Europe and North Africa. As the USO celebrates its 75th anniversary, On Patrol asked USO tour veteransactors, musicians, athletes, authors, cartoonists and even a Muppet or twowhy they stepped up to support our military and their families. Photo credit Library of Congress. 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. This page is not available in other languages. 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. Photo: Wikimedia Commons There were a number of close calls. Victoria Dawn Addams - entertained the troops in Korea December 1952/January 1953 Comedian Redd Foxx, singer Lola Falana, and a dozen American Beauties, among others, joined Hope on that tour. That was one of the biggest thrills of my life.. Here, Hope performs for troops in the Persian Gulf in 1990. It's a scene that played out again and again for nearly 50 yearsfrom World War II, through Vietnam, to the Gulf War. (Above) Bob . 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. 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. USO icon. 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. In 1990, she went on his last USO tour to Saudi Arabia. His secretary would sit down with him every week or two, and he would dictate responses to be typed up and mailed off. 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. After 15 years in the Air Force, Doug Watjus left the military armed with a degree from Texas A&M University and an MBA. Dolores Hope, meanwhile, worked hard to try to give the kids a normal upbringing, not that of a movie stars children. The Andrews Sisters were a popular singing group of the swing and boogie-woogie music eras. Piper Laurie. Look what they're doin' for me. Special guests on his shows included the likes of Ann-Margret, Redd Foxx, Brooke Shields, Lola Falana and more. I soon went to MTT-1 and after a few months we ended up in Tam Ky about 3 miles inland from the water. Text STOP to opt out, HELP for help. 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. Free shipping for many products! The following entertainers performed for U.S. military personnel and their allies in the combat theatre during the Vietnam War (19591975). So he would rearrange the schedule., Traveling on USO tours with Hope is an experience Shields, 50, said shell never forget. Hope closed the show with Silent Night., There was not a dry eye in the house, says Struck, 66, who now lives in Kennewick, Washington. In my eyes, Bob Hope is a true American hero. Singer. These included a series of seven Road to . The memories Dinah Shore created for the service members who saw her perform on USO tours left lasting impressions. Hope passed away less than six years later, on July 27 2003, at the age of 100. Bob Hope knew what it meant to be away from home during the holidays. During December 1987, Bob Hope headed back overseas on yet another USO Holiday Tour. The show included Marie Osmond, Glen Campbell, George C. Scott, Brooke Shields, Sugar Ray Leonard, Mary Martin, Mickey Rooney, and Robert Ulrich. 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. Many of the young women who volunteered at USO centers in the 1940s and 50s were looking for a way to contribute to the war effort. The following is a list of Bob Hope television specials. 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. Throughout the 1960s, Bob Hope traveled overseas many times to visit the troops. However, it was Hope and the USOs Bob Hope Christmas Shows during the Vietnam War that truly solidified this tradition of holiday entertainment. Bob Hopes name has become synonymous with the USO, and there can be no greater honor. I think one cant be near that in large doses and not be touched. The group took a break from their act in the mid-1950s, but later continued to perform. Vicki Lawrence. Please take a moment to let our troops know how much we appreciate their service and sacrifice. Photo: Flickr/Peabody Awards USO Entertains . 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 . Gloria Loring. Fun fact: After 1948, Hopes radio show changed names to The Bob Hope Show. Over the next few decades, his various specials on television and radio would fall under several names and iterations of this new show name. The August 2022 edition of the Bob Hope USO newsletter is now available at the linkbelow: The July 2022 Newsletter for Bob Hope USO is now available. Apparently, this worked to Dolores advantage as she stole the show with her performance of White Christmas. In 2015, after recognizing the need for an increased presence in military communities both stateside and abroad, the USO launched an aggressive center expansion effort to bring connectivity, entertainment and programming to more service members and families. With a career that spanned nearly 80 years, Hope appeared in more than 70 short and feature films54 in which he starred. Palm Springs, CA 92262, 1940 East Moore Way For more stories about veterans and military history, check out our TogetherWeServed Blog. After seven years and nearly 6,000 hours of volunteer service to her credit, Terry Grimes has no plans to slow down. Hope logged over 30,000 miles and gave more than 150 performances during this trip. Bob Hope knew what it meant to be away from home during the holidays. The final Bob Hope Christmas Show from Vietnam was recorded in 1972. The joke became I did more Bob Hope shows than he did, Shields said. Los Angeles, CA 90045, 18601 Airport Way, #107 | Hope would do 57 USO tours, including 48 Christmas shows, going out during every major conflict . The USO relies on your support to help service members and their families. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for BOB HOPE SIGNED PROGRAM INSERT 1975 USO MAN OF THE YEAR DINNER at the best online prices at eBay! Access to the document is available at the following link: Read Here. VIETNAM BOB HOPE USO SHOW Limited Edition Art Print. Bob Hope performs for service men at Munda Airstrip in the Solomon Islands in October 1944. His maternal grandmother was Welsh. Every day, Americas service members selflessly put their lives on the line to keep us safe and free. Heres a look at 10 of the greatest performers to grace the USO stage. Linda works through the Bob and Dolores Hope Charitable Foundation and its programs to ensure her fathers memory and contributions will not be forgotten. Thats why the foundation focuses its financial support on the things Hope cared about, rather than getting his name out. 2023 USO, Inc. TogetherWeServed.com Inc. All Rights Reserved | Not a U.S. Government Website. And for you. I think it has to do with laughter.. Its a scene that played out again and again for nearly 50 yearsfrom World War II, through Vietnam, to the Gulf War. We had a regular life, and then all of a sudden wed see Dad up on stage, singing and dancing and telling jokes and everybody laughing and having a good time in hangars. In addition to his television specials, Hope appeared on the series Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre from 1963 to 1967. Think of boys and girls who dont have their dads for years and years because they are serving overseas. A platoon in the South Pacific had marched to get to this base where Dad was doing some shows. Here, during that same trip, Bob Hope and Ann Gillian perform for service members on the USS Guam during the 1983 USO Holiday Tour. A tribute to Bob Hope's 31 years of entertaining American troops overseas. However, his future undertakings with the USO were inspired by this trip and the warm welcome and gratitude from the servicemen and women in Berlin. The namesake of our organization, Bob Hope was a legendary American entertainer, actor, showman, comedian and philanthropist. During this and the many WWII USO Camp Show trips that followed, Hope hosted dozens of variety-style shows featuring some of the biggest names in Hollywood. In 1990, Martin and his wife visited troops in Saudi Arabia at the beginning of the Gulf War. Over a 50-year span, Bob Hope entertained American troops overseas. Although sources vary as to when the first official Bob Hope Christmas Show aired on radio or television, National Archives records state Hope hosted special recordings of the Pepsodent Show at Sawtelle Veterans Hospital on December 24, 1946. Thank you. Here, in July 1945, Bob Hope and other USO Camp Show entertainers smile in London. As a USO Grafenwoehr volunteer, Army Staff Sgt. Bob Hope and Frank Sinatra appear as baseball players in a comedy sketch. The actress and singer said the years she spent touring with Hope provided some of the most meaningful moments of her life. Actress Marilyn Monroe entertains American troops during a USO tour in 1954 in South Korea. For over 50 years, the USO and NFL have joined forces to keep service members connected to family, home and country. The scene: the tiny island of Diego Garcia, in the middle of the Indian Ocean. The first Bob Hope USO Christmas Show for the troops was in December of 1948, during the Berlin Airlift. For more details, please click the linkhttps://socalairshow.com/, Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms. The comedy legend was about to put on what would be his final USO show of the Vietnam War. 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. 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. 20002023 The Veterans Site and GreaterGood. Text STOP to opt out, HELP for help. 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. The swing and boogie-woogie music eras was 15 when she performed in her first of 27 shows Hope! 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