This page is not available in other languages. The beloved Bob Hope USO Shows. Bob Hopes USO shows were a staple for many decades, entertaining generations of military personnel in the United States Armed Forces. Bob Hope dedicated much of his nearly 80-year career to entertaining American troops, both at home and abroad. Connie Stevens, right, was just a one of the many stars who joined Bob Hope on his USO tours around the globe. Almost 50 years after his first performances for the troops, Bob Hope headed, once again, to the Middle East. I produced that show. They were just amazing audienceswith their courage and their love of laughter and humor, Linda said. In 1997, by act of Congress and with the signature of President Bill Clinton, Hope was made and "Honorary Veteran." Mary Margaret and the Martells (1969) Mary Martin. 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. Linda got a firsthand taste of USO tours when she began producing her fathers television specials, something she did for the last 20 years of his performances. A Bob Hope Christmas Cartoon from 1968. Details about Lot of 6 VHS tapes sold as used blank pre-recorded, Bob Hope USO Shows See original listing. Learn about the history of the USO, its mission and its continuing legacy today. Starting bid: US $5.00 [ 0 bids] Shipping: $8.25 Economy Shipping | See . Los Angeles Times photographers often covered his . Bob Hope entertains troops in Saudi Arabia in 1990. 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. Bob Hope and Frank Sinatra appear as baseball players in a comedy sketch. He had complete commitment and real respect for them.According to Shields, Hopes legacy is Humanity for our men and women in uniform.. Text STOP to opt out, HELP for help. 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. Be the first to learn about news, service member stories and fundraising updates from USO. On his last overseas USO tour to the Middle East in 1990, Bob Hope was joined by baseball legend Johnny Bench. 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. 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. Im looking for pictures of the 1984 miss uso pagent in Hollywood, ca. Here, Hope is wearing a flight suit and helmet as he shakes hands with Col. Netcher on Andersen Air Force Base, Guam, on December 27, 1957. Photo: Wikimedia Commons I remember seeing these letters Dad would get on very thin, onion-skin paper. It was correspondence from the GIs. -This story was originally published on USO.org in 2019. Here, Hope performs for service members and their families in Fairbanks, Alaska. Bldg 693 Del Valle Dr., Suite 107 Dad heard that this platoon marched all this way and missed the show. Provide food and supplies to veterans at The Veterans Site for free! By 1954, Hope started taking his show overseas to record its holiday episodes. Menu. Ann Oldenburg is a Washington area-based freelance writer and former Washington Post and USA Today writer. When these celebrities sacrifice their time to travel to places such as Iraq, Afghanistan or South Korea and meet one-on-one with our nations military, they are joining the ranks of countless others who saw the selflessness and impact of Hope and his career that was almost entirely dedicated to those who serve. I remember saying, Why does Dad always have to be away? Jayne Mansfield. When the USO was founded in 1941 and Hope began performing, he provided a crucial link to home for military families. I can honestly say being able to attend the 1970 Bob Hope Christmas Show in Long Binh was the highlight of my Vietnam tour.. The Tradition of Bob Hope Christmas Shows and USO Visits Actress Marilyn Monroe entertains American troops during a USO tour in 1954 in South Korea. A few years later, in 1957, Bob Hope headed overseas to Guam and Japan for a holiday tour. Ontario, CA 91761, 1776 East Grand Avenue Anywhere we went, whenever we landed we would always do an impromptu show, she said. He was also a frequent visitor to American forces stationed in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War, regularly seen with his trademark golf club. Bob Hope knew what it meant to be away from home during the holidays. Shore, a polio survivor who overcame a limp caused by the disease, unwittingly earned the nickname Dinah when a disc jockey heard her sing Ethel Waters Dinah during an audition. As time went by and Hopes shows became more of a staple, he assembled a team of regular collaborators: Tony Romano, the musician. Letters from the time or later reflections show that their USO Bob Hope Christmas Show experiences were often very similar: being selected to go to the show; being issued clean uniforms; the trip from the field to the base where the show was being held; the disbelief at seeing Bob Hope and other stars; the singing of Silent Night at the end of the show. So he would rearrange the schedule., Traveling on USO tours with Hope is an experience Shields, 50, said shell never forget. She scored a hit with the 1966 song, These Boots Are Made For Walkin. Though the performer loved the boys as much as they loved her, she had a special bond with the Special Forces. Over the next 18 months, he traveled the length and breadth of the country performing at military bases, until he ventured overseas to the European and Pacific fronts to perform for troops stationed there.His Road to co-star Bing Crosby also joined USO tours. Funds are paid by Greater Good Charities to benefiting organizations as a grant. Every day, Americas service members selflessly put their lives on the line to keep us safe and free. Linda works through the Bob and Dolores Hope Charitable Foundation and its programs to ensure her fathers memory and contributions will not be forgotten. Vietnam War Bob Hope Show Photo, The Adventures of Bob Hope Certified Guaranty Company (CGC) Comics and Graphic Novels & TPBs Not Signed, Ontario International Airport, West Wing Bobby Limb. Ended: Apr 15, 2023. The comedy legend was about to put on what would be his final USO show of the Vietnam War. The appearance of DoD visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement. Think of boys and girls who dont have their dads for years and years because they are serving overseas. She danced in USO tours in Korea in 1954 and 1956.) After 15 years in the Air Force, Doug Watjus left the military armed with a degree from Texas A&M University and an MBA. Since 1941, the United Service Organizations has provided support to the service members of the United States military. I wish I had pictures to show my kids. Being stationed overseas can be difficult for every member of a military family, but especially for military children, who often have to constantly adapt to new environments and remain resilient through every new move. USA & International; Australia; Canada; France; Germany; Italy; Spain; United Kingdom; Register now to attend this fun event! (mostly waiting to go to Vietnam. Here, Hope shakes hands with a service member in Southeast Asia in 1969. It has been updated in 2021. I think whatever he was involved with was the favorite tour.. 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. 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. Bobby Crane uses his experience, knowledge and kind demeanor to make every soldier and military family member feel at home. Please take a moment to let our troops know how much we appreciate their service and sacrifice. Many of his USO tours occurred over Christmas. During that same May 1979 show, Diahann Carroll danced on stage with Bob Hope. TogetherWeServed.com Inc. All Rights Reserved | Not a U.S. Government Website. Singer. Raquel Welch performs in Vietnam during a 1967 USO tour. I think one cant be near that in large doses and not be touched. Things change. Look what they're doin' for me. Lola Falana performs for the troops at a USO show in Vietnam in 1970. Photo credit Bob Hope Legacy LLC. 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. From World War II to today, these nine women are just a few of the many who have traveled near and far to entertain service members at home and abroad. Dec. 21, 2018 1 AM PT. Photo credit Bob Hope Legacy LLC. 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. 10:00 AM PDT(1000T). I soon went to MTT-1 and after a few months we ended up in Tam Ky about 3 miles inland from the water. Traveling with Hope were fellow entertainers Frances Langford, Jerry Colonna and Tony Romano. Here, Hope is pictured on stage with his iconic golf club in Southeast Asia in 1970. Download our app to find events, locations and programs near you. From boot camp till I got out I spent 2years 9 months on active duty. Hope was 80 years old at the time of this USO tour. | 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. Last Christmas in Alaska, I met a GI who was so lonely he was going steady with his tattoo. Frances Langford, the singer. The sisters performed extensively for troops of the Allied forces during World War II, frequently singing their hit song, Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy, as part of their USO performances. With so many of our service members deployed overseas, many, Military Spouse Appreciation Nights provides fun, interactive social events that provide opportunities for military spouses to connect,est, Our Bob Hope USO Programs Team hosts weekly scavenger hunts for MilKids in Southern California, and across the United States. In 1991, the USO celebrated its 50th anniversary year. 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. Hope set a precedent for all entertainers who followed in his path. I think it has to do with laughter.. 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, In 1964, Hope took the first of nine USO trips to Vietnam to record special holiday episodes of his show and he never went alone. Already an established comedian and actor by the onset of World War II, Bob Hope performed and broadcast his first USO show on the radio for service members on May 6, 1941, at an Army Air Corps (now known as the U.S. Air Force) Base at March Field in Riverside, California. He worked with Raquel Welch, Ann-Margret, Connie Stevens, The Golddiggers, even Neil Armstrong. 10. Bob and Janis Paige appear as kitchen workers who pretend they are wealthy to impress the other. Here, Hope introduces Langford to an audience of enlisted men. Message & data rates may apply. Bob Hope. Comedian Redd Foxx, singer Lola Falana, and a dozen American Beauties, among others, joined Hope on that tour. Bob Hope entertaining the troops in 1944 (U.S. Army photo via WikiMedia Commons; public domain) One of the entertainers who would become inextricably linked with the USO was Bob Hope. Its a scene that played out again and again for nearly 50 yearsfrom World War II, through Vietnam, to the Gulf War. Offered through Bob Hope USO. Bob Hope Christmas Tour logo Los Angeles, CA 90045, 18601 Airport Way, #107 Download our app to find events, locations and programs near you. The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have taken the lives of nearly 7,000 American service members. Who started USO? For over 50 years, the USO and NFL have joined forces to keep service members connected to family, home and country. 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. 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. Palm Springs, CA 92262, 1940 East Moore Way There must have been at least 20 of them that traveled. He was coming off The Big Broadcast of 1938, where he first sang his soon-to-be signature song, Thanks for the Memory. Dancer. The troupe performed for service members working on six U.S. ships off the coast of Lebanon. 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. 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. 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. But Linda also remembers that she often worried about her father as he left for dangerous war zones. A platoon in the South Pacific had marched to get to this base where Dad was doing some shows. The appearance of DoD visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement. From 1964 to 1972, Hope visited South Vietnam on annual trips to visit troops during the holiday season. Long Beach, CA 90802. In fact, during WWII, with only a few exceptions, all of Hopes shows were performed for a military crowd. ' During the Vietnam War, Sinatra visited and sang for troops at the U.S. military bases near Saigon. His secretary would sit down with him every week or two, and he would dictate responses to be typed up and mailed off. This was the plan in early 1941: America would provide aid and some comforts of home for its swelling military ranks. 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. Whether he was balancing on a plank propped up between two trucks or dancing across a massive stage built just for him, and whether he was talking to a crowd of thousands or just a few men working a late shift, Hope brought the same level of energy to each and every performance. By providing your mobile phone number, you opt in to receive calls and texts from USO. Her acting career contains a recurring James Bond credit: she played General Gogol's assistant Rubelvitch in the films The Spy Who Loved Me, For Your Eyes Only, and Octopussy. Bob Hope and Lola Falana, right, perform for thousands of U.S. troops stationed in Vietnam in 1970. 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.. Thats why the foundation focuses its financial support on the things Hope cared about, rather than getting his name out. According to Hope himself, this effort was undertaken because he was expressly asked by the Pentagon. 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. 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