Stars such as Marlene Dietrich, Judy Garland, Betty Grable and Rita Hayworth had traveled over a million miles. [38] He adds that the tours made a "deep impression" on the stars as well. Bob Hope. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. '[41], In NovemberDecember 1968 the Sig Sakowitz troop from Chicago performed over 36 shows in South Vietnam with the USO in: Pleiku, Dalat, Danang, Cam Ran Bay, Phu Bai, Phu Loy, Hue, Natrang, Tan Son Nhut Airbase, Saigon and places in the boonies known only to military intelligence and the lonely soldiers yearning for a taste of home. Id like to show you something.. You try to keep their spirits up. Following his death in a military accident in 1964, she resumed her work with the USO. Accompanied by military escorts, Krause traveled to the front lines and to remote locations to deliver care packages of food and toiletries to service members, Case said. Maam? One female entertainer wrote about conditions while performing: We've played to audiences, many of them ankle deep in mud, huddled under the ponchos in the pouring rain (it breaks your heart the first two or three times to see men so hungry for entertainment.) Photo: Wikimedia Commons A few children wandered around, aimlessly. From the mid-1970s until his death in 2014, Robin Williams was a beloved comedian and actor who made people laugh through his many performances on television, in movies, and doing stand-up routines. Steve Martin. Rooney also participated in USO tours during the Korean War and the Vietnam War. As we passed the toddlers in the yard, I realized they were barely clothed. The best known was the Bob Hope Shows, but few of us were ever actually able to attend one of his Christmas Specials. [52] During the COVID-19 pandemic, the organization assembled thousands of care packages for troops in mandatory 14-day quarantine en-route home. was launched. Durham rounded up the musicians from such diverse places as the base motor pool at his home base of Pleiku. I met her in Nha Trang in 67. It had bare walls, dirt floors, low ceilings, and ragged fabric hanging to delineate separate areas. The Andrews Sisters were a popular singing group of the swing and boogie-woogie music eras. Its now one of the most popular memorials in Washington. Dead. Yellin notes that on one tour, Hayworth visited six camps, gave thousands of autographs, and "came back from Texas with a full-fledged nervous breakdown from over-enthusiasm! Stars and Stripes news special-reports vietnam-at-50, Tet Offensive & Khe Sahn Vietnam War Footage, Vietnam War Casualties Listed by Home of Record. Soon after his Christmas show in Saigon in 1967, he learned that the Viet Cong had planned to launch an attack at the hotel Hope's troupe was staying at, missing them by ten minutes. "[35] By the end of the war, over 113,000 American USO volunteers were working at 294 centers at home and abroad. United Service Organizations, Inc.: hearing before the Subcommittee on Administrative Law and Governmental Relations of the Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives, Ninety-fourth Congress, first session December 9, 1975. Draft-card burnings on college campuses angered him". They were playing in a dirt-covered yard, surrounded by a rickety bamboo fence. Just 10 days after Al Jolson returned from entertaining troops in Korea, he agreed with RKO producers to star in a new movie, Stars and Stripes for Ever, about a USO troupe in the South Pacific during World War II. Its occupant looked like a young kid. The USO is a not-for-profit organization and not part of the Department of Defense (DoD). They have bigger ones for four men that shoot down full-size choppers. | All rights reserved. We thumped and jittered over huge potholes and uneven terrain that served as a runway. "The conditions are . United Service Organizations (USO) - Veteran.com 60 new units went to Europe after V-E Day, and 91 new units went to the Pacific after V-J Day. Within five months 36 overseas units had been sent within the Americas, the United Kingdom, and Australia, and during 1942 1,000 performed as part of 70 units. "Until everyone comes home" is the motto of United Service Organizations (U.S.O.) To support troops participating in Operation Desert Shield, USO centers opened in Saudi Arabia. [5][6] More USO centers and clubs opened around the world as a "Home Away from Home" for GIs. God bless America! And besides, I dont know if Ill make it back. Afghanistan and Iraq The show was not easy, notes Faith. She did forty-eight shows for "broken soldiers," who were mostly lying on stretchers in the lobbies of hotels, watching as she entertained them. When I answered in French, her face lit up. The most notable celebrity to entertain the troops, Bob Hope, created a legacy unequaled. "There were so many restrictions. Shows were also performed with comedian Joey Bishop of the Rat Pack. I didnt know whether to be impressed or to feel sorry for him. Ahm sick, maam. The nun followed me. Looking out the window, I spotted the wreckage of several airplanes. I saw the back of her habit flutter in the doorway, as she walked into the building. Froman returned to Europe on crutches in 1945 to again entertain the troops. All Rights Reserved. Celebrities visiting this USO included Clarence Muse and the Mantan Moreland & Ben Carter duo.[29]. Compared with other wars, there weren't as many Hollywood stars and personalities signing up with the USO to entertain the troops in Vietnam. 13 Things You Probably Didn't Know About the USO During World War II Funds are paid by Greater Good Charities to benefiting organizations as a grant. Would you believe this very crossbow shot down a Huey?. Sort by: View: 25 names 1. One day, while traveling back to our hotel after a show, I peered out the steel-mesh covered bus windows and saw some children. [13] The USO was also supported by the National War Fund. The South China Sea Sentinel reported in 1971 that Krause was remarried in 1970 to Cmdr. There were 702 different USO troupes that toured the world, some spending up to six months per tour. Okay, soldier, come up on the stage. [53], The USO hosts baby showers for military parents-to-be. Over the following weeks we played Guys & Dolls for thousands of officers, non-coms, and enlisted men. Celebrities in Hollywood that have donated their time and talents helping our troops and USO both in US & overseas. It is an important part in the life of your sons, your brothers, your husbands, and your sweethearts. I want to know about the children I see here, I said. Eleanor Roosevelt on White House lawn with "Hollywood Victory Caravan" entertainers (seated, from left) Oliver Hardy (1892-1957), Joan Blondell (1906-1979), Charlotte Greenwood (1890-1977), Charles Boyer . Like someones friend. Kerry later wrote, "The visions of Ann Margret and Miss America and all the other titillating personalities who would have made us feel so at home hung around us for a while until we saw three Chinook helicopters take off from the field and presumed that our dreams had gone with them. Between 1941 and 1947, the USO hosted over 400,000 Camp Shows with 7,000 volunteer entertainers that included Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Humphrey Bogart, Fred Astaire, James Cagney, Jack Benny, and many more. We've played on uncovered stages, when we, as well as the audience, got rain-soaked. We continued talking for most of the evening. 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. Other entertainers who have traveled to the Middle East to perform include Al Franken (who made six USO tours in Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan before being elected a United States Senator from Minnesota), Robin Williams, Craig Ferguson, Gary Sinise, Zac Brown, Five Finger Death Punch, Artie Lange, Gary Dell'Abate, Nick DiPaolo, Jim Florentine, Jim Norton, Dave Attell, Avenged Sevenfold, Jessica Simpson, Carrie Underwood, Drowning Pool, Toby Keith (with special guest Gina James), Montgomery Gentry, Kellie Pickler, Mayra Veronica, Carlos Mencia, O.A.R., Trace Adkins, Kathleen Madigan, Louis C.K.,[48] Dane Cook, Lewis Black, Third Day, Colin Quinn, Kathy Griffin, and Neil McCoy.[49]. In the Chaos of the Vietnam War, There Was One Thing You - HistoryNet Dont mean nothin, he said. "[57] After WWII was declared over, the USO had sent out an "impassioned bulletin" asking entertainers not to abandon the GIs now that the war was over. We traveled in planes and helicopters of all sizes and shapes. As black historian Megan Shockley noted, "Their work for the desegregation of USOs had begun during World War II, and it finally paid off. After the show, they returned to the fighting in the hills. Philip Ahn, the first actor of Korean descent to become a Hollywood star, became the first Asian American USO performer to entertain troops in Vietnam. "[17] The following month, Camp Shows began in Normandy. Veths letter also highlighted Krauses honor of meeting then-President Lyndon Johnson, who thanked her for her work in Vietnam. The USO provides services to troops before, during, and after deployment through staffed and unstaffed USO centers inside and outside combat zones. It was at Vung Tau Rehab hospital. Two kids. During the Vietnam War, Hope produced a number of high-rated television specials and began to perceive that the U.S. media had given him a broad endorsement to continue on his work in Vietnam. Jolson was the first to volunteer, but due to lack of USO funds traveled to Korea at his own expense[32] (he was also the first to entertain troops during World War II).[33]. 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. TOP USO PERFORMANCES, THROUGH THE YEARS - Medium The show was closing, so he contacted someone he knew in the State Department. Text STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Gulf war 1990 - 1991. They have aired WWE RAW from Afghanistan and Iraq every Christmas in the United States in a pre-taped show from the combat zone. The Andrews Sisters were instrumental in boosting morale toward the war effort, encouraging the sale of war bonds through their music, and often wearing military uniforms as they performed. A month later, after stops at Air Force bases in Maryland and San Diego and refueling in Taipei, we arrived at Tan Son Nhut airport near Saigon. Hanging on the wall I saw a dark wooden crossbow and a quiver made of tree bark. Krause, along with actress and entertainer Martha Raye, were also awarded the special distinction of honorary Green Berets as a thank you for the effort they made to visit Special Forces soldiers at far-flung forward operating bases and outposts, Case said. The non-profit began in 1941, in partnership with the Department of War, and then later with the Department of Defense. The USO has over 200 locations around the world in 14 countries (including the U.S.) and 27 states. All you can do in a situation like that is close your eyes and pray.. List of entertainers who performed for American troops in Vietnam According to Emily Yellin, many of the key foot soldiers in the USO's mission were women who were "charged with providing friendly diversion for U.S. troops who were mostly men in their teens and twenties. Bob Hope - 1971 USO Show at Long Binh, Vietnam | Military.com Video Military Life Off Duty Bob Hope - 1971 USO Show at Long Binh, Vietnam An unanticipated problem was encountered, check. Restrictions were placed on USO performers after all five members of an Australian rock-and-roll band, performing at a forward firebase, were killed by an incoming Viet Cong (VC) mortar round that fell on the makeshift stage. It is in Vietnam that the rearguard of a 500,000 man army, in its day and in the observation of the writer the best army the United States ever put into the field, is numbly extricating itself from a nightmare war the Armed Forces feel they had foisted on them by bright civilians who are now back on campus writing books about the folly of it all To this day I cannot understand why I didnt tell the other performers in our company. USO centers in combat zones provide free phone calls home and internet access to service members through its private telephone network and high-speed internet. Many stars, both well-known and new, came to perform, including Bob Hope, Errol Flynn, Debbie Reynolds, Piper Laurie, Jane Russell, Paul Douglas, Terry Moore, Marilyn Monroe, Danny Kaye, Rory Calhoun, Mickey Rooney, Linda Coleman, Al Jolson and many others. For other uses, see, List of entertainers who performed for American troops in Vietnam, Entertainments National Service Association, "Our Proud History: Important Dates in USO History", "From World War II to Afghanistan: USO Marks 75th Anniversary", The USO, A Home Away From Home for 80 Years, by Julia Lauria-Blum, July 9, 2021, The United Service Organizations for National Defense, Inc. (USO) and the YWCA, "Photo of Edward G. Robinson entertaining troops in Normandy", "Radio Address on the National War Fund Drive. In the Second World War, Rooney served with special services in the U.S. Army for nearly two years, earning a Bronze Star Medal. Krause additionally received less formal acknowledgement of her work. [50][51], The organization sends toiletry and snack care packages to servicemen including travel-sized hygiene products of which 170,000 were shipped in 2019, healthy snacks, and drink mixes. 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. I know what these men did for their country and I always have time for 'my gentlemen. The troupe of show business professionals toured U.S. military bases in the Caribbean. But when you do it, you do it. In the Detroit News article, Krause described what it was like to hear mortar shells flying past her Saigon residence: You can hear them coming, she said. Between 1941 to 1947, more than 400,000 performances took place. Vietnam historian James Westheider noted that the USO "tried to bring a little America to Vietnam." Bob Hope and entire troupe on . The comedian and actor participated in 57 USO tours, visiting military members during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the first Gulf War. A 1969 Delaware State News article reported that Krauses interviewees on the program included big names such as Charlton Heston, James Garner, Lana Turner, Nancy Sinatra and USO icon Bob Hope. She adds, however, that the G.I.s in the USO audiences "tended to see these women in a different light as reminders of and even substitutes for their girls back home, as a reward for fighting the war, as embodiments of what they were fighting for. She held the gate open for me to leave. Patricia Krause. Two wore soiled cloth diapers; three were naked. "It was not just the entertainment; it meant that they were not forgotten that far away from home," writes Westheider. Either the families have no food, or everyone else has been killed in a bombing., The Church gives us a little money, she said. I had trouble breathing in the damp, sticky, humid air. Despite the death of LaVerne in 1967, the Andrews Sisters remained active until disbanding in 1975. 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. Some looked emaciated. Photo credit USO. Gen. Leo Benade presented Krause with the U.S. Take good care of it. Founded during World War II, the USO sought to be the GI's "home away from home" and began a tradition of entertaining the troops and providing social facilities. Two long rows of folding cots ranged down both sides. 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]. Stick to subjects like where they are from, their favorite sports team, stuff like that.. They might still be poisonous.. We do our best. Enter your email address to subscribe to us and receive notifications of new posts by email. Why wont they let me go home?. John Wayne. What was that? [20], War correspondent Quentin Reynolds, wrote in an article for Billboard magazine in 1943, that "Entertainment, all phases of it radio, pictures and live should be treated as essential. Entertaining Vietnam Trailer - YouTube In 1947, the USO was disbanded,[30] due partly to lack of funds. Chico, whose "shoot the keys" piano solos were the heart of his act, often had to do without a piano at all. Actor George Raft stated at the beginning of the war, "Now it's going to be up to us to send to the men here and abroad real, living entertainment, the songs, the dances, and the laughs they had back home."[9]. Its tough on them when youre away so long. Editors Note: After years of wondering what happened to Patricia Krause in her later years, USO Senior Digital Archivist Michael Case recently discovered that she died in Henderson, Nevada, on Jan. 19, 2011. A March 1969 article in the Detroit News reported, Mrs. Women in Vietnam: An Oral History - C-SPAN.org She scored a hit with the 1966 song, These Boots Are Made For Walkin. I tried to stick it out, but I was too upset. Its still fought in the bodies and minds of the men who waged it all those decades ago. "[56][57] According to Hope biographer William Faith, his reputation has become ingrained in the "American consciousness" because he had flown millions of miles to entertain G.I.s during both wartime and peace. Moreover, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported in 1968 that Army Gen. Creighton W. Abrams awarded her a medal and citation for service in Vietnam. The appearance of DoD visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement. As part of the multinational force the United States mobilized an expeditionary force composed of members of the United States Marine Corps and elements of the United States Sixth Fleet which operated out of the Mediterranean Sea. We especially liked the young women in the show. Every night we play a different place.[4]. According to war historian Paul Edwards, between 1952 and 1953, not a day went by without the USO providing services somewhere in Korea. The Flying Showboat, was the first revue. MEAs Guide to Short Fiction and Nonfiction, AS YOU WERE: THE MILITARY REVIEW, Vol. A few days later we flew to an isolated base on a mountaintop in the Central Highlands. Id like you to have this., Oh, no, I protested. Author Linda Granfield in describing the show, writes, "For two hours, the men could forget they were soldiers at war. The guy had a quiet, reflective energy that struck me as unusual in a non-com officer. When I turned to say goodbye, she wasnt there. 2023 Military Experience & The Arts. I wondered if theyd enjoyed the narrow, iron-framed beds festooned with mosquito netting, soggy mattresses, and creaky ceiling fans. She seemed to be omnipresent, said Michael Case, the USOs senior digital archivist. General William Westmoreland spoke about his loyalty to the GI throughout the gritty Vietnam years. The following entertainers performed for U.S. military personnel and their allies in the combat theatre during the Vietnam War (19591975). The army formed a Special Services unit that organized such shows and supervised the USO, and the experience from the Soldier Shows led to Irving Berlin's Broadway show This Is the Army. In New York OBrien had played Sky Masterson, the gambler who falls for a Salvation Army girl. Hope, of course, was one of the biggest stars involved. They went to black businesses and fraternal organizations in order to find sponsorship for their USO group, and later expanded to fulfill the needs of soldiers during the Korean War. This page was last edited on 7 April 2023, at 11:05. Presumably the Nazis appreciated Hope's value, since they thrice bombed towns while the comic was there."[21]. In the early days, Hollywood was eager to show its patriotism, and many celebrities joined the ranks of USO entertainers. He paused. Wherever there were troops, wherever there was a (USO) center even these places that are out on the front lines. This is my third tour of duty.. One of the newer programs, called "USO in a Box," delivers program materials ranging from DVD players and videos to musical instruments to remote forward operating bases in Afghanistan. She was scrapped in 1967. Now you tell me? Instead, Martin and his wife met with service members and signed autographs. Where are you from? I asked, the requisite opening question. "[25], African-American women scrambled to rally the community around the soldiers and create programs for them. Veterans have recalled many of the USOs events, sometimes in vivid detail: On that cold, overcast day, there were more than five thousand troops in the audience. During his show, he said, "This is the most privileged moment of my life, the opportunity to be here with you. She was 78. 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 USO: a GI's "home away from home" since 1941 - Warhawk Air Museum She was the assistant director of the United Service Organizations center at Saigon, the home base for all USO Vietnam and Thailand operations. We were thrilled to have Kaye and his entertainers in our area. A middle-aged staff sergeant was standing near the crossbow. Would you like to come in?, She opened the gate and led me toward a one-story cement building. I hoped my visit had given him a moment of comfort. As an actor, Rooney appeared in over 300 films, his career spanning from the late 1930s until he passed away in 2014. It is decorated with a tiger and embroidered with the words, To Patty. I cant take it. Bob Hope - 1971 USO Show at Long Binh, Vietnam | Military.com We ate a somber dinner in the Officers Club; then went to the non-coms club to socialize with the men. He described these programs as USO newsletters while Veths letter called Krause the voice from home for deployed service members. Haunted by Vietnam: Three Weeks in the USO - Military Experience & the Arts [4] The USO was incorporated in New York on February 4,[1] with the first facility erected in DeRidder, Louisiana, 1941. Robin Williams. The show opens on Aug. 9 and closes on Aug. 11. I had no answer. Thank you. In Riverside, California a Negro USO was established to serve the March Field service population. Can you help me? The Military Order of the Purple Heart notes that "his contributions to the USO are well known: they are legend. Although it is congressionally chartered, it is not a government agency. Several orderlies were running towards a bed where a man thrashed and screamed like an animal being slaughtered. A few Vietnam era news reports also note that Krause herself was a military widow. "Live While You Can" A Tribute to . Please consider spending some time navigating our site and reading and seeing the fine work of veterans and their families from around the globe. "USO" redirects here. We've played to audiences in small units of 500 or so, and much oftener to audiences of 8 to 10,000. There were 23 centers set up in Vietnam, which serviced a million members a month. Whats New at the USO? also featured celebrity interviews. The USO Camp Shows kicked off in October of 1941, two months before American's entry into World War II. A Senate resolution declared him "a part of American folklore." Since its controversial beginnings, feelings toward the Vietnam Veterans Memorial have changed drastically. That crossbow was given to me by their chief.. The film starred Ronald Reagan, then a captain in the Army Air Force. The USO Turns 75: American soldiers' "Home Away From Home" Hope was among the first to say yes. And he was right at home performing in front of the troops. That Id been forbidden to go outside and was afraid Id be in trouble? On Patrol caught up with Pete Peterson to find out how the U.S.-Vietnam relationship has progressed since the normalization of ties in 1995. Thankfully, Laurel and Hardy's Driver's License sketch needed only a few simple props. Though blessed with talent, his life wasnt without struggles. It was given to you by a Montagnard chief.. I looked up. They provided soldiers a place to eat, write a letter back home, play . According to Westheider, "The young women wore miniskirts no slacks were allowed." Colonel Robert Heinl: The Collapse of the Armed Forces (1971) - Vietnam War I sat in a quiet corner, sipping a coke. Until fall 1944 overseas units contained five performers or fewer; The Barretts of Wimpole Street, using local theaters in France and Italy, was the first to use an entire theater company, including scenery.