Bob Hope: What You Might Not Know About The USO Legend

The USO (United Service Operations) was founded in 1941 with the purpose of combining the efforts of several different organizations and focusing their joint efforts on helping members of the military. The original six organizations were the Salvation Army, Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), National Catholic Community Service, National Travelers Aid Association, and the National Jewish Welfare Board. The USO brought entertainers, including singers, actors, comedians, and others, to perform shows for the men and women serving in the military. In those first years during World War II, Hope performed USO shows not only in the United States, but also in Europe and the South Pacific.

The shows were a momentary — but greatly appreciated — distraction from the misery of war, a taste of home when they were deployed overseas, and a way to show that they and their efforts were not forgotten or taken for granted. Bob Hope would perform for the Troops in USO shows starting in World War II all the way through the Persian Gulf War. Over the course of 50 years, Hope headlined 57 USO tours — performing in war zones near the front lines, on military bases around the world, and even on ships at sea.

In the summer of 1944 alone, Bob Hope traveled around 30,000 miles, hopping between islands in the South Pacific, putting on more than 150 shows for the troops.

U.S. Army/Cpl. Alex Klein — Bob Hope sits with men of X Corps as members of his troupe entertain at Womsan, Korea, in 1950.

Just five years after Bob Hope performed his last USO show for troops during WWII, he found himself back in the battlefield with his jokes, his band, and his signature golf club, performing shows for troops during the Korean War. He continued his own film and television career back home in the States, but Hope always found time for the military when they needed it. In fact, between 1941 and 1990, wherever there were troops to be found, there was Hope as well.

Bob Hope’s USO shows stayed the same from his first one in 1941 until his last one 50 years later. Staying true to his Vaudeville roots, Hope would perform comedy on stage in his classic, sharp one-liners. He would carry and swing a golf club while he delivered rapid-fire jokes, often about the war or the military brass. Accompanying him would be a band of musicians, some singing and dancing, skits and monologues, as well as some of Hollywood’s leading ladies from the time. Throughout the years, female stars like Elizabeth Taylor, Ann-Margret, Raquel Welch, Jayne Mansfield, and Brooke Shields, just to name a few, performed.

“If there’s anything that gives our GIs a lift, it’s the sight of a pretty girl, so I always take plenty along,” said Bob Hope.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons — Bob Hope and Tom Jones perform together during a Bob Hope Chrysler Special in 1970.

Other stars that accompanied Hope on his USO tours included Bing Crosby, Jerry Colonna, Jill St. John, Les Brown and his band, Phyllis Diller, Redd Foxx, Neil Armstrong, Fred Astaire, Marilyn Monroe, James Stewart, Mickey Mantle, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Lucille Ball, Danny Kaye, and many more.

By the time the Vietnam War began in the 1960s, the public’s perception had changed. The Vietnam War was widely unpopular with many in the United States, and some celebrities stopped performing with the USO — to many, supporting the troops was conflated with supporting the war. That didn’t matter to Hope one bit. He knew one thing, that there were young men and women stationed overseas fighting a war, and he was going to do what he could to help them.

Boosting the morale of the troops in an active war zone often came at a cost, however. Security had to be tight and his stops overseas during the wars were closely guarded secrets. Once, during the Vietnam War, Hope and his crew were delayed by half an hour before returning to their hotel. When they eventually were able to leave the base, they were informed that their hotel had just been bombed. That was one of many close calls for Hope, but it never dissuaded him from continuing.

Flickr/telmo32 — Bob Hope visits Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base in 1968.

During the Vietnam War, Bob Hope decided to make his trips overseas even more special for the troops by spending Christmas with them. That meant giving up Christmas with his own family. For several years in a row, he never missed spending Christmas overseas in Vietnam. He brought along a camera crew, and NBC aired the performances as annual Christmas specials on television back in the States. The shows were almost as popular back home as they were for the men and women overseas who were able to get that special holiday gift from the great entertainer.

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