The USO provides a variety of programs and services, including orientation programs, family events, free Internet and e-mail access, free drinks and snacks, free phone calls home and recreation services. Suddenly he reached out and grabbed my hand. The USO was in Vietnam before the first troops arrived, having opened a club in Saigon in April 1963 2. The USO has over 200 locations around the world in 14 countries (including the U.S.) and 27 states. From June 8 to 11, 2009, TV personality Stephen Colbert traveled to Iraq to film his show The Colbert Report for four days in a USO sponsored event. We thumped and jittered over huge potholes and uneven terrain that served as a runway. Maam? I rang it, wondering if I should get the hell out of there. Bob Hope - 1971 USO Show at Long Binh, Vietnam | Military.com The United Service Organizations Inc. (USO) is an American nonprofit-charitable corporation that provides live entertainment, such as comedians, actors and musicians, social facilities, and other programs to members of the United States Armed Forces and their families. I was a Green Beret, he said. It's heartbreaking.[4]. An MGM film, Mr. Gardenia Jones, created to assist the USO in its fundraising campaign, was nearly withdrawn from theaters due to objections by the War Department, mainly because of scenes showing soldiers jumping with joy at the opportunity to shower in canteens and rest in overstuffed and comfortable USO chairs. [38], When providing entertainment, the USO did its best to attract known stars from back home to help relieve the stresses of war. In Riverside, California a Negro USO was established to serve the March Field service population. The 10 Greatest USO Performers - Page 2 of 4 - The Veterans Site News MSgt. 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]. Theres also the picture of her with the U.S. Army nurses so she made sure every segment as much as she could as an individual person got the benefit of the USO touch.. They have aired WWE RAW from Afghanistan and Iraq every Christmas in the United States in a pre-taped show from the combat zone. Funds are paid by Greater Good Charities to benefiting organizations as a grant. It had bare walls, dirt floors, low ceilings, and ragged fabric hanging to delineate separate areas. [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. 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. Our blog posts feature short pieces that cover a wide range of opinion editorials, literary reviews, and profiles on veteran artists and writers. The USO is perhaps best known for holding concerts, stand-up comedy nights and other special events all around the globe with performances by the popular entertainers of the day. 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. These stars performed under some extremely trying conditions, as the weather was brutally hot and many of the camps were not equipped to host theatrical performances. Patricia Krause. Yet, a civilian heroine who served in a different capacity during that difficult time also merits particular acknowledgment. Mind if I join you?. The Musicians of the United States Military, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=United_Service_Organizations&oldid=1148632992, Non-profit organizations based in Arlington, Virginia, United States military support organizations, United States National Medal of Arts recipients, Patriotic and national organizations chartered by the United States Congress, Articles with dead external links from July 2018, Articles with permanently dead external links, Short description is different from Wikidata, Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. The film starred Ronald Reagan, then a captain in the Army Air Force. John Wayne. Williams was known for his role in the film "Good Morning, Vietnam . [13], These overseas shows were produced by the American Theatre Wing, which also provided food and entertainment for the armed services in their Stage Door Canteens. Please take a moment to let our troops know how much we appreciate their service and sacrifice. The guy had a quiet, reflective energy that struck me as unusual in a non-com officer. At the end of a dark hallway we entered another room. Durham rounded up the musicians from such diverse places as the base motor pool at his home base of Pleiku. The Flying Showboat, was the first revue. In 1947, the USO was disbanded,[30] due partly to lack of funds. We went on board and entered a depressingly large ward. Entertaining Vietnam Trailer - YouTube Many of the entertainers who toured the Vietnam war were well known.most of them weren't. Filmmaker Mara Wallis belonged to the latter group for. Veths letter also highlighted Krauses honor of meeting then-President Lyndon Johnson, who thanked her for her work in Vietnam. Just dont mention the war. 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. After every performance he'd choose a volunteer to join him in a quick-draw contest. As reported by the USO, the unpaid volunteer to paid employee ratio overseas is 20 to 1. 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]. There were no toys, no coloring books, absolutely nothing. Reading a list of early USO performers is reading a who's who of Hollywood's decorated stars: Bob Hope, Raquel Welch, Marlene Dietrich, Fred Astaire, Jack Benny, John Wayne, and Elizabeth . USO Camp Shows, Inc. began in October 1941,[12] and by that fall and winter 186 military theaters existed in the United States. The tip is dipped in poison, in case the enemy is still alive. I carried the crossbow and arrows throughout Vietnam and onto the plane that brought me home. 18 talking about this. I met her in Nha Trang in 67. Ron Steinman talked about his book [Women in Vietnam: An Oral History], published by TV Books.