The USO Remembers Bob Hope

 

Thanks For the Memories

 

Bob Hope performed his first USO Show, at California’s March Field, on May 6, 1941. He titled his 1944 memoir about his USO experiences, I Never Left Home. His family might have had a different view, but the troops he visited and entertained know exactly what he meant.

Wherever Bob Hope went, from the deserts of North Africa to Alaska to the jungles of Southeast Asia, he represented home. And, for an hour or so, troops were home with an old friend and comrade.

Hope’s image was so closely associated with the USO that many people thought he created the organization. That distinction, of course, goes to Franklin Roosevelt. Hope, however, created something that has defined the USO since before the United States entered World War II. His signature shows, with comedians, singers, actors and actresses, defined a style of entertainment that defined the USO, even though his were the only USO shows quite like that. Most USO performances since the Second World War have been small affairs, with an act or two, moving nimbly from base to base. But, Bob Hope led the way for celebrities of every kind to commit to giving their time and talent to troops and families around the world.

That’s the legacy Bob Hope left to the USO and the millions of troops and families he entertained from 1941 until December 1990, when he brought laughter and Christmas cheer to troops participating in Operation Desert Shield in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain on his final USO tour. In 1997, the USO successfully worked with Congress to designate Bob Hope the first honorary veteran of the U.S. armed forces. And that same year - at what was then known as the USO Holiday Gala – we unveiled the “Spirit of Hope” Award. It is a portrait bas-relief image of Bob Hope, created by St. Louis sculptor Don F. Wiegand and Michael Fagin.

Bob Hope donated his time and talents to help USO bring "a touch of home" to those serving their country overseas.

 

"The USO Honors the Military," as told by Bob Hope

 
 

Facts About Bob Hope

 
  • Master of the one-liner and the USO's tireless morale-booster for the troops, Bob Hope was the USO's "Ambassador of Good Will." He celebrated his 100th birthday May 29, 2003.
  • Hope's USO career spanned six decades, during which he headlined approximately 60 tours.
  • Hope's first performance for service members was at March Field, California, May 6, 1941.
  • Hope's first USO tour went to Alaska and the Aleutians in 1942.
  • Hope made his first combat zone USO tour in 1943, visiting U.S. forces in North Africa, Italy and Sicily.
  • The first Bob Hope Christmas USO tour was in 1948, performing for the GIs who participated in the Berlin Airlift. The Bob Hope Christmas USO tour became a USO tradition, and he visited military bases and veterans' hospitals every December for the next 34 years.
  • In 1969, President Lyndon Johnson bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom upon Bob Hope for his service to the men and women of the armed forces through the USO.
  • Bob Hope made his final USO tour in December 1990, bringing Christmas cheer to troops participating in Operation Desert Shield in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
  • In 1997, the USO successfully worked with Congress to designate Bob Hope the first honorary veteran of the U.S. armed forces.
  • At the 1997 USO Holiday Gala, the USO unveiled the "Spirit of Hope" Award. It is a portrait bas-relief of Bob Hope, created by St. Louis sculptor Don F. Wiegand and Michael Fagin.