USO still entertaining troops almost 70 years later
Douglas Karr, Petty Officer Second Class, United States Navy Veteran
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Since 1941, the USO, or United Services Organizations, has been entertaining our troops overseas. Those who are old enough may recall how Bob Hope kicked off the USO’s tradition of providing music, dancing, and comedic relief to American soldiers.
The fact of the matter is – our men and women overseas need more than just the “obvious” to survive a deployment. In addition to safety equipment, our troops require morale boosters in the form of letters from family and friends, care packages, free time, and last but not least, entertainment.
John Pray, Senior VP of Entertainment for the USO told MSNBC.com that the folks overseas truly look forward to the shows that the USO provides.
“What we hear is, ‘We don’t care who shows up, just as long as somebody comes,” said Pray.
Lucky for our overseas troops, the list of entertainers that make themselves available to the USO – including actors, singers, and dancers – continues to grow. Recently, TV personality Stephen Colbert made a trip overseas, as did comedian and late-night host Jimmy Fallon, NFL personality Don Shula, and the popular band the Foo Fighters.
In the tradition of Bob Hope, the entertainers who visit our men and women overseas are there for one reason: to provide some much-needed laughter and entertainment to the people who work tirelessly to protect our freedoms. In 2009, the USO put on almost 30 shows, and not just in Iraq and Afghanistan. The USO sends entertainers to all corners of the world, wherever U.S. troops are stationed.
Boosting morale in Baghdad
In June of this year, Stephen Colbert traveled to Baghdad, where he filmed his popular “Comedy Central” television show for one week. Colbert had his head shaved, military-style, on air, and even wore a camo business suit [a slideshow of popular entertainers visiting the troops overseas is available here].
“To see the faces of all the troops…oh my gosh,” said Pray of Colbert’s time in Baghdad.
Stephen Colbert agreed: “The gratitude and appreciation from the people there was startling to me,” he said.
In addition to talk show hosts and popular singers, the NFL has been a huge supporter of the USO’s efforts. This past summer the NFL and USO teamed up to form the NFL-USO Coaches Tour, which sent NFL coaches overseas to visit the troops. Don Shula traveled all over the Persian Gulf, visiting our soldiers and taking pictures.
“We wanted to show our troops that the people back home care about them,” said Shula. While Shula felt safe overall and received security detail at all times, he did admit that his overseas tour was a bit “unnerving.”
“We go about our daily lives and forget that there are wars going on.”
Like Shula, rapper and outspoken activist David Banner wanted to support the troops, but was worried about traveling in a war zone. Despite concerns about his safety, Banner went to Iraq in January and later told reporters that it changed his life.
“It helps put your life in perspective,” he said. Of the troops he performed for, Banner said “They were very appreciative. I was humbled.”
And Banner’s opinion regarding the safety of the venue in Iraq changed, too.
“Some of the clubs I’ve performed in were more dangerous than that,” he said.
Of course, with the contracting of such big names comes financial stress for the USO. Pray admits that the organization cannot do as much as it would like in the way of entertaining troops due to financial restrictions.
“We rely on a donor base for our operating resources. I wish I had more dollars to spend,” he said.
Corporations and individuals are the two groups that provide funding to the USO, which requires funding to cover costs ranging from booking entertainers to travel costs.
As a veteran, I cannot stress to you the importance of keeping troop morale high. As the holiday season approaches, consider making a donation to the USO [donations are tax-deductible]. You can do so by visiting the USO Donation webpage.