Bob Hope and our vets

[Faron]

I watched an O'Reilly segment the other night about Bob Hope's many USO tours over the years.  I got to wondering if any of the many vets on here ever got to see a show?  Tell us about it if so.

[DanG]

If I had, I probably would have already told about it. ;D :D  Mr. Hope's troup didn't go to little podunk places like we had.  There were others who did, however.  The only one I got to see was Sebastion Cabot.  He didn't put on any kind of show, but just dropped in for a little visit.  I got to stand around and chat with him for a while.  He was a really nice guy.   Others who visited our place were Martha Raye, James Garner and Jimmy Stewart, but I didn't get to see any of them.  Gen. Stewart came there to be taken to the fire base where his Son was serving.  His Son was KIA a few weeks later. :'(

[Tom]

The closest I ever came was being run out of a USO club in Washington DC.  It was down by the bus station.

I had stayed in a $3.00 hotel room with my wallet under the mattress, a chair against the door and my $20 bill folded up and stuck in a hole in the double sash window.

This young fellow, I guess a volunteer, and I started playing guitar and piano.  We were beginning to draw a crowd of sailors off of the street, about 4 or 5 maybe, and starting to have a good time, when this ancient, decrepit woman, in her late 50's or early 60's, came out of the back room, told us to put the instruments down and get out of there.  They didn't allow "worldly music" in there.  We all left, including the volunteer.  They can suck eggs.

[pigman]

Well, I had a chance to go to Bob's show at Camp Eagle at Christmas in '69. I was "short" and located at another firebase and just didn't want to be traveling more than I had to. Those DanG choppers had been known to crash and I just didn't want to take any more chances than I had to.

[SwampDonkey]

Road to Bali, with Bob Hope was on last night on PBS, but it was too late for my tired eyes.

[JV]

He was in QuiNhon in '67 but I was TDY on a remote site on a mountain nearby.  We did see the lights from our nose bleed seats.  A few of the guys who did get to go said it was a great show.  The USO did bring small acts up there for which we were very greatful.  I still fondly remember Chris Noel.    

[DanG]

I went to Qui Nhon a couple of times in mid-68.  Took a bunch of ROK troops up to those mountains.  Except for the beaches, I'm reminded of that area when I see pics from Afganistan.

[JV]

We shot radio support for the ROK.  I had an ROK Marine on my team for an interpreter.  Tough bunch.  I remember when he first came, he couldn't wait to get to the mess hall.  He wanted to be first in line and I said go.  Our chow was pretty lousy for a while, but I found out what they had and it didn't seem so bad.  They pulled perimeter guard for us and the whole time they were there, we had no problems until they left.  Officer or grunt, if they screwed up, a whipping would remind them of the straight and narrow.  Really wanted them as friends, not enemies.  The mountains were beautiful and the temps were great in the summer.  However, the rainy season was miserable and COLD.  It started with a typhoon and lived up to it's name with continuous rain.   :(

[DanG]

  I remember when he first came, he couldn't wait to get to the mess hall. 

:D :D
We had a plan that would have ended the war in a week.  We would have put all the ROKs down in the Delta and built a big PX at the DMZ.  They would have trampled the whole DanG place! ;D :D

[Radar67]

Only USO shows I have seen were Charlie Daniels, Kansas, Wayne Newton, and Gary Sinise.

[Jeff]

I'm starting to get an idea who to blame for all this L O L stuff.

[JV]

Yep, they didn't have PX rights and would ask someone to get what they needed.  One ROK troop asked a GI to buy him a TV at the Qui Nhon PX and had the money.  The guy refused and went into the PX.  When he came out, the ROK put a round through his forehead.  Like I said, tough bunch. 

Reminds me, I need to check on a buddy down in Cairo, Ga.  Haven't talked to him in a long time. 

[SwampDonkey]

I'm starting to get an idea who to blame for all this L O L stuff.

Your marked now boys.  :D :D

[Onthesauk]

I saw Bob Hope, probably in 1966, outside Saigon.  Year or so later, farther north, we had a couple of actors from "Rat Patrol" stop by the camp.

USO was always good to me, no matter where it was.

[Chuck White]

I got to see his show in 1969 at NaKhon Phanom (NKP) in Thailand.  ;D

Can't remember how long the show was, but it went from "show to mingleing"!

When the show ended, the whole cast came out into the audience to visit with us troops!

It was great. 8)

With his passing, the world has lost greatly.  :'(

Chuck 

[CLL]

Never got to see Bob as we was at FSB Crook when he was in Cu Chi. Did get to go tdy later and build a pool for Miss America.

[Fla._Deadheader]

  CLL, when were you in Cu Chi, and, what outfit ???

  I was in 25th Infantry 2nd and 27th ??? 1967

[Faron]

ROK =Republic of Korea???

TDY=?????


Sorry boys, I've led a sheltered life. ;) :D

[Radar67]

TDY=temporary duty

[isawlogs]

 Well, I wish you would all take the abreveations out and put what they mean ... ya all lost me on the first one  :'(   I sent a PM to DanG and got some of it .... Thanks Dan .

[DanG]

Sorry bout dat.  I guess this thread needs a glossary. :D

ROKs were troops from the Republic of Korea.

TDY = Temporary Duty

PX = Post Exchange, a store on an Army Post.

USO = United Services Organization(I think), an outfit that is responsible for recreation on Military Bases.

The ROKs were notorious shoppers whenever they could get into a PX.  I think they were being paid US wages, and had more money than they had ever seen.  They were a little light in the manners department, and would push you around to get in front of you in line.  We didn't push back too much, for reasons related to what JV told.  I only ran into them a couple of times, as we didn't have them in the area where I normally worked.

[Larry]

I saw the Bob Hope show maybe in 71' at Barbers Point Naval Air Station, Hawaii.  I thought the show was great.  Dad also saw him in Hawaii...except 28 years earlier.

[thecfarm]

isawlogs.I was confused too.I was never in the service.Just like a new member here.Takes time to learn all of the little things and abbreviations on here too.

[badpenny]

    Christmas day, 1972, there was a Bob Hope show on the USS America, I was one of the lucky ones from my ship, USS Tulare LKA 112 to be able to see him.

[JV]

The military and the government have always loved acronyms.  When I was active duty in the Army I had a MOS (Military Occupational Specialty).  In 1986, after a long absence, I went to work for the Air Force and then the Air Force Reserve with an AFSC (Air Force Specialty Code).  Mix acronyms with GI slang and local slang (as in VietNam) and you need an interpreter.  It's a world of it's own.

Examples:  Victor Charlie = Viet Cong
                 Click=Kilometer
                 The World=Back Home-USA-Your goal from day one
                 No. 1=First rate-top
                 No. 10=Worst (Unless you rate even worse as in "Numba Ten Thousand"