Bob Hope and friends at a typical USO show. [Click to enlarge]

In 1940, a year before the outbreak of war on Dec. 7, 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt began to think about the on-leave needs of members of our Armed Forces, whose numbers were growing quickly because of the peacetime draft.

He brought representatives of several service organizations together, the YMCA, the YWCA, The National Catholic Com-munity Service, The National Jewish Welfare Board, The Travelers Aid Assoc-iation, and the Salvation Army. Those representatives took their responsibilities seriously and by February of 1941 the United Services Organ-ization (USO) was born.

The American public embraced the USO mission wholeheartedly, with their hearts and with their pocketbooks. By 1944, 3,000 USO Centers were set up near military facilities in the United States -- friendly places where boys could stop during their off-duty hours to write letters, play ping pong, have a cup of coffee and a doghnut, and talk and dance with girls from that community.

In addition to the permanent USO Centers, another part of the USO mission was that of bringing entertainment to the troops, at the various bases in this country, and as the war expanded, to the troops stationed at far- flung posts throughout the world, and sometimes at GI posts near the front lines of the war. Entertainers for these USO tours (soldiers in greasepaint) came from all walks of the entertainment industry -- Hollywood, Broadway, and the Sports World. They worked for no pay, and considered it to be their contribution to the war effort, in keeping up the morale of our troops. Between 1941 and 1947, 428,521 (!) USO shows were put on for our service men in locations all around the world. These trips were anything but fun for the entertainers. Travel was intense. Days were long, with many shows per day, some late into the night.

Accommodations at the bases were often very poor. Sometimes they were so close to the front lines that it was not really safe. Yet the girls who traveled with the USO shows had to always be beautiful, and in good spirits. After all, the boys expected it, and they did not want to disappoint. They were representing all the girls back "home."

One fellow, who is closely identified with the USO Shows, was Bob Hope. He made his first USO tour in 1942. Often his traveling companions were his side kicks from his radio show -- Jerry Colona, with the big mustache and rolling eyes, Vera Vague, with her quick replies to Hope's jokes, Skinny Ennis, or Les Brown and their bands, playing the music that America was singing "back home." In addition, Hope always had pretty girls -- always pretty girls -- Jayne Mansfield, Anita Bryant, Frances Langford, among many others, who sometimes sang, but always looked beautiful -- "to remind the boys what it was that they were fighting for."

Hope kept up his USO appearances for over 50 years -- throughout World War II, The Korean War, Vietnam, and the Persian-Gulf War, Desert Storm. His commitment to the USO shows made him one of the most honored and esteemed performers in history. He was a friend of Presidents. An avid golfer, Hope played golf with every President from Dwight Eisenhower to George Bush. He loved the game and almost always used a golf club as a prop during his USO tours to the troops.

Hope was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his work entertaining members of the Armed Forces, and was the only living person to have a ship named after him -- the USNS Bob Hope. But the award of which he was most proud was that of "Honorary Veteran," given to him "for his humanitarian services to the United States Armed Forces."

Late in his life Hope said of the award, "I've been given many awards in my lifetime, but to be numbered among the men and women I admire most -- is the greatest honor I have ever received."

In 1942 Bob Hope made a stop on his USO tour to the Army Air Base at McCook. We know that it was a variety show, but there is not much recorded about Hope's show at the Air Base. The show was for the troops, and was not open to the public, but for those in attendance, it was marked as memorable event, and we can only assume that it was similar to other Hope appearances at other USO stops on his tours.

This year for Heritage Days in McCook, there is going to be a reunion for some of the fellows who served at the McCook Air Base during World War II. It was decided that it might be fun to recreate a type of USO Show, using local talent and bring the music of World War II back to the Fox Theater on the Saturday night of Heritage Days.

Bob Hope will not be present at the 2006 Heritage tribute to the troops, but McCook's own, Cal Siegfried will keep the show moving with his own brand of good-natured banter. Like USO shows of the day, the McCook show offers a wide array of entertainment, including The McCook Piano Quartet bringing 10 minutes of music, from Mozart to Boogey Woogey.

The Heritage Singers offer up a fast moving variety of '40s music, the sad songs, the glad songs, the hopeful songs, the crazy songs of WW II, in "A Journey Through World War II in Song." The Heritage Singers will introduce McCook's own version of "The Andrews Sisters" with their special type of happy harmony. A special treat of the evening will be The Oberlin Area Concert Band, under the direction of Neal Russell, offering a variety of march music, a tribute to Spike Jones, and songs that were popular in the 1940s. The evening's entertainment will climax when the Heritage Singers join forces with the Oberlin Band with a stirring tribute to the Armed Forces.

It promises to be a gala evening, a fine way to top off the festivities of the Heritage Days celebration. You're all invited to join the fun. Tickets are on sale at Hershberger's Music Co., the Chamber of Commerce Office, the McCook National Bank, Sehnert's Bakery and Bieroc Café, or will be available at the door. Admission is $5 for adults, and $2 for children 12 and under. Hope to see you Saturday night at the Fox Theater in downtown McCook.