![]() USO promotional literature stated its goals: Their home." 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." USO camp shows were designed in their export to remind soldiers of home." They did this, he noted, by "nurturing in troops a sense of patriotic identification with America through popular entertainment." An article in Look magazine at the time, stated, "For the little time the show lasts, the men are taken straight to the familiar Main Street that is the goal of every fighting American far away from home." Maxene Andrews wrote, "The entertainment brought home to the boys. ![]() in taking home on the road, it equated the nation with showbiz. According to movie historian Steven Cohan, "most of all. The USO also brought Hollywood celebrities and volunteer entertainers to perform for the troops. The USO club was a place to go for dances and social events, for movies and music, for a quiet place to talk or write a letter home, or for a free cup of coffee and an egg. ![]() More USO centers and clubs opened around the world as a "Home Away from Home" for GIs. The USO was incorporated in New York on February 4, with the first facility erected in DeRidder, Louisiana, 1941. The second chairman was future senator Prescott Bush. The first national campaign chairman was Thomas Dewey, who raised $16 million in the first year. Roosevelt said he wanted "these private organizations to handle the on-leave recreation of the men in the armed forces." According to historian Emily Yellin, "The government was to build the buildings and the USO was to raise private funds to carry out its main mission: boosting the morale of the military." troops, as opposed to operating independently as some had done during the First World War. They were brought together under one umbrella to support U.S. This request brought together six civilian organizations: the Salvation Army, YMCA, Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA), National Catholic Community Service, National Travelers Aid Association and the National Jewish Welfare Board. Roosevelt was elected as its honorary chairman. Roosevelt to provide morale and recreation services to U.S. The USO was founded on Februby Mary Ingraham in response to a request from President Franklin D. History Mission and goals Actor Mickey Rooney, a World War II Bronze Star recipient, honoring the USO in 2000 Casey Jr., the chairman of the USO Board of Governors, estimated that the USO has served more than 35 million Americans over its history. During a gala marking the USO's 75th anniversary in 2016, retired Army Gen. ![]() The USO has over 200 locations around the world in 14 countries (including the U.S.) and 27 states. In 2011, the USO was awarded the National Medal of Arts. and overseas, sometimes placing their own lives in danger by traveling or performing under hazardous conditions. They went as volunteers to entertain, and celebrities continue to provide volunteer entertainment in military bases in the U.S. In the early days, Hollywood was eager to show its patriotism, and many celebrities joined the ranks of USO entertainers. The organization became particularly known for its live performances, called camp shows, through which the entertainment industry helps boost the morale of servicemen and women. During the Vietnam War, USO social facilities ("USOs") were sometimes located in combat zones. The USO initially disbanded in 1947, but was revived in 1950 for the Korean War, after which it continued, also providing peacetime services. Involvement in the USO was one of the many ways in which the nation had come together to support the war effort, with nearly 1.5 million people having volunteered their services in some way. Although it is congressionally chartered, it is not a government agency.įounded during World War II, the USO sought to be the GI's "home away from home" and began a tradition of entertaining the troops and providing social facilities. Since 1941, it has worked in partnership with the Department of War, and later with the Department of Defense (DoD), relying heavily on private contributions and on funds, goods, and services from various corporate and individual donors. ( 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.
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