And the locations of all his shows remained secret. “Wherever we land we’re met by thousands of cheering servicemen…they think it’s Secretary McNamara with shut-down orders!”. Elaine Dunn sings and dances." And he always brought along many performers and celebrity guests including Phyllis Diller (1966), Raquel Welch (1967), Neil Armstrong (1969), Johnny Bench (1970), and Red Foxx (1972). Hope’s shtick included a constant, sometimes bawdy banter with the other performers, taking plenty of shots at the absurdities of military life while conveying a real sense of how difficult it was for the troops to be away from home during the holidays. “We want to thank Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara for making this Christmas trip possible….Let’s face it, we’re the Big Daddy of this world….I talked to a lot of our fighting men over here and even though they’re putting up a great fight, against tremendous odds in this hide-and-seek war, they’re not about to give up, because they know if they walk out of this bamboo obstacle course, it would be like saying to the commies, ‘come and get it.’ That’s why they’re laying their lives on the line everyday….And they said thank you….I don’t think any of us ever had a better Christmas present.”. National Archives Identifier: 31647 1967-12-26 The Bob Hope USO Show Camp Enari Pleiku South Vietnam National Archives Identifier: 31697 1968-12-22 - 1968-12-28 Operation Holly Bob Hope USO Christmas Show Heinrich Hertz, German physicist, the first person to broadcast and receive radio waves. With the U.S. at war in Vietnam and another holiday season approaching, yet another group of servicemen were being exposed to an American military tradition: Bob Hope. Hope took the stage and announced to the crowd of 12,000 that he had to “come to Vietnam to see his congressman,” referring to the flood of members of Congress who made frequent jaunts to Vietnam at the time. “I looked at them, they laughed at me, and it was love at first sight.”, “And did you read where President Johnson just requested another $50 billion to cover the rising cost of the war? On their flight north to entertain the Marines at Chu Lai, Hope’s plane lost an engine on the way, and they arrived late. Saved by Jeff Gamble. Vietnam Vets and Friends > The War Front > The Veterans War Storys > Bob Hope Christmas Show in Long Binh on Dec 23, 1968. Bob Hope was doing a Christmas show tour of Vietnam in 1969 and happened to be in Phu Bai outside of Hue on Christmas day. Actress Chris Noel, who was asked by Hope to join the show for this performance, arrived on a chopper in time to join him and the troops for a traditional turkey dinner in the mess. Sean O'Faolain, Irish short story writer. From 1964 to 1972, Hope included South Vietnam on his annual trips to visit troops during the holiday season, a tradition that started for him during World War II. Two fighter escorts accompanied the entertainers to Tan Son Nhut on Christmas Eve, and the cast was rushed to the site of the show. Vietnam History. These filmed productions required a new level of effort in organization and execution to bring them to a new domestic audience. HistoryNet.com is brought to you by Historynet LLC, the world's largest publisher of history magazines. LSD?”, The tenor of the Christmas tour of 1966 reflected changing attitudes in the United States regarding the course of the war, and Hope’s humor didn’t shy away from it. On December 15, 1964, Hope’s contingent left Los Angeles aboard a military transport aircraft large enough to carry the support staff and all the entertainers, including Les Brown and his band, the reigning Miss World, Anita Bryant, actresses Janis Paige and Jill St. John and comic actor Jerry Colonna, who had been part of Hope’s group during World War II. Later, Hope traveled to Korea in the early 1950s after North Korean troops invaded South Korea, and all during the 1950s his show played at military bases in Japan. By the 1960s, Hope’s Christmas shows for troops overseas had become a fixture of America’s traditional holiday season. Within a year, the number of American military bases had multiplied, troop levels increased eight-fold, to 180,000, and so had the size of Hope’s audiences. Wouldn’t it be awful if we ran out of money and they repossessed the war?”. Megan Thee Stallion fans slam ‘bland’ magazine photo shoot that she helped edit. Who really gives out the Golden Globes? HistoryNet.com contains daily features, photo galleries and over 5,000 articles originally published in our various magazines. His jokes were also harsh and sometimes negative about the countries where the troops were stationed. Jan 11, 2015 - Explore robert bjornlie's board "bob hope xmas shows WW2,Korea,Vietnam" on Pinterest. Hope was never a member of the military. With him on each annual trip, Hope brought along major celebrities and stars of the day : Ann-Margret, Lola Falana, Raquel Welch, Rosie Grier, Neil Armstrong, Sammy Davis Jr., as well as other lesser-known acts comedians, … Rumors had circulated that Hope’s group was headed their way, but no one was sure until the airplane landed and Bob Hope walked onto the stage. Vietnam History Vietnam War Photos Military Terms Military History Military Photos Black History Facts Indochine Vietnam Veterans Cold War. At Cu Chi, they had to travel in a safety pod of three aircraft to get in, and Hope noted, “Every time we come here, there is action!”. The scope of Hope’s touring in Vietnam and Southeast Asia during the war meant that large numbers of troops were able to see the shows in person. nothing else you do gets to you that way.” Hope began taking his show on the road after the United States entered World War II and the United Service Organization (USO) started sending Hollywood and radio entertainers to perform for military audiences at bases in North Africa, Europe and the South Pacific. And a final caution: Drop to the floor when they heard an explosion. Under a hot sun or a driving rain, his young audiences laughed and cheered the legendary comedian and his cast of singers, dancers and the musicians of Les Brown and his Band of Renown. His shows for the troops — with an entourage of other comics, singers, dancers and pretty girls — lasted for half a century, often not far from the fighting, earning Hope praise for his patriotic efforts and criticism for his hawkish stance during the Vietnam War. At Bien Hoa Air Base on Christmas Eve: They flew on to Korea for a performance in which Hope opened his monologue by labeling South Korea as “Vietnam North.” He won thunderous applause when he cracked, “We had a little trouble landing in Seoul: Someone stole the runway.”. Get a 3 DVD set Bob Hope: The Vietnam Years 6 posts Bob Hope Christmas Show in Long Binh on Dec 23, 1968 Bob Hope Christmas Show in Long Binh on Dec 23, 1968. nighthawksh. Thank you all for your service. Jonathan Demme, film director (The Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia). New optimism that COVID-19 is finally dwindling as L.A. gains some herd immunity. Security was exceptionally tight for Bob Hope’s first visit to Vietnam. While only a small fraction of the 2.5 million troops who served in Southeast Asia actually got to attend Hope’s performances, for those who did he managed to break the monotony, ease the loneliness and give the troops in combat zones across Vietnam a couple of hours of laughter—and a memory for a lifetime. Bob Hope and Raquel Welch at His USO Show at the 4th Division's Camp Enari near Pleiku, Vietnam in 1967. While the performers changed and the locations varied, Hope was always the star and began the shows by strutting on stage with his golf club in hand, firing off jokes tailored to each base. Actress Ann-Margret joined Bob Hope's troupe for the 1968 tour. We opened with a bang!” And at the small outpost in the Mekong Delta, he joked: “A funny thing happened to me when I was driving through downtown Saigon to my hotel last night. As with all great comedians, dissecting contemporary culture, politics and changing societal mores was a Hope staple. He was an RTO in 1st, BN 26th Inf I believe. Bob Loner 23-Jun-2019 18:03: I'm as AF Vietnam Vet who lost my cousin, Donald E Weitz on March 14, 1968. We met a hotel going the other way.”, Next up was a flight to Pleiku, a small helicopter base in the highlands near the border with North Vietnam, with heavy security in place for the visitors. Ann Margret - Bob Hope Christmas Tour Vietnam 1968 - Sixties vintage miniskirts show dance For years, observers have wondered what would seal the disgraced filmmaker’s fate. They have more confidence in our leaders.”. Oct 24, 2017 - Explore Alfred Chambers's board "Bob Hope show 1969 Vietnam, with Connie Stevens" on Pinterest. Edward Gorey, American writer and illustrator. The Cu Chi base camp was quite large and there were probably several thousand GI’s present for the show, most from the field. He told the troops at Da Nang that Dow Chemical just got even with student protesters: “They came up with an asbestos draft card.” During a visit with the wounded, Hope asked one soldier, “Did you see the show or were you already sick?”, The next year, as audiences swelled, Hope added former Los Angeles Rams player turned actor Rosie Grier to his entourage, and Ann-Margret, who was a hit in her minidress and go-go boots. 27 Dec 1968, Long Binh, South Vietnam ---...was this young lady. Summary: From Vietnam, Thailand, Korea, Japan, Guam, Okinawa, Midway Island and aboard the USS Hancock and the USS New Jersey, Bob Hope presents his USO Christmas tour with special guests Ann-Margret, Rosey Grier, Dick Albers and his trampoline act, Linda Bennett, Miss World Penny Plummer, Honey Ltd. and The Goldiggers. I was wondering how you guys managed to bomb Hanoi without planes!”. experience the singing dancing and laughter as thousands of troops did who welcomed bob hope each year. “I love the runway you have here,” he quipped. The tour covered 25,000 miles and included stops at Wake Island and Guam. Bob Hope’s classic opening monologues of rapid-fire jokes always took jabs at the GIs and the specifics of the local situation. But most of them are really where they belong, home with their loved ones.”. Hope was a man of his time, referring to his female performers as “girls,” frequently commenting on their measurements—nothing atypical for the era. "We were absolutely thrilled to be invited to be part of the most prestigious of all USO Tours...The Bob Hope Christmas Show! Hope and his entourage were given stern warnings from MACV. Bob Hope, the master of the one-liner, dies at 100, State to hold 10% of vaccine supply for teachers, 2021 Golden Globe nominations bring clarity to a confusing year, a boost for female directors. It was here that Hope had some serious reflections on what he was seeing among the troops he was meeting. Hope remained the star and the driving force behind his tours. 7,015 14. To most of the servicemen, she was Girl! George Washington, Commander-in-chief of Continental forces during the American Revolution and first U.S. President. On the last tour, the group spent less time in Vietnam because of the drastic decrease in the number of American troops by then. Share. NBC removed most of the drug jokes prior to its January broadcast. December 1969: Bob Hope cracks jokes in front of an audience of thousands of GIs massed in an open-air theater in Cu Chi, 20 miles northeast of Saigon, during a … At Da Nang, the tour’s largest audience in Vietnam, Hope made light of the frequent changes in government that year: “Vietnam is a very democratic country, everyone gets to be president.” As usual, he joked about military cutbacks and the aircraft he was forced to fly in: “It’s one of the earlier jets…instead of afterburners, it has an oven and a bag of charcoal.”, The last show on the 1964 Vietnam tour was at the seaside city of Nha Trang. With all-star Cincinnati Reds catcher Johnny Bench as his foil, Hope chimed: “Where else can you spend eight months on grass and not get busted?”, With steady troop withdrawals in the early ’70s: “Let’s face it…we’re the Big Daddy of this world”. He always had the reigning Miss World and always tried to bring the troops the outstanding glamour star from back home. at www.HistoryNetShop.com. Hope's show schedule was a well-guarded secret on air bases or ships, until he touched down with his famous golf club. He reassured the troops that “the country is behind you 50 percent.” He then added, “I’m very happy to be here; I’m leaving tomorrow!”, While Hope largely kept his personal opinions out of his on-stage performances, he spoke freely with reporters off stage. Les Brown entertains on stage. Hope and his guest stars made stops at hospitals and on ships to visit with wounded servicemembers. Movie goers know her as actress Ann-Margret. During the final montage of photos and film of his last televised Vietnam Christmas special in 1972, Hope narrates film footage of Long Binh shot a year earlier, bustling with troops. He started appearing onstage in military uniform shirts and jackets outlandishly decorated with patches, stripes, stars and insignias. Bob Hope entertains. The hiatus lasted 11 years. The 1964 trip set the pace and the pattern for all of Bob Hope’s visits to American troops around the world for the next eight years. See more from the Los Angeles Times archives here, Review: HBO’s devastating ‘Allen v. Farrow’ is a nail in the coffin of Woody Allen’s legacy. It was not unusual for the Communists to fire on or attack a base shortly after the show ended. Although a Communist attack was a real possibility, Hope appeared relaxed, swinging a golf club, which became a constant prop during his monologues. Edward Kennedy, Massachusetts Senator, brother of John F. Kennedy. The Bob Hope Christmas tours continued to go to Vietnam until 1972. His last letter home was March 5th. Arriving back in Los Angeles on December 30, Hope told reporters, “This was the most exciting Christmas trip since 1943.”, 1964 NBC Broadcast: USO Show, Vietnam 1968.. . 216. EXIF_HDL_ID_1 After each show at Pleiku in the Central Highlands, the Viet Cong would shell the area. Many of his USO tours occurred over Christmas. Registered User. Moderator:oneknight. While some were routine for any overseas travel—avoid all water and ice because none was safe to drink, and stay away from all milk products—the threats related to terrorism were especially serious. Share with: Link: Copy link. My Vietnam Tour. Judith Johnson recently retired as a professor and history department chair at Wichita State University. The comedian entertained first aboard the naval ships off the coast and then, to everyone's surprise, went ashore to give the Marines his special brand of humor. But, at a show at the 101st Airborne Division’s base, Hope got huge laughs during his opening monologue when he said: “I hear you guys are interested in gardening here. Hope’s Vietnam engagements were among the most dangerous ever for the funnyman and his entertainers. Joined on the tour by actresses Raquel Welch and Barbara McNair, Hope performed for 25,000 men and women at Long Binh who sat in a brutal sun while organizers fretted about security. “What a welcome,” he declared. The 1969 tour left Los Angeles and stopped off in Washington for a state dinner with President Richard Nixon and a rehearsal at the White House, where Hope and guest stars Connie Stevens, The  Golddiggers from The Dean Martin Show and astronaut Neil Armstrong—who just a few months before had become the first man on the moon—tried out their material before taking it to Vietnam. Bob Hope, Ann-Margret, Rosie Greer, etc on a USO Tour at Dong Tam Base for the 9th Infantry. Golden Globes voters in tumult: Members accuse Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. See more ideas about bob hope, vietnam, vietnam war. While steady troop withdrawals meant smaller audiences, there was no less commitment and enthusiasm from the performers. Vietnam History Vietnam War Photos See more ideas about bob hope, vietnam, vietnam war. After I graduated from college in 1967, it was pretty clear that I would be drafted if I did not maintain my student deferment. Bob Hope’s Vietnam Christmas Tours One of the few constants of the Vietnam War—one eagerly anticipated by American troops, that is—was the annual Bob Hope Christmas Show. Bob Hope The Vietnam Years 1968. And he always brought the outstanding glamour star from back home. Stopping at Guam to refuel, the cast put on a full 2½ hour show. In 1990, the octogenarian Hope was in the Middle East cheering troops in Operation Desert Shield and then Operation Desert Storm, the first U.S.-led campaigns against Saddam Hussein. Lord Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scout Movement. Noticing some men precariously perched on tall poles before the show began, Hope asked during his opening monologue, “How did you get up there? Nevertheless, at age 61, Hope persisted and won approval for his first Vietnam shows in December 1964. A Times investigation finds that the nonprofit HFPA regularly issues substantial payments to its members in ways that some experts say could skirt IRS guidelines. ANN-MARGRET ON VIETNAM TOUR WITH BOB HOPE IN 1968 (AB-941) 1968 publicity photo featuring actress Ann-Margret on a tour with Bob Hope performing for servicemen in Da Nang during the Vietnam War. Show 5: 1968: Bob Hope's 18th Christmas abroad and the 5th Vietnam Tour brought Ann-Margaret to the front lines to bring laughter and joy to our troops away from home. Aug 29, 2018 - Explore Robert Bjornlie's board "Bob Hope vietnam tours" on Pinterest. In the above image, Hope was embarking on his 13th annual two-week Christmas tour of U.S. military bases. Already a giant movie and radio star, Hope traveled overseas six times, logging more than a million miles during World War II. Bob Hope performed 22 shows and visited five hospitals in 1965. Bob Hope took his annual USO Christmas tour to Vietnam for nine consecutive years from 1964 to 1972. Joey Heatherton dances the "Watusi" with a serviceman aboard USS Roosevelt during the 1966 tour. Jill St. John did her stand-up routine with Hope, trading one-liners about her IQ and his golf score, and later in the show she performed the segment that became very popular with the servicemen, when they joined her on stage to dance the “Go-Go” to the beat of Les Brown’s band. On the 1967 tour, actress Raquel Welch joined Hope on stage to add a few crowd-pleasing dance moves to Bob's rendition of "Dancin in the Streets.

Derivation Of The Weighted Least Squares Estimate, East Coast Vs West Coast Culture Reddit, Meat Tenderizer Powder, 3 Wick Candles, Dell Laptop Grey Screen Of Death, Orange Julius Smoothie, Most Valuable Mason Jars,