The USO (United Service Organizations) was begun in 1941. The USO supplies social, recreational, welfare, and spiritual facilities to members of the armed services. It is congressionally chartered, but is not a government agency, and it subsists on private donations.
During World War II, the USO became the G.I.’s “home away from home,” and began a tradition of entertaining the troops that continues today. 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 Americans having volunteered their services in some way. After it was disbanded in 1947, it was revived in 1950 for the Korean War, after which it also provided peacetime services. During the Vietnam War, USOs were sometimes located in combat zones.
The organization became particularly famous for its live performances called Camp Shows, through which the entertainment industry helped boost the morale of its servicemen and women. Hollywood in general was eager to show its patriotism, and lots of big names joined the ranks of USO entertainers. They entertained in military bases both at home and overseas, often placing their own lives in danger by traveling or performing under hazardous conditions – some losing their lives.
When we look back at the World War II generation, there are many people to honor. But, among the least mentioned are the many young women, from juniors and seniors in high school on up who volunteered at the many USO chapters in this country. They had rules of decorum and had to stay within the confines of the USO building, but they provided a much needed morale service. They danced with servicemen night after night. For almost all of them, they would never see that serviceman again. They would never know whether that serviceman had lived or died. And, they would know, they must have known, that at least some of the servicemen with whom they danced were never going to come back. Like the woman in the cartoon above, they knew they were sending them off to die. But, they kept their smiles fixed on their faces; they kept their modesty but dressed attractively; they, too, served.
And, then, there were the women, like the one listed above, who went on USO camp shows. No, they were not the Betty Grables, etc. Like the woman in the comic above, they were pretty, they could sing, and they were bits of sanity for the men whom they went to entertain. They were like the memories of the Shire that Frodo had as they were at the doors of Mordor. They kept the men sane.
And, so, this is a small post to honor those women. They, too, were an important part of the war effort.
Having sung for the USO and served as a Red Cross volunteer in Germany during the Viet Nam era and belonging to a group that celebrates the contribution of both military and civilian women in Viet Nam, my heart resonates with this cartoon. In one of my Grandmother’s letters, she talks about the Donut Dollies in WWI who stood at the stations and served hot cocoa and donuts to the men going through on the troop trains on their way “OVER THERE.” The contributions of the Red Cross and the USO are well heralded for their contributions to the morale of our troops from WWII up until the present day. Young women from all walks of life–just your average girl next door–have worked for the Red Cross and Special Services overseas and even in war zones. There was a set of rules that had to be followed–a dress code, a code of conduct and a strict way of doing things that had to be followed. If you google Donut Dollies, you can find many tributes to these wonderful girls by the men whom they supported. Some of the men–almost boys really–that I sang for were on their way to Viet Nam and some of their names are on the Wall. I know they are even though I didn’t know many of their names. My heart knows them though and many is the night I sat at the Wall in Washington DC with their presence.
Support our troops–not just with a card from Xerox–get involved. Go volunteer at an Army or Veteran’s Hospital. Sit and help write a letter that a blinded vet cannot write to the girl back home. Volunteer to babysit for the children when someone comes back from a deployment so that the returning soldier and his/her spouse can have some time together. Too many of our soldiers are returning for multiple deployments to combat zones with only a few months between. Reach out–cook a weeks worth of dinners so no one has to cook for awhile and the family can just be together. Go to your nearest USO or military base and ask what you can do.
If you cannot serve with the troops, find a way to serve the troops and their families. Like the USO folks and the Red Cross folks and thousands of volunteers across this great nation.
Who is the author of the WW II USO cartoon. Who do you ask for permission to use in a private research report (non commerical,not for distribution)
The author is Brooke McEldowney. The comic is called 9 Chickweed Lane. The home page for the comic is http://comics.com/9_chickweed_lane/. The author’s blog is found at http://chickweedcafe.blogspot.com/ and his e-mail is posted there so that you may contact him for permission.