Skip to main content

Bob Hope Christmas Programs

Image
By Old Time Radio Shows
The USNS Bob Hope (T-AKR-300) is the lead ship in her class of Maritime Preposition Ship. The Maritime Prepositioning Ships carry enough ammunition and equipment to support an Marine Task Force for 30 days, allowing for the rapid deployment of men, knowing that their equipment will meet them in theater within days of call up.

It is one of the few vessels in the Navy inventory which went against long standing Naval tradition to be named for a person who was living at the time of commissioning. This is all the more appropriate when you consider that Bob Hope's first war-time performance was at sea. Hope was on board the RMS Queen Mary in September 1939 when Germany invaded Poland, beginning WWII. In order to help calm the panicking passengers, hope volunteered to give a special performance, singing "Thanks for the Memory" with rewritten lyrics.

Bob Hope would be best known for his work to entertain the troops. John Steinbeck, who was a War Correspondent during the War, wrote in 1943 "It is impossible to see how he can do so much, can cover so much ground, can work so hard, and can be so effective. He works month after month at a pace that would kill most people."

Bob Hope Christmas's first USO Show was at March Field on May 6, 1941, but it was his Christmas Shows that truly won the hearts of the troops. There is probably no worse time to be away from home, but they also knew they had a job to do. What a shot in the arm it must have been to see an entertainer with the prestige of Bob Hope on stage, wearing fatigues to show support for them.

As long as there was a conflict on the globe where American boys were putting their lives on the line, it was a good bet that Bob Hope would not be spending the holidays at home. Hope and company made it a point to get as close to the front lines as they possibly could. As the Vietnam War was drawing to a close in 1972, Bob billed that year's show as his last Christmas show. Yet every Christmas afterwards he was at a base or veteran's hospital. Despite the controversy surrounding the Vietnam War, Hope managed to entertain the troops without appearing like a hawk.

Of all of the accolades Hope received for his work in both the entertainment industry and the USO, the one that he seemed most honored by was an act of Congress in 1997, signed by President Clinton, declaring Bob Hope an Honorary Veteran of the United States Armed Forces. "I've been given many rewards in my lifetime- but to be numbered among the men and women I admire the most- is the greatest honor I have ever received."

"Christmas at Long Beach Veterans Hospitals"

Labels:

Comments

  1. GeorgeDecember 6, 2012 at 2:14 PM

    Love listening to his shows, my escape from reality.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Old Time Radio: Spies and Espionage

By Old Time Radio
Old time radio featured many spy-themed shows , which were popular during the Cold War era . These shows often depicted heroic spies and agents who worked to protect their countries from enemy spies and espionage, adding to the cultural fascination with the world of espionage and intrigue during this time. Spy shows were popular in the 1950s for several reasons. Firstly, the Cold War was in full swing , and the fear of Soviet espionage and infiltration was widespread. As a result, there was a heightened interest in stories and characters that dealt with the world of espionage and intrigue. Spy shows offered a way for listeners to vicariously experience the world of espionage and feel a sense of excitement and danger. Additionally, radio was one of the primary sources of entertainment during this time, and spy shows offered a way for audiences to escape the anxieties of everyday life and engage with exciting stories and characters. Many of these shows also featured strong, heroic prot...
Post a Comment
Read more

Donating Old Time Radio Cassette Tapes

By Old Time Radio
Many listeners may have accumulated or inherited large collections of Old Radio Shows on cassette with episodes of  Suspense , Fibber McGee & Molly , Tarzan , Richard Diamond , Archie Andrews & and more .  Old time radio on cassette became popular and replaced 8-tracks in the mid-1980s.  The cassettes may have been enjoyed by previous generations or just enjoyed decades ago who loved collecting & listening to everything old time radio . Sadly, cassette tapes, open reel-to-reel tapes, 8-track tapes, DAT, and VHS can "go bad" (degrade) because they are magnetic tape mediums.  Old Time Radio cassettes were slowly replaced by audio CDs , MP3 CD  in the 1990's and 2000's.  Today  streamable/downloaded old time radio shows  are the the most popular choice. Unsure what to do with your collection of cassette tapes?  You could donate them to Goodwill or non-profit thrift store, but many listeners have found great satisfaction in donating ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Candy Matson Old Time Radio Show

By Old Time Radio
Candy Matson  was no GIRL detective...she was all woman. Candy Matson was a response to all the hard-boiled detectives on the radio like  Jeff Regan ,  Rocky Fortune ,  Pat Novak , and all those  other detectives  who were beaten up on a regular basis. Candy, played by Natalie Parks, was  hard-boiled  in her own way. She never compromised her femininity but she did know how to use a gun and didn't hesitate to use when it was necessary. She didn't take any guff from the guys--the good guys or the bad guys. With a snappy comeback, she could take anybody's head off. Candy was fearless, never hesitating to go wherever she needed to solve a case from the lowest dive to the classiest night club. Candy worked hard to get her goon. Men orbited around her like she was the sun. Her best friend and partner in detection was Rembrandt Watson, a flamboyant photographer. All private detectives need a police detective foil and, in...
Post a Comment
Read more