Bob Hope and Connie Stevens entertaining the troops on a USO tour in 1969

Bob Hope’s USO tours are legendary, here he is on stage with Connie Stevens during the tour of 1969. Sadly, not all of the 2.5 million troops who served in Southeast Asia were able to attend these highly anticipated shows, but those who did were grateful to have the change in mood and scenery for the duration. For a couple of hours, there was laughter in combat zones across Vietnam. That’s a beautiful gift. Hope first decided to take his show on the road after the United States entered World War II and the United Service Organization (USO) started sending Hollywood entertainers to perform at military bases in North Africa, Europe, and the South Pacific. h/t >