Today Aces High would like to salute an organization that has been on the front lines of every war since World War II. The USO, or United Service Organizations, is a non-profit outfit that has provided entertainment for enlisted men and women since 1941. They originally started out in barns, churches, and log cabins, holding dances and other recreational activities for service men; they also provided a quite spot where enlisted personnel could rest from the hectic wartime activities.
They quickly, however, became known for their “Camp Shows” where Hollywood entertainers came to provide much-needed entertainment and a morale boost. Some of the biggest names in Hollywood and the entertainment industry signed on to provide a feel-good night for those serving our country.
The most famous of the entertainers was of course Bob Hope, and from 1941 to 9147, there were over 400,000 performances featuring entertainers such as Hope, Judy Garland, Bette Davis, Humphrey Bogart, Frank Sinatra, Laurel and Hardy, the Marx Brothers, Jack Benny and James Cagney. Performers were paid $100 per week to partake in this great benefit, and at the peak of the USO history, in 1944, USO shows performed 700 times a day. That, my friends, is the ultimate morale booster.
It is estimated that over 161 million servicemen and women saw USO shows in the United States and abroad, and the USO even did shows in hospitals, eventually entertaining over three million wounded soldiers and sailors in 192 different hospitals. Many entertainers signed on for six-month tours, and eventually television got into the act and carried many of the USO shows on the major networks. To say that the USO served this country would be a gross understatement. Famous author John Steinbeck, who served as a war correspondent, praised the USO for their war effort and for the great morale boost that they provided.
Is that cool stuff or what? At HiTech Creations, we are all about World War 2, and that includes the war effort behind the scenes while our servicemen and women were doing the actual fighting. From the building of airfields to the construction of ships and tanks, the war effort was a complete effort of military and civilians, coming together to prepare America for war.
So the next time you strap on your helmet and fly the skies with Aces High, remember the men and women of the USO, who unselfishly gave of their time and money to make the soldiers feel cared about.
Aces High, the best World War 2 flight simulator for thirteen years running! We salute the USO!
