Monday, February 6, 2012

MOTO MONDAY: USO TURNS 71

In every county I've visited and both combat zones been a part of, I could always count on the USO to provide that taste of home.  When I first arrived on Okinawa, I spent many hours sucking up the WiFi at the USO talkin to Jillian via Face Time/Skype while eating their delicious restaurant meals.  I dont know what I would've done without them.


In early 1941, with global tensions escalating, our military was growing, and so were the needs of our troops. But at the time, there was no single organization focused solely on supporting our men and women in uniform.


At the request of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, six civilian agencies (Salvation Army, YMCA, YWCA, National Catholic Community Services, National Jewish Welfare Board and National Travelers Aid Association) came together and created a partnership called the United Service Organizations for National Defense, later known as the USO. It became official on 4 February 1941.


Ginger Rogeers with her third husband, Marine PFC Briggs, whom she met during a USO show.