Bob Hope's First USO Show: 80 Years Ago In Riverside County

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — Eighty years ago, comedy and entertainment legend Bob Hope performed his first USO show — and it was aired out of March Field in Riverside County.

On May 6, 1941, Hope broadcast that first NBC radio show for military personnel at March's gymnasium. The recording can be heard on the Bob Hope USO website, bobhope.uso.org.

The March Field gym still stands with a dedication plaque honoring Hope. The gym is currently undergoing renovations and will be open again in the coming months for troops.

The USO, a private nonprofit organization that supports the troops, is celebrating the 80-year anniversary with a May 5 drive-thru meal distribution "to strengthen service members and their families by providing them with a delicious Cinco de Mayo lunch," event organizers said.

The meal distribution takes place at the March Field post office from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Military assigned personnel including Reservists, Guardsmen and active duty from all branches are invited to join. A valid military ID is required.

That first Bob Hope USO show grew into a world-travel effort. For nearly 50 years, Hope would go on to entertain the troops through World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Lebanon Civil War, the Iran-Iraq War and the Persian Gulf War.

The Bob and Dolores Hope Foundation continues to support troops and their families.

“For service members stationed in countries across the world, Bob Hope USO shows provided a brief moment of lightness and entertainment for those on the front lines dealing with the daily stresses of being in a war zone,” said USO West President Bob Kurkjian. “Bob Hope was a reminder of home and what those soldiers were fighting for every day.”

“My dad absolutely loved performing for troops all over the world with the USO,” said Linda Hope, daughter of Bob and Dolores Hope. “From his first performance to his last, he truly cared about helping to bring some light and laughter into the lives of the service members fighting for our country. It was his way of honoring their service and sacrifices they were making, and he loved the sound of their laughter. He often said they were his best audiences.”

For the past eight decades, the USO has adapted to the evolving needs of the military and has been providing morale-boosting entertainment, delivering millions of care packages and meals, offering career transition programming, and providing opportunities to connect with loved ones, according to the USO.

To learn more about ways to give thanks to troops, visit bobhope.uso.org. For more information about Bob Hope’s impact on the USO, visit uso.org/bob-hope.