Bill Patterson - I Saw Bob Hope In Vietnam!
I found this photo of Bob Hope entertaining us G.I.s in Vietnam. Yes, I did indeed see Mister Hope and his troup on Long Binh base, Vietnam in late 1968 or 1969. My 319th Transportation Company (activated army reservists from Augusta Georgia) was based on Long Binh, the sprawling depot just north of Saigon. Somehow I was allowed a few hours off to walk across the big base to a natural outdoor amphitheater where Bob's covered stage had been setup. I did not know how to find the place so I asked someone who said "just walk a mile or two and follow the crowd". I did that and found that I was going to share Bob's show with a few friends. There must have been 20,000 soldiers attending the show. I had a good position (no seats of course) about a tenth of a mile away! Bob finally appeared and received a tremendous roar! Bob was carrying his usual golf putter and had everyone howling. His traveling "beauty" was Joey Heatherton I believe but my memory is hazy here. The 90 degree heat and humidity combined with the long walk and standing in the sun probably contributed to my haziness! I am sure she was lovely but was only about half an inch tall from my viewpoint. The music and jokes were indeed welcome to us home-sick guys. When Bob introduced his "beauty", he said "here's a reminder of what you're fighting for!" We all loved it of course. When the show was over I made the long walk back to our company area and returned to the war duty of truck driving.
I'll always remember Mister Hope and the fine service he and the other USO performers did. I'm sure I share that remembrance with millions of other G.I.s from several other wars. His contribution can never be overemphasized.