I was a USAF Medic stationed in S. Korea in 1968. I loaded up everyone that could attend the Christmas Show in my Cracker Box ambulance and drove to an Army base in Seoul. We waited in the snow for hours until I could no longer feel my legs. Ann Margaret appeared as though she desended from heaven to us. The show was AWESOME and we talked about it for months afterwards. The impact on morale was enormous. I finished college and kept applying for a job at the studios for well over a year. I was finally hired as an NBC Page and worked on The Bob Hope Show. Later, during a strike, I briefly did lighting on the show.
I was extremely fortunate to see Bob with his Christmas show in Korea in 1968. He had with him Ann Margaret, Rosie Greer, Miss World, and the Gold Diggers. Several hundred GIs cried singing silent night. Fabulous SHOW! God bless you Bob and your show. We love you. RIP ❤🙏
You lucky stiff,she's a great actress,singer and a beautiful woman,one of my favorites.There are times I'd love to see and meet her.We don't have many more old stars left and all them are gone to Hollywood heaven
I've read that there were cases of people treating Vietnam veterans horribly, abusing them for being a part of the war. I've also read that Ann-Margret did not put up with that kind of behaviour, and referred to the vets as her 'gentlemen', taking time to talk to them at appearances and so on. What a wonderful, beautiful American!
I was AM a Marine that was assigned to VMCJ-1 1st MAW from November 1968-November1969. I was so privileged to see Bob Hope and Ann Margaret. As Dan Rush quickly observed, "what serviceman does not love Ann" OR BOB!!!
I was very surprised that Ann Margaret had such a sweet voice. Respect to all those entertainers who travelled so far to bring a little light and laughter into these young men's lives.
Cu Chi 68, It was so flat, I was probably 100yds from the stage,, if you stood up to take a picture, you got hit with incoming (full) beer cans from the guys who were 100yds behind us. Will be forever grateful to Bob Hope & Ann Margret
David Miller Wow, America needs another Bob, I hope you are doing good today. And if you didn't have a nice return home because of people that didn't support you, I just would like to say welcome back, God bless you and your family. Have a wonderfull day
Are you high? Bob Hope was the biggest a-hole on earth when he was away from the stage. High maintenance bitch and fulltime adulterer. BTW, he had all these videos changed with fake audience laughs.
It was a blessing that these shows were performed for the boys by these dedicated entertainers. I am sure it meant more than what can be imagined under the circumstances.
Are you high? Bob Hope was the biggest a-hole on earth when he was away from the stage. High maintenance bitch and fulltime adulterer. BTW, he had all these videos changed with fake audience laughs.
I recently watched another one of these Vietnam era USO show clips and multiple Vietnam combat vets said that nearly all of the the guys in the audience were "in the rear with the gear" (mechanics, medical, food service, administrative, etc) soldiers, not actual combat soldiers. My combat vet father did three tours in Vietnam, actually one was in Thailand, during that time, and he pretty much said the same thing to me when I was a kid, that he never saw a show and none of the members of any of his combat units ever saw a show.
Yeah he said Hong Kong flu though can't say Wuhaun or whatever flu now though and Ann can't just dance in a mini skirt and make the boys forget their sorrows for 5 minutes everyone will question her gender or think themself sexist now? Crazy!
Today the entertainers think they have to use profanity and nudity to get people to like them or clap!Bob Hope ran a class act and he went over there a lot to support our troops! May he rest in peace along with a lot if others who went there!
Are you high? Bob Hope was the biggest a-hole on earth when he was away from the stage. High maintenance bitch and fulltime adulterer. BTW, he had all these videos changed with fake audience laughs.
December 1968 I was in combat I had second row seats and dong Tam Mekong Delta to see the show I opted to go to Hawaii to see my wife Diane I spent 49 1/2 years with her I thought at that time it was a good move but Bob Hope has always been my hero
Correct! Born 1903, parents immigrated to US in 1908 through Ellis Island. That may be one of the reasons he felt he owed the troops some payback. That and of course back in the old days, supporting the troops was considered patriotic. I saw him and troupe in Chu Chi Dec 1968.
Was there @ Cu Chi, Dec. 27, 1968 for his show. Due to Bob Hope's schedule, they had the 1st Div. come to Cu Chi for the 25th Div. to share. This was his traveling cast in parts of 1968: "Bob Hope presents his USO Christmas tour with special guests Ann-Margret, Rosey Grier, Dick Albers and his trampoline act, Linda Bennett, Miss World Penny Plummer, Honey Ltd. and The Goldiggers."
I was also at the Bob Hope Show in Cu Chi '68...right behind the weather balloon and poster the First Div. put up and blocked our view. We were all the way up against the back and didn't much care for not getting to see Ann Margaret...so me and a couple other guys starting making 'staples' out of the wire of the fencing behind us and with our elastic helmet bands we starting shooting our wire staples at that damn weather balloon. Just as Bob Hope was reading their slogan..." If You're Gonna Be One...Be A Big Red One "... We popped the balloon and brought it down. Bad enough to be at the furthest point from the stage...we weren't going to settle for having our view blocked too. 2/27th Inf. Bn. 25th Inf. Div. WOLFHOUNDS RULE !!!
Good to talk to someone else that shares those golden memories...fifty years from now people will look back with envy...I hope. We can be proud that we did our duty as best we could...sometimes above and beyond. I hope you are well, Lawrence, Thank You for your many sacrifices.
I don't know what made Bob Hope do these shows all those years. The travel and the places they stayed at night had to be rough. Great man. Did a great thing.
I was assigned to the 6th Aerial Port Squadron at Don Muang RTAFB in 1968. I didn't get to see a live performance of the Bob Hope Show...but did get to see the whole cast load up for departure from there three times. Got some great pics of Ann Margaret up close. Wow. That will be 50 years ago in Dec. 2018.
I was at U-Tapao also. I was about the 5th row back off the right corner of the stage. Our Captain let us out of work several hours early so we could get good seats. My back was killing me by the time the show started from sitting hunched up on the ground.
hampton400 - so happy to hear that you came home! I am singing this Veteran’s Day in a Bob Hope/USO themed program to honor our Vets. Can you share your favorite song, or performance from the tour, that you may remember?
What backbone Bob Hope, Ann Margret and every entertainer had to cheer up the troops in Vietnam. Doubt ANY one in that business would take that risk today.
May 29: Happy Memorial Day. Happy birthday Comedian-Actor Bob Hope. USO Ambassador, 57 visits to entertain troops overseas. (1903-2003) Thank you and God bless. RIP...thanks for the upload, Bobby Tony. Blessings
Are you high? Bob Hope was the biggest a-hole on earth when he was away from the stage. High maintenance bitch and fulltime adulterer. BTW, he had all these videos changed with fake audience laughs.
I was going to suggest Gary Sinise, aka Lt. Dan, but I believe Mr. Sinise surpasses Bob Hope because it's not just the publicized propaganda the Hope shows were. While Mr. Williams was very good, still not in Mr. Sinise class.
Well, 2.5 million served in VN and 57800 were killed, do that is 2.3%. that crowd was probably about 45000, so about 1100-1500, probably more. I have always doubted the 57800 figure as I believe that some troops wounded in VN and moved out of country, later died and were not added. Also, wounded to killed ratio was about 5 to one, so another 5100 or so wounded, many permanently. My figures for the wounded are not exact, but I think close. Sorry Bob, I was there in 69 and it only got worse. 196th 69-70
In the comments of other similar videos, several combat vets said that most of the guys in these audiences were "In the rear with the gear" military personnel, not actual combat soldiers--except, obviously, the wounded soldiers in the hospital garb.
I recently saw on our PBS station that Ho Chi Minh actually respected the United States and really only wanted his country that was mainly agricultural to be its own country without foreign intervention like that started by France. Vietnam became the battleground for stopping the spread of Communism in Asia. I am glad that Vietnam appears to be doing well as a country today. It is easy to second guess in hindsight today but I am sure at the time it seemed like taking a stand in Asia was the right thing to do. So many Americans died in this war. I think it was a show given by Ken Burns that was very informative about the Vietnam war. Bob Hope providing just a short escape for the soldiers was really a blessing he did for them.
Truman could have prevented that whole mess by helping Ho when he came to DC looking for help against the French, but Truman wouldn't see him because he didn't want PO that a-hole DeGaulle.
@@vickimadden250 I didn't remember from the PBS show it was Truman but heard how we felt Vietnam was like an obligation to France. The PBS show sure gave me a different perspective on Ho Chi Minh. It was like he could have cared less about Communism and just wanted foreigners out of his country and thought of them being like our own American Revolution with England. Thanks!
I met him pumping gas in a gas station in Thousand Oaks, CA in the early 80's. I told him that loved his Road pictures, and TV specials and he said, "Thank you." One of those exciting moments that you end up treasuring for the rest of your life...
M C B ONE WAS ONE OF THE MANY PERSONAL THAT RAN SECURITY FOR THAT SHOW I WAS ONE OF THEM a com 1968 and many others were involved to We were a little piece of the ice berg it was at Danang Freedom Hill
If I was a Vietnam Vet, and I was a patient in the hospital: no morphine, nor any cure for my physical and mental ailments would ever equal to Ann-Margaret visiting me at my bedside. :)))
What negative mood? My husband told me about when he was sitting in the San Francisco airport waiting to go home there was a young fellow came up to him wanting to share some weed. One little catch, my husband would have to buy it. He told him to get the he11 away or he'd wipe the floor w/ his face.
Quite a few...that was some of the bloodiest fighting of the war. Lost my best friend 2 weeks after the Bob Hope Show...he only had 90 days left in country. 58 thousand very good young people memorialized on black granite...say their names, keep them in your hearts.
So, at 1:54 Bob announces the commander as James McCain and his son as a POW and Bob called him James also, whoops huh Bob?? THEY BOTH WERE NAMED JOHN MCCAIN
She's 82 now and still beautiful and still supporting the troops ! She has a new perfume and all the proceeds go to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund! She's a great and talented lady! I love her ❤@@PapaTony2023
@@triodehexode - Same thing we all say, McCain was a songbird, he was a coward do the research. Besides, Trump spoke the truth about one derelict, Biden well he doesn't know where he is and he's an ace for leaving folks behind. Afghanistan for an example.
@@triodehexode - I'm not the dummy who voted for an old demented 50 year politician that is constantly screwing the American citizens in this Country with leaving citizens behind, inflation that is destroying our economy, dictating unconstitutional vaccine mandates that are getting millions of people fired, wide open borders causing parades of illegal aliens and to top it off wants to give them $450,000 to a million $ if their illegal kids are separated after they broke the law coming here, close to a million containers sitting offshore in CA so on and so on, it takes the same mentality to vote for an old demented idiot that struggles to complete simple sentences. One good thing though demented Joe is doing a great job getting republicans elected, had a great week last week. Now get a freaking life.