Here’s Bob on His Vietnam Tours
Bob Hope will be 100 on May 29, 2003. Of his current 99 years he has served servicemen and women for almost six decades… 57 years to be exact.
For Vietnam Veterans
1964 Hope Christmas USO Tour:
Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Guam, Korea
Guest Stars:
Anna Maria Alberghetti
Les Brown and band
Anita Bryant
John Bubbles
Jerry Colonna
Peter Leeds
Janis Paige
Ann Sidney, Miss World
Jill St. John
1965 Hope Christmas USO Tour:
Vietnam, Thailand, Guam
Guest Stars:
Carol Baker
Diana Lynn Batts, Miss Virginia
Les Brown
Anita Bryant
Jerry Colonna
Joey Heatherton
Peter Leeds
The Nicholas Brothers
Kaye Stevens
1966 Hope Christmas USO Tour:
Vietnam, Thailand, Guam
Guest Stars:
Les Brown
Anita Bryant
Vic Damone
Phyllis Diller
Reita Faria, Miss World
Joey Heatherton
The Korean Kittens
Diana Shelton
1967 Hope Christmas USO Tour:
Vietnam, Thailand, U.S.S. Ranger and Coral Sea, Philippines, Guam, Midway
Guest Stars:
Les Brown
Phil Crosby
Elaine Dunn
Madeleine Hartog-Bel
Barbara McNair
Raquel Welch
Earl Wilson
1968 Hope Christmas USO Tour:
Japan, Korea, Okinawa, Thailand, Vietnam, Guam
Guest Stars:
Dick Albers
Ann Margaret
Linda Bennett
Les Brown
Elaine Dunn
The Golddiggers
Rosy Grier
The Honey, Ltd.
Penelope Plummer
Roger Smith
1969 Hope Christmas USO Tour:
Berlin, Italy, Turkey, Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan, Guam
Guest Stars:
Neil Armstrong
Les Brown
Suzanne Charny
The Golddiggers
Teresa Graves
Hector and Ted Pierro
Eve Reuber-Staier
Romy Schneider
Connie Stevens
1970 Hope Christmas USO Tour:
England, Germany, Crete, Thailand, Vietnam, Korea, Alaska
Guest Stars:
Ursula Andress
Johnny Bench
The Dingalings
Lola Falana
The Golddiggers
Jennifer Hosten
Gloria Loring
Bobbi Martin
1971 Hope Christmas USO Tour:
Hawaii, Wake Island, Okinawa, Thailand, Vietnam, Spain, Gitmo
Guest Stars:
The Blue Streaks
Vida Blue
Les Brown
Suzanne Charny
Jan Daly
Bon Ho
The Hollywood Deb Stars
Jim Nabors
Charley Pride
Rear Admiral Alan Shepard
Bruce Smith
Jill St. John
Sunday's Child
1972 Hope Christmas USO Tour:
The Aleutians, Japan, Thailand, Island of Diego Garcia, South Vietnam, Guam
Guest Stars:
12 American Beauties
Rudy Carcenas
Lola Falana
Redd Foxx
Belinda Green, Miss World
Dolores Hope
Fran Jeffries
Ingeborg Sorensen, Miss Norway
The last time I saw Bob Hope was with his wife and daughter when they came to entertain the troops participating in then Operation Desert Shield in Saudi Arabia. He could not bring his entire troupe as females were forbidden from entertaining, but that didn’t stop Bob. When I met him I told his daughter Linda what an honor it was and then told her the first time I saw her dad was 1965 in Vietnam. I again was stage-side in 1972 when he made his last trip of the Vietnam War. His daughter was thrilled and had to shout in Bob’s ear to make herself heard – “See daddy, I told you they would remember you.” You see, Linda told me
that it was one of Bob’s secret fears during that trip to Saudi Arabia that nobody would know who he was or would remember him. I guess in that lucky moment of my life I was able to ally his fears while he was working to ally our fears about being separated from our families and loved ones. It was my turn to thank him for his memories.
