Thoughts from Dr. Joe: Hope’s contributions should not be overlooked

It was Dec. 21, 1971. Bob Hope and the USO “On the Road Christmas Tour” were performing at Freedom Hill in Da Nang, Vietnam. Seeing Lola Falana and Ursula Andress was more than this Marine could hope for.

As an officer, I was accorded a front row seat. However, I had this newfangled idea, stolen from Emerson: leaders sacrifice for others. Subsequently, I gave my ticket to one of my troops as a reward for good performance.

I grew up with Bob Hope. I remember his movies and his comedic performances. However, what I recall most about the man is his unwavering commitment to bring laughter to American soldiers on the battlefields of Europe, the Pacific, Korea, Vietnam and throughout the Middle East. His career with the USO lasted for a half century during which he headlined 57 tours.

Bob Hope had a deep respect for the men and women who served in the military. As a matter of fact, it was more than respect; it was love reflected in his willingness to go anywhere to entertain the troops. As a kid, I remember hearing wishes for a world where Bob Hope could spend a Christmas at home.

Writer John Steinbeck, who was a war correspondent in 1943, wrote, “When the time for recognition of service to the nation in wartime comes to be considered, Bob Hope should be high on the list.”

You may know there is consideration to change the name of Bob Hope Airport in order to help boost passenger traffic. Dan Feger, the airport’s executive director, is quoted as saying the airport has lost two million passengers a year since 2008. Subsequently, they are talking about rebranding the name because it doesn’t give a “geographic identity” to the airport.

A marketing firm suggests changing the name from Bob Hope Airport to Los Angeles-Burbank Airport, which would strip the name of an iconic American in lieu of a generic, soulless label. Bob Hope was a great man and what he did for the soldiers who fought and died in America’s war is unfathomable.

We shouldn’t airbrush our history and traditions for economic expediency only to make judgments in the objective conditions of the present. We take what we need from the past and discard our heroes because they are not economically viable. That reveals much about who we are as a people.

For six decades, Hope traveled the globe to entertain our soldiers who were far from home and in harms way. He reminded us of what we were fighting for and gave us a reminder of home and an essence of American life and values.

Back to my story of Dec. 21, 1971. Since I wasn’t going to the show, I was ordered to lead a “Zulu” platoon and patrol a distant sector that encircled Freedom Hill. We were to provide security for Hope’s entourage and the thousands of soldiers in attendance. Without aggressive patrolling, the Viet Cong would’ve attacked with rockets and mortars.

We must have scared the bad guys away because the show continued without a glitch. After hours of patrolling we were coppered to Da Nang air base. As we climbed aboard trucks we saw Bob Hope’s entourage boarding a C-130. Unbelievable! We called for him! He turned at the top of the stairway, gave us a smile and then he waved. The beautiful Lola Falana blew us a kiss. You don’t forget something like that.

We loved him! But soldiers are always marginalized; he will be too. What he gave us beginning in 1941 through the 1990s can only be defined as love. Soulless bureaucrats will probably change the name of the airport because they have no understanding of his endeavors for the soldiers.
Thanks for the memories, Bob. You will never be forgotten.

--

JOE PUGLIA is a practicing counselor, a retired professor of education and a former officer in the Marines. Reach him at doctorjoe@ymail.com. Visit his website at doctorjoe.us.