Guest Post – There’ll Be A Hot Time… by GPCox
I hope everyone enjoys this post as much as I did while writing it!!
In this Final-final Guest Post, GPCox explores the world of entertainment for the troops at home and away.
USO Dance, Washington
Entertainment for troops at home also provided sources for a social life to the civilians and gave the war drive efforts an available stage. The USO is usually the organization that comes to mind for most of us. They had 59 companies going abroad to entertain, but they also provided amusement for those in the U.S. Just about every city had a USO center for dancing, conversation, food and getting the opportunity to see celebrities. The Red Cross would usually set themselves up in these centers and supply baskets of goodies free of charge to the troops. They strove to become a home away from home for the men. Today, in the Midwest, a group of volunteers re-enact the USO and WW2 era in parades, ceremonies and living…
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Posted on June 3, 2018, in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink. 35 Comments.
Pacific Paratrooper 
Ah it’s lovely to see there was still time and space for music, dance, socialising and fun.
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WWI then the Great Depression and landing in WWII – they had to have something to keep them sane, eh?!! 🙂
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Vermaak en ontspanning zijn ook belangrijk voor de troepen en goed dat er daar ook mensen zich volledig voor hebben ingezet
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Ik weet zeker dat je hebt gemerkt dat elke oorlog zijn eigen liedjes heeft gegenereerd. Muziek is belangrijk voor hen.
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Absolutely great informative post, thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
It is amazing just how many entertainers from that era actually donated their time and effort to the entertainment of the troops, and went on to enlist and serve overseas.
Excellent re- post gp.
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Indeed! Nowadays we have celebrities threatening to move to Canada if someone gets elected or not. Too bad they didn’t go!!
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GP – It certainly has been fun revisiting these Guest Posts of yours. I have been honored to share them again. Take care.
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Thank you very much. I had an outstanding time doing them!!
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It’s enjoyed reading about some of the fun times during WWII.
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That’s because it was when all that old cooking you discuss was best enjoyed and helped get them through the hard times. Thanks for dropping in, Sheryl!! I love those 100 year old recipes!
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How wholesome and authentic were the times back then. Great article, GP.
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Don’t you miss them? I sure do and I didn’t come around until 1950!!
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I was born during the chaotic sixties–the reaction to the 50s. Strange.
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The 50’s were a time where the people were fed up with not having, after the Great Depression and WWII, the new advances brought more time to enjoy things. Suburbia’s sprung up everywhere and and tons of kids running around proved times were fun! During that time, I had more fun with my parents and their friends, block parties, bar-b-ques, learning golf, archery, etc and dancing to that grand music!
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Thank you for your wonderful shares. These show the happier moments, still important know.
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They sure are to me, Sheila! I learned to love all this music at a very early age. Smitty had quite a collection.
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Mother remembers the shows put on by ENSA – Entertainments National Service Association and known to the troops as Every Night Something Awful – when she was stationed in the North of England.
Most of the offerings by local am dram societies and choirs were most appreciated – though comedians attempting to whip up patriotic fervour among troops sick to their back teeth of endless training with no Second Front in sight were not – but mother remembers one occasion when two distinctly portly performers were signing a bowdlerised version of ‘Oh, no, John’. A colleague started giggling…it became infectious…handkerchiefs were stuffed in mouths, all to no avail. Mother and colleague had to get down on hands and knees to leave the darkened hall without – they thought – drawing attention to themselves, only to receive a round of applause as they reached the curtained doors.
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Good for them!! They finally broke that “Every Night Something Awful” curse!! Jeez, I adore stories about your mother!!
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She has a good memory still and a fund of stories….luckily she has friends who bring their great grandchildren to see her, so a new generation can enjoy them – as she enjoys what the kids tell her.
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That is terrific! The younger generation should know all about the 19th Century – it sure was unique!!
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I loved this! Would that the country could pull together in this way today.
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I keep looking for some sign of it, grasping at any straw, but who cares about anyone but themselves these days. Oh, we have some, we all have examples of it, but a sure sign – it’s long gone.
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Left a comment ‘over there’ as usual, GP.
Best wishes, Pete.
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And, as always, I thank you for that!!
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I thoroughly enjoyed reading this post. “If you can’t entertain us, we’ll entertain ourselves.” – a truism of that generation. Adults and kids had imagination and with no TV or video games to entertain kids, they invented their own games, hit the books and helped out in the house. People also learned how to talk to each other instead of being glued to the TV or their smart phones. Those were the golden days.
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You said it exactly, Rose. My parents and their friends (plus anyone around them) had a ball wherever they were. They knew what it was to do without, so they really enjoyed having something!!
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My parents did the same – getting together with their friends and having a great time. Even back home before my teens, we were outside playing most of the time, climbing trees (yes I did that) and getting our knees scraped. Ten minutes to six o’clock, Mom would send an alarm. Our house was way back from the street but she had a bell at home connected to our gas station up front. Each kid had a code, like a Morse code. My brother and I would go back home, washed up, did the Angelus and had dinner. Dad encouraged us kids to have a good family talk so dinner was not a quiet time. We learned how to join in the conversation but also be polite. Amazing what you can do without TV!
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Us too. Family dinner at 6pm, followed by either a continued discussion about anything!! or game night, or building for my model trains, etc. Then downstairs for TV. (and I was the remote!!)
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Happy times down memory lane!
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So much so that I actually had a dream about it last night!! 🙂
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I thought of the same thing last night and remember my childhood friend, gone now but not forgotten.
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Indeed.
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My mother met my father at a USO dance in 1941…..she use to tell me about the work the USO did in those days….fascinating stuff…..chuq
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And they’re still at it!!
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Yes and doing a fantastic job……chuq
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