Stars turn backs on America's troops in Iraq

Guardian ^ | December 24, 2005 | Jamie Wilson

[West Coast Conservative]

During world war two American troops away from home for Christmas were entertained by Marlene Dietrich, Bing Crosby and the Marx Brothers. Even in Vietnam Bob Hope was guaranteed to put in an appearance. But soldiers in Iraq are more likely to get a show from a Christian hip-hop group, a country singer you have probably never heard of and two cheerleaders for the Dallas Cowboys.

Just as the seemingly intractable nature of the war has led to a growing recruitment crisis, so the United Services Organisation, which has been putting on shows for the troops since the second world war, is struggling to get celebrities to sign up for even a short tour of duty.

It is a far cry from the days following the September 11 2001 attacks, when some of the biggest names in show business, from Jennifer Lopez to Brad Pitt, rallied to the cause. "After 9/11 we couldn't have had enough airplanes for the people who were volunteering to go," Wayne Newton, the Las Vegas crooner who succeeded Bob Hope as head of USO's talent recruiting effort, told USA Today. "Now with 9/11 being as far removed as it is, the war being up one day and down the next, it becomes increasingly difficult to get people to go."

Newton said many celebrities have been wary of going because they think it might be seen that they are endorsing the war. "And I say it's not. I tell them these men and women are over there because our country sent them, and we have the absolute necessity to try to bring them as much happiness as we can."

[MillerCreek]

Yeah, which is WHY the film industry is in such dives nowadays, is producing such crud.

They're pandering to and concerned with all the wrong audiences.

[185JHP]

Lou Rawls shqwed up, back in the time...

[wallace144]

I think you are right. Bruce Willis went too, didn't he?

[the anti-liberal]

Bruce Willis and Deuce Four. 'Nough said.

[BookmanTheJanitor]

http://www.uso.org/pubs/8_16_2143.cfm

Here's the USO 2005 schedule. Past schedules are on the same site.

[P-Marlowe]

I miss Bob Hope.

Bob Hope

Bob Hope donated his time and talents to help USO bring "a touch of home" to those serving their country overseas.

Fact Sheet

• Master of the one-liner and the USO's tireless morale-booster for the troops, Bob Hope was the USO's "Ambassador of Good Will." He celebrated his 100th birthday May 29, 2003.
  
  
• Hope's USO career spaned six decades, during which he headlined approximately 60 tours.
  
  
• Hope's first performance for service members was at March Field, California, May 6, 1941.
  
  
• Hope's first USO tour went to Alaska and the Aleutians in 1942.
  
  
• Hope made his first combat zone USO tour in 1943, visiting U.S. forces in North Africa, Italy and Sicily.
  
  
• The first Bob Hope Christmas USO tour was in 1948, performing for the GIs who participated in the Berlin Airlift. The Bob Hope Christmas USO tour became a USO tradition, and he visited military bases and veterans' hospitals every December for the next 34 years.
  
  
• In 1969, President Lyndon Johnson bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom upon Bob Hope for his service to the men and women of the armed forces through the USO.
  
  
• Bob Hope made his final USO tour in December 1990, bringing Christmas cheer to troops participating in Operation Desert Shield in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
  
  
• In 1997, the USO successfully worked with Congress to designate Bob Hope the first honorary veteran of the U.S. armed forces.
  
  
• At the 1997 USO Holiday Gala, the USO unveiled the "Spirit of Hope" Award. It is a portrait bas-relief of Bob Hope, created by St. Louis sculptor Don F. Wiegand and Michael Fagin a major donor to the USO.  

[the anti-liberal]

Got yer back- you got it!

[MillerCreek]

Yeah, well, ditto to that, too.

[GB]

Maybe it's just because (a.) they're lazy and (b.) afraid they'll get their cowardly butts shot off. As someone said, things are certainly different today.

But as far as whether opposition to the war or to President Bush has anything to do with it, I just finished a book I'd highly recommend called "Rednecks vs. Bluenecks." It's about the left vs. right, liberal vs. conservative battle in country music, sort of starting out and centering around the Dixie Chicks mess, then going into a historical perspective of politics in country music and then talking to a whole bunch of liberals and a whole bunch of conservatives in the business. They also talked to one guy in particular ... Buddy Miller, a great singer/player/songwriter ... who swore that he was absolutely dead-center in the middle, and had a separate chapter on Merle Haggard and Johnny Cash, who always sent out different signals and can't be pigeonholed politically.

Anyway, one of the people they talked to on the liberal side was Raul Malo of the Mavericks. The political stuff he spewed out would be worth a "puke alert" on this site, he was so over the top that he was rivaling Steve Earle, whose Marxist diatribes for the author were in a class of their own.

Still, Mr. Malo went to Iraq to entertain the troops last Christmas, said he was happy and honored to do so even though he is vehemently opposed to the war, and while he was there he didn't mention politics. So while his personal beliefs are nauseating, I give him credit for going over there.

[burzum]

You missed one. Bob Hope was made an honorary veteran of the armed forces in 1997. He said “I've been given many awards in my lifetime - but to be numbered among the men and women I admire most - is the greatest honor I have ever received."

[burzum]

Actually, I misread. Oops.

[NewLand]

I thought they support the troops?

[Afronaut]

It's great that all the folks on the line-up are all going, but it's not A-list. I would like to some big music acts donate a sizable production for the troops.

[pepperhead]

Still, Mr. Malo went to Iraq to entertain the troops last Christmas, said he was happy and honored to do so even though he is vehemently opposed to the war, and while he was there he didn't mention politics. So while his personal beliefs are nauseating, I give him credit for going over there.

I noticed Henry Rollins name on that list. I don't think he is for the war either. I don't really care for some of the stuff he says or his music. But it is nice of him to go over there.

[MikefromOhio]

I met Rob Schnieder in Iraq.

I was able to see Robin Williams as well.

I could have gone to Toby Keith but I didn't get there.

Quite a few celebs have been there, but there is NO excuse for some of them, especially those that haven't gone yet.

[Radix]

The days are coming when the so called celebrities are going to get their comeuppance.

I see a lot of things on the Internet, and support for the Troops is high, despite that not being reflected in the media.

We are no longer living in the days of the nickelodeons where people will pay to see absolutely anything.

Hollywood has not recognized that fact yet, but they shall...and soon

[BookmanTheJanitor]

I understand & agree with you. I just wanted people to know who is going to Iraq & supporting our troops. I'm sure that these guys weren't wondering where Brad Pitt is when this picture was taken.

Leeann Tweeden

[RebelBanker]

Toby Keith recorded a song for some country music award show at an "undisclosed location" in Iraq a couple of weeks back. Looked to be a nice concert and I saw several Marines as well as members of the 18th Military Police Brigade around the stage.

Lonestar, Gary Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band, and Bruce Willis and his band (I forget the name) have also been to Iraq and/or Afghanistan and/or other Middle Eastern bases recently.

[stevem]

But many of the USO's regular performers are fierce critics of the war, among them the comic and star of Good Morning Vietnam, Robin Williams, who told USA Today he would like to return to the Middle East in the spring for what would be his fourth tour since 2002. "I'm there for the [troops], not for W," he said in a reference to the president. "Go, man. You won't forget it. You'll meet amazing people," is his message to stars that ask him about the tours. But the comedian said he mostly tries to keep politics out of the show after he did a few jokes about Bush's brainpower at a base in 2003 and got a chilly reception...Other critics of the war who regularly perform include the leftwing comedian Al Franken (who is headlining the current tour along with Christian hip-hop group Souljahz) and the punk legend and actor Henry Rollins, one of the Bush administrations most vocal critics.

In my military carer I was never in harm's way. If I had been and these clowns (or this ilk) came to put on a show, I would have skipped it. I would rather have climbed into my crib and read the Bluejacket Manual.

[presidio9]

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