by senior contributor Brendan Kownacki
Photo credit: Brendan Kownacki
Military VIPs, television personalities, musicians, and athletes were all on hand for the 2016 USO gala celebrating the 75th anniversary of the non-profit org that has served men and women in the US and abroad, supporting members of the armed forces and their families. Even with 75 years of history, the USO still draws memories for many of the golden age of celebrities like Bob Hope, whose tours through Vietnam to entertain the troops drew heavy attention to the group dedicated to service. Whether it’s a hot meal, a cold drink or a phone call home for a soldier, the USO is always standing on the sidelines ready to serve.
Ryan Seacrest
That mission of service is at the core of the USO Gala, which honors individual service members from each branch of the military who, as described by Master of Ceremonies Ryan Seacrest, “have distinguished themselves through their extraordinary service and sacrifice.” The Zac Brown Band provided lively and patriotic entertainment for the evening, as well as Alex Trebek, Nigel Barker, Trace Adkins, Kellie Pickler, Ann-Margaret and Chef Robert Irvine, among other entertainers who were on hand and wanted to celebrate their support for the troops and share their experiences volunteering for USO.
“For 75 years, the USO has been the essential bridge between Americans and our service members and their families,” said Seacrest explaining how the USO has stood by from the theaters of World War II all the way to our bases in Iraq today. Country superstar Trace Adkins has done 11 tours with the USO and says he’s always happy to return, calling the experiences “rewarding.” Trebek has gone on 13 tours with the USO and called the gala a “refreshing” change from the politics that currently dominates the nightly news because “the USO is not into politics, it’s into serving the men and women who serve our country.” With outposts around the globe, one of the light-hearted debates of the night was just how many acts of goodwill were happening each day as a result of USO volunteers. Chef Robert Irvine said it was special to be apart of the anniversary gala. Irvine, who recently took charge of a restaurant in the Pentagon and is a staunch supporter of the military and the USO pegged it like this, “75 years and if you equate that to 33,000 random acts of kindness, every day, around the world…that’s a lot of kindness.”
The USO almost seems like the invisible helping hand that would be easy to overlook, but its steadfast presence and support over the last 75 years is why it must be celebrated and embraced for its future impact. Even Second Lady of the United States, Dr. Jill Biden stopped in to thank the thousands of volunteers and praise the organization for the magical effect that it has on so many lives. Biden opened her remarks describing a father playing a video of a deployed mother reading a bedtime story to their daughter…a video recorded at a USO center. “Because of the USO, that little girl’s mom feels a little less far away tonight,” said Biden. “The work the USO does is real. The impact is real,” she continued, having experienced the personal stress of having children deployed overseas. Biden, along with First Lady Michelle Obama have lead the Joining Forces initiative in support of military families through their time in office and have been vocal about making the mission a priority even once the administrations change. Calling it a “sacred obligation,” Dr. Biden said we need to “equip those we send to war and care for them and their families during deployments and when they return home.” Ending her welcome to the crowd, “This commitment to our military and their families is something that you, the USO does better than anyone else.”
The commitment Dr. Biden described includes celebrating the best-of-the-best, exemplified through the service member honorees of the evening. Their acts of strength and bravery included saving people from fires and out of wrecked cars, revitalizing living conditions and catching criminals…each anecdote unique but one underlying consistency–these service men and women all put others above themselves and jumped at the opportunity to help out. That attitude shows the best of our military and exemplifies the spirit of the USO.
Take a look at what some of the stars on hand had to say about their experiences with the USO and our military:
