NOTE: Bob Hope celebrates his 100th birthday today. This is my birthday card to him, inadequate as it may be.
By DOUGLAS SPANGLER
Published May 29, 2003
It was during the early days of the Vietnam War, and I was stationed in Alaska. The word came that Bob Hope was coming to Elmendorf Air Force Base near Anchorage, Alaska, where I was stationed. In the middle of those long dark nights, we had the beacon of light that Bob Hope was known for bringing to troops since World War II.
My fellow airmen were really excited about the arrival of Hope and company, not only because we all knew he would put on a great show but also because we knew he would bring glamorous women with him, as he always did everywhere he went to perform before military audiences.
There was an old joke among Air Force and Army personnel stationed in Alaska at that time: "There's a girl behind every tree, but there are no trees." Any female performers Hope brought with him would be greatly appreciated, stared at and memorized. And, man, did we get our money's worth when the show arrived. It was two hours long and featured everything from Hope's humor to a chance to dance with some of the women on stage. We all hated the guys who were lucky enough to be close to the stage and have the opportunity.
We also were aware that the whole thing was being filmed for later presentation on TV and wondered if any of our friends and relatives would see us as we laughed and whooped it up in the audience.
It was a great performance all around; and Bob made local jokes, as he always did. One I remember was: "It's great to be here in Anchorage, or, as it's better known, the longest bar in the world." Hope, and his writers, knew that one of the main sports in Alaska during the long, intensely cold winters was drinking - and when you got done, drinking some more, so that punchline made the whole hangar roar with laughter and instant recognition.
For those two hours, everything faded into the background. We forgot about our misery in that far-off state. We forgot about the growing war. We concentrated only on what Hope and company were doing.
These many years later, all I can think of was how fortunate I was to be one of the thousands of military men and women entertained through the years by Bob Hope. One thing rarely mentioned is how many chances Hope and all of those who performed with him took to come and entertain the military around the world.
Surely, they all would have preferred to stay in the warmth and comfort of their homes, especially around the holidays. All of that flying around the world certainly had its discomfort and hazards. It seems to me those who performed such yeoman service for people in the service all deserve some sort of special medal from our government.
And, by the way, I don't really remember who the beautiful women were who were with Hope when he came to us as a sort of holiday candle during that Christmas season. But I do remember very well that the night ended with everyone singing Silent Night. If there were dry eyes anywhere in that hangar, I did not see any.
So, Bob, thanks for my precious memory of having been honored by your presence in a cold, dark, faraway place. I thank you, my friend. Happy birthday.
- Douglas Spangler, a writer and former university administrator, lives in Palm Harbor.
