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Reader Memories: Bob Hope
May-June 2003
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HE BROUGHT A LOT OF JOY TO AMERICAN SERVICE PEOPLE
I saw the Bob Hope show in 1969 at Ching Chung Kang (CCK) air base on Taiwan. He and his show people landed at 2:30 a.m. on a very windy morning. He came off of a noisy C-130 aircraft with his golf clubs and said, "Where did this cold weather come from?" Getting in that late, they put on a very good show at 10:00 a.m. the next morning.
To me, he is one of the greatest people there ever was. He brought a lot of joy to American service people.
Happy birthday, Bob.
Charles K. Guy
Spokane, WA
BOB HOPE—THE GREATEST
I shall never forget Bob Hope, one of the greatest entertainers of all time. It was so long ago, in 1948, on the "Berlin Airlift", Berlin Blockade.
We were flown from Kelly AFB, San Antonio. I was in MATS (Military Air Transport Service), flown to Wiesbaden, Germany. We were attached to the 40th troop carrier, out of Haneda AFB, Tokyo, Japan. I had the rank of Buck Sgt.
After several months duty, having German crews load C-47's and C-54 aircraft, food and fuel for Berlin, I transferred to the British occupation zone in Northern Germany, to Celle below Hanover, performing the same duties.
I had the pleasure of seeing Bob Hope along with Jerry Colona and Vivian Blaine and Bob's wife Dolores, in the Theatre in Celle one night, as the group was on tour of different bases in Germany.
The funny part was that we were waiting for the appearance of Bob Hope, and the announcer on the stage said that Hope was on his way from West Berlin and would arrive shortly.
Well, lo and behold, here comes this man down the aisle with cap and goggles on, with a parachute and you can guess who that man was—Bob Hope.
Bob was at his best on the stage with Jerry Colona and Vivian Blaine, with their wonderful humor.
After one act Bob said he would like to introduce his wife Dolores, and you see this arm extend from behind the curtain, and Bob takes the hand, and it's Dolores. She was so wonderful.
After the act, two of my buddies and I went upstairs to a restaurant and, guess what, Bob Hope, Jerry Colona, Dolores, and Vivian Blaine sat at two tables over from us and were having a very quiet conversation.
I shall always treasure the excitement of that night that I got to see Bob Hope in person. A person loved by millions, a great gift to the world.
Mr. Everett H. Freeman
Stanley, NC
SPAGHETTI WITH BOB'S CREW
It was while I was a patient in Palermo evacuation hospital, sometime in August, 1943, that Bob Hope made a visit. He had Frances Langford and a guitar player named Tony Romano with him.
There was just a ward full of GIs and medical staff when he put on his show.
They were just setting up the stage when a little Sicilian boy came staggering through the ward carrying a huge bowl of spaghetti, and placed it in front of Tony (who was of Italian descent).
"Mange Tony, mange. You're home," Bob said.
I had great admiration for Bob's crew as, at the time, Palermo Harbor was having nightly air raids, and he could have picked a safer place to perform.
Paul Bodnar
Meadow Lands, PA
WE WERE MOST THANKFUL FOR HIS APPEARANCE
It was on August 23, 1943, that I witnessed a Bob Hope show along with hundreds of other GIs. Needless to say, we were most thankful for his appearance. Along with him was Jack Pepper, Tony Romano—his guitarist and a very lovely and eye-appealing Frances Langford, who sang "You Made Me Love You," "Night and Day" and "Tangerine." You can just imagine the reception they received, and we were most grateful for their show.
The show took place in Licata, Sicily, shortly after the end of the Sicilian campaign. I was a Sergeant in the 58th Fighter Squadron, 33rd Fighter Group, and we were a P-40 outfit.
Michael Cohen
Lakewood, NJ
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