May 29 is the birthday of Bob Hope, who (for those who don’t already know) was a comedian, actor, singer and military supporter. He was never an Exchange associate but he was a “We Go Where You Go” guy—he made 57 tours for the USO, entertaining thousands of troops overseas and on the homefront across four wars, beginning with World War II and ending with Operation Desert Shield/Storm.
The Exchange supported the troops at several of these appearances, which were often televised and included guest stars. And Hope made appearances at several Exchanges.
The biggest one happened in 1994, when Hope and his wife, Dolores, visited Eglin AFB in Florida for an annual benefit to support Bob Hope Village (now Air Force Enlisted Village), an independent living community for military families that developed from the Air Force Enlisted Men’s Widows Home Foundation. During their visit, the Hopes came to the Eglin Exchange for, according to the Exchange Post, Bob’s first retail-store autograph signing ever—and he was in his early 90s at the time and had been an entertainer for more than 50 years.
The visit required the Eglin BX to make an all-out team effort. A buyer arranged to have pre-release copies of a new Hope CD two weeks ahead of the Hopes’ appearance so customers could have them available for autographs. A secretary helped to publicize the appearance in the base newspaper and on electronic reader boards. She also arranged to have security present. Team members designed signage and banners to create buzz.
Roughly 550 people showed up for the event, each one getting an autograph. The Hopes’ daughter, Linda, who accompanied them on the trip, called Retail Manager Pat McGhee the next day to say how pleased her parents were with the visit. She also requested photos so that they could pattern future appearances after the one at the Eglin BX. The Hopes returned to Eglin twice.
Years earlier, on Dec. 30, 1965, the Andersen AFB Exchange on Guam offered support during Bob Hope Day. The comedian brought his star-studded USO extravaganza to the base as part of his annual Christmas tour to entertain U.S. servicemen stationed overseas.
Andersen Exchange beauticians were on alert around the clock to serve the women of the troupe (including such ’60s stars as Anita Bryant and Joey Heatherton); a tow truck was on alert in case the troupe had any vehicle breakdowns, and the Exchange had four snackmobiles on duty to serve the thousands attending the performance. Extra personnel were on duty at the main store to care for the needs of Hope and his cast and crew. At the time, Bob Hope Day marked the largest sales that the food operations had ever recorded at the Andersen AFB Exchange.
One other notable appearance happened in late 1969: The Bangkok Exchange in Thailand stayed open one evening exclusively for cast and crew members of “Operation Holly,” Hope’s Christmas show. Among the customers was astronaut Neil Armstrong, who in July of that year became the first person to walk on the moon and appeared in Hope’s show.
Bob and Dolores Hope both lived more than 100 years. He died on July 27, 2003, close to two months after he turned 100. Dolores Hope died in 2011 at age 102. Among the buildings named for Bob are the Bob Hope Elementary School at Kadena Air Base in Japan. Several Exchange associates work at the school as part of the Exchange’s overseas school-meal program.
Sources: Exchange Post archives, Air Force Enlisted Village (www.afev.us), Internet Movie Database (imdb.com).
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