By Donn Nemchick
The United Service Organizations (USO) established a tradition of sending comedian Bob Hope and a troupe of entertainers to Vietnam and other Southeast Asia bases during the holiday season to entertain American troops. Hope became widely known as “a one-man morale machine,” bringing variety shows — complete with comedy routines, songs, and celebrity guests — to U.S. service members far from home.
Hope had already been entertaining troops for years. His first USO tour began during World War II in 1941, and he went on to make 57 USO tours over his lifetime, including World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and Saudi Arabia. It is a record unmatched in USO history.
Hope and his troupe performed nine consecutive Christmas tours in Vietnam and across Southeast Asia from 1964 through 1972. These tours visited military base camps, hospital wards, and even ships at sea, bringing live shows to thousands of troops who were serving 12,000 miles from home.
Although some anti–Vietnam War critics objected to the shows — seeing them as supportive of U.S. policy — Hope maintained that his purpose was strictly to lift the morale of the troops, regardless of politics.
His holiday specials were broadcast on NBC in prime time, becoming must-see television events for families back home. The special from 1965 (broadcast in January 1965) won a Primetime Emmy Award, and his 1970 holiday special was among the highest-rated television broadcasts of its time.
Over those nine tours, Hope was joined by a wide array of actors, singers, comedians, athletes, and beauty queens. They all volunteered their holiday time to be with the troops. Some of the notable names included:
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Raquel Welch, who appeared on the 1967 tour and danced with troops on stage.
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Ann-Margret and Les Brown & His Band of Renown (regular musical contributors).
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Jim Nabors, Redd Foxx, Connie Stevens, Joey Heatherton, and others at various points throughout the tours.
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A wide list of entertainers documented as performing in Vietnam tours includes James Brown, Sammy Davis Jr., Lola Falana, Vic Damone, Phyllis Diller, Miss World participants, and many more. Wikipedia
The performers typically received no monetary compensation for these tours; they volunteered their time and talent over the Christmas holidays, often visiting remote outposts and hospitals.
Veterans who attended the shows remember the experience as a highlight of their service — a rare moment of levity and connection to life back home. One letter from Vietnam recalls troops singing “Silent Night” together with Bob Hope and the cast at the end of a show, even as TV cameras documented the event for broadcast.
Here are direct links to actual footage that bring these stories to life:
Vietnam Christmas Special (1967) — Full Show (includes Raquel Welch & others)
Bob Hope Christmas Special 1969 — Around the World with the USO
1967 Show on C-SPAN (archival footage)
Bob Hope’s connection to American service members continued long after Vietnam. His USO tours spanned from 1941 all the way to Operation Desert Shield in 1990, and he entertained troops in combat zones and at home throughout his career.
In 1997, the U.S. Congress officially declared Bob Hope the first and only Honorary Veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces, in recognition of his decades of service to the troops.
Bob Hope USO Shows Timeline, 1941-1997
1941
• Bob Hope performs his first USO show at March Field, California, months before the U.S. enters World War II.
World War II (1941–1945)
• Hope tours extensively with the USO across Europe, North Africa, and the Pacific, establishing his reputation as the entertainer most closely associated with American troops.
1948
• Hope presents his first Christmas show for troops during the Berlin Airlift, beginning a holiday tradition that would last decades.
Korean War (1950–1953)
• Hope continues Christmas tours, performing in combat zones and on forward bases.
December 1964
• Bob Hope brings his Christmas tour to Vietnam for the first time, performing at Biên Hòa Air Base.
1964–1972
• Hope completes nine consecutive Christmas tours to Vietnam and Southeast Asia, visiting base camps, hospitals, and ships at sea.
• These tours are filmed and later broadcast as NBC prime-time Christmas specials.
1966
• Hope’s Vietnam Christmas special wins a Primetime Emmy Award.
Late 1960s–Early 1970s
• Despite growing antiwar criticism, Hope continues touring, stating his purpose is to support the troops, not government policy.
1972
• Bob Hope performs his final USO Christmas show in Vietnam.
1983–1990
• Hope continues Christmas tours to U.S. forces in Lebanon and during Operation Desert Shield.
1997
• The U.S. Congress names Bob Hope the first and only Honorary Veteran of the United States Armed Forces.
