The Organization That Keeps On Giving

By Semperpapa

This morning I came across an article in the NY Post written by Bill White, CEO of Constellation Group.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/opinion/opedcolumnists/thanking_the_troops_Jdu4XVkkqCGOLY63ifRUSI?sms_ss=email&at_xt=4d143576e5181fd3%2C0

The title of the article, Thanking The Troops, is simple enough and yet carries a message that is of extreme importance and value to the whole Nation.

Those who are familiar with my writing know that I am not one to waste time on celebrities, from the entertainment or the sport world. I have said in the past I have no use for them and their negligible contribution to the totality of our society beyond the expression of their talents.

By reading Mr. White’s article I feel that actor Mark Wahlberg deserves a mention. I particularly appreciated the detail that his visit to our troops in Afghanistan had not been publicized, demonstrating to me that the intention of bringing a recognizable name to express a Nation’s gratitude to those sacrificing so much for our Country, was in the true spirit of the endeavor. I do not know the political leanings of Mr. Wahlberg, but actions like this make that detail irrelevant.

There is a component that is common to every one of these tours on the part of celebrities to visit our men and women away from home. The USO.

While the publicity the USO receives is mostly attached to their efforts to bring recognizable names to our troops overseas, Toby Keith, Robin Williams, Kid Rock and many others, the work of the USO that does not receive news coverage is incalculable.

Thousands of volunteers man USO locations across the Nation. At airports, where troops come through on their way to their deployment or, in much more joyous cases, home, Military members can always count on a place where they can spend some time while waiting for their next leg of travel.

There, they can count on a meal, a place where to catch some sleep or communicate with their loved ones.

Again, these USO posts are manned by volunteers who give up their personal time to help making travel for our Military a little bit less hard.

I personally know several of these volunteers. I am honored to ride with them as Patriot Guard Riders, and these men and women donate much of their time to the USO offices at the Ontario, California, international airport and at LAX, many times on graveyard shifts, helping and serving from two to two hundred Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines.

Since its inception in 1941, the USO has been associated with its most famous icon, Bob Hope.

Bob Hope brought a little piece of levity from America to servicemen and women across the world through WWII, Korea, Vietnam and the Persian Gulf, and everywhere else in between.

But many more names can be associated with the service that the USO brought to our Military over the years: John Wayne, Ann Margaret, Mickey Rooney and so many others.

Today’s troops enjoy visits from Trace Adkins, Carrie Underwood, Gene Simmons, Montgomery Gentry and others who donate their time for an immeasurable worthy cause.

It is gratifying to see that there are so many celebrities taking up the vacuum that a giant like Bob Hope left with his departure. And these are the people to whom I express my gratitude.

I want to say a special word about Gary Sinise. I had the privilege to meet Mr. Sinise personally at the 2008 Snowball Express event. The Snowball Express is a yearly event that takes hundreds of families who have lost their loved one in Iraq or Afghanistan on a few days of entertainment around Christmas time.

In 2008, the event was in Anaheim, California, where hundreds of Gold Star wives and children were treated to all expenses paid days at Disneyland and Universal Studios.

Mr. Sinise was one of the speakers at the final dinner and following that he made sure that he took the time to spend few minutes with every participant.

Via his support for Snowball Express, the USO and many other organizations, Gary Sinise is truly trying to give back to our Military and their families, personally and through his Lt. Dan Band, which I saw in concert and enjoyed it very much.

I know that these days there are multiple causes we are asked to support financially, and does not help the fact that our dollars are spread increasingly thin, but a definitely worthy cause is that of the USO.

Just my thoughts!