United Service Organizations 75th Anniversary

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. REED. Mr. President, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the United Service Organizations, commonly known as the USO, on its 75th anniversary. Since February 4, 1941, the USO has been serving alongside our men and women in uniform.

Ahead of our entry into World War II and having witnessed the morale issues among the ranks during World War I, Army Chief of Staff General George C. Marshall called for an effort that would bring together private, civilian organizations to provide recreational activities and entertainment for the troops. As President Franklin D. Roosevelt stated, ``not by machines alone will we win this war,'' and so he directed the newly formed USO to keep servicemembers in touch with the comforts of home, no matter where they were deployed.

Initially led by the YMCA, YWCA, the Salvation Army, the National Jewish Welfare Board, the National Catholic Community Service, and the Traveler's Aid Society, the USO provided servicemen with wholesome recreation and entertainment. According to Walter Hoving, one of the original directors of the USO, ``this is not only vital to military morale but also from the standpoint of the future of our youth as peacetime citizens.''

Seventy-five years later, the USO continues to adapt to meet the needs of our men and women in uniform and their families. From USO centers at or near military installations across the United States and around the world, to their airport centers that offer around-the-clock hospitality for traveling servicemembers, to their trademark tours that bring America's celebrities to entertain our troops, to their support for military kids, wounded warriors and their caregivers, and families of the fallen, the USO has answered the call to serve those who serve our Nation.

The USO remains a private organization, relying on the generosity of individuals, communities, and corporations and 30,000 dedicated volunteers. As General Eisenhower wrote many decades ago, ``the USO served also in providing a channel through which more than a million civilian men and women were able to help effectively in the war effort.'' The same holds true today.

I would like to thank the many men and women of the USO who give so much to bring a bit of home to our servicemembers all over the globe. I congratulate the USO on 75 years of strengthening America's military by keeping servicemembers connected to family, home, and country wherever they go.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source