Wondering about the USO

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grampster

grampster

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Mods. Slightly off topic...but since the military uses guns, maybe a little grace be granted.

Do any of you with military service have an opinion about the USO? I'd like to add them to my list for contributions, but I'd like to know if they are good stewards and if those of you who have been overseas have been well served by them.

Thanks.
 
I for one really appreciated the USO lounges in airports. They were always staffed with kind and courteous people willing to help in any way they can. It wasn't much most time just a couple cookies and juice or soda but it was nice to feel appreciated. They were very helpful the times I flew with my wife and daughter and it was nice to be able to let my kid run around without worry.
 
IMO the airport lounge is a wonderful thing. A place you can sit down/have a sandwich/watch TV/take a nap/clean up without being bothered by general public. Wish I still had access. (of course I seldom fly anymore)
 
USO is great!!!

When my unit and i came back from Iraq they had food , drinks, toothpaste, toothbrushes, phones, razors and shave cream waiting for us.

It was sooooo nice to clean up after being on a plane for hours...........:eek:
 
+ a bunch for the USO. They've taken care of me on the way to and from the desert and in the desert. I've never met an unfriendly USO volunteer. One USO lady at an OEF base cooked me a pizza at 3am in the middle of winter because the chow hall was closed and our schedule wouldn't allow us to get food that day. And of course the DFW USO is always standing room only.

Here's a similar local group, albeit much smaller, worthy of praise for their work. http://www.themainetroopgreeters.com/
I especially appreciated the free cell phone to call home to tell my family I was back on US soil.
 
I'll add my vote for the USO. Their display here in the Pentagon says they were chartered by Congress during WW II, and my own experience in Vietnam was that they sponsor lots of good activities. Good charitable donation, IMO.

TC
 
Here's another good one.

To add another organization to your list, try the Salvation Army. Back during the Korean war my brother needed to get home right away because our Mom was having some really serious surgery. He didn't have the money he needed to fly home and he went to the Red Cross who wouldn't help at all.

When he asked the Salvation Army about it they gave him the money he needed and said, "If you ever get some spare money, bring it back." Years later he built a large company and over the years he has paid them back a million times over.

What struck him so much was they never even asked him his name when they gave him the money. He was a young soldier that needed to get home and that was all they needed to know.
 
Besides the shows, I have used the USO a few times.

St Louis airport, Ft loost-in-the-woods bussed to the airport to fly out to Korea, they dropped us off like 8 hours early. The USO has a wonderous facility set up, big fat lazy boys for napping, TV, games, books, food. All free.

Then I got to Korea 2 weeks before Christmass, didn't know anyone, was new so I got guard duty right off and missed the activities in the mess hall. I found my way over to USO and they had a big Chistmass thing going on and welcomed me in. I had cold ham sandwiches, watched TV and read through and answered a bunch of "to any GI" Christmass cards.

They get money from me when I have some spare. One of the few non-military organizations that doesn't prey on GIs
 
Hooray for the USO!

Overseas in a strange place I really appreciated having a little piece of America to go have a sit in, and maybe do some little things like exchange money or watch tv.
 
I spent most of my off time while on Guam in the early 70's at the USO. They were my home away from home. I accepted their generousity and also pitched in however I could. They sure made an unpleasant time in my life tolerable.
dean
 
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