Leslie Townes Hope was born on May 29, 1903, in Eltham, County of London[1] (now part of the Royal Borough of Greenwich), in a terraced house on Craigton Road in Well Hall,[3][4] where there is now a blue plaque in his memory.[5] He was the fifth of seven sons of an English father, William Henry Hope, a stonemason from Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, and a Welsh mother, Avis (née Townes), a light opera singer from Barry, Vale of Glamorgan,[6] who later worked as a cleaner. William and Avis married in April 1891 and lived at 12 Greenwood Street in Barry before moving to Whitehall, Bristol, and then to St George, Bristol. After a brief period living in Southend Road, Weston-Super-Mare,[7] in 1908, the family immigrated to the United States, sailing aboard the SS Philadelphia. They passed through Ellis Island, New York on March 30, 1908, before moving on to Cleveland, Ohio.[8]
He had a deep respect for the men and women who served in the armed forces, and this was reflected in his willingness to go anywhere to entertain them.[53] However, during the highly controversial Vietnam War, Hope had trouble convincing some performers to join him on tour, but he was accompanied on at least one USO tour by Ann-Margret. Anti-war sentiment was high, and his pro-troop stance made him a target of criticism from some quarters. Some shows were drowned out by boos, others were listened to in silence.[54]
born in 1903 honorary vetern armed forces
Bob Hope, KBE, KCSG, KSS was an American comedian and actor who appeared in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in radio, television and movies. He was also noted for his work with the US Armed Forces and his numerous USO shows entertaining American military personnel. Throughout his career, he was honored for his humanitarian work. In 1996, the U.S. Congress honored Bob Hope by declaring him the "first and only honorary veteran of the U.S. armed forces." Bob Hope appeared in or hosted 199 known USO shows.
Charles F. Born was born in Racine, Wis., in 1903. He entered the U.S. Military Academy in July 1924, and while there won an All-American rating in lacrosse, was chosen an All-American football player in 1925-6-7, and played hockey. He graduated June 9, 1928, was commissioned a second lieutenant of Cavalry and assigned at Fort Meade, S.D., where he served with the Fourth Cavalry until 1933, with the exception of four seasons as assistant football coach at the academy.In February 1933, General Born entered the Air Corps Primary Flying School at Randolph Field, Texas, and following graduation attended the Air Corps Advanced Flying School at Kelly Field, Texas. Upon completion of that course, in February 1934, he went to Luke Field, Hawaii, to join the 72nd Bombardment Squadron. On April 23, 1934, he transferred from the Cavalry to the Air Corps.General Born, in August 1934, became assistant supply officer and assistant engineering officer of the Hawaiian Air Depot at Luke Field and two years later was appointed commanding officer of the 50th Observation Squadron there. In June 1937, he returned to the U.S. Military Academy as an instructor in general military law, remaining until May 1939, when he entered the Air Corps Tactical School at Maxwell Field, Ala. Following his graduation in August, he resumed his duties as an instructor at the academy.In July 1940, General Born became commanding officer of the Fifth Bombardment Squadron at Mitchel Field, N.Y., and in August 1941, was named commanding officer of the Ninth Bombardment Group at Rio Hato, Panama. He later was assigned to the Sixth Fighter Command at San Juan, Puerto Rico, and in May 1942, resumed his duties as commanding officer of the Ninth Bombardment Group, which had moved to the British West Indies.The following year General Born assumed command of the Army Air Forces in the Antilles Command and soon thereafter was appointed assistant chief of staff for operations and training of the Northwest African Strategic Air Force. When the 12th Bomber Command of that Air Force became the 15th Air Force, he became its assistant chief of staff for operations and training and directed its operations against Germany. In October 1944, he was named deputy commander of the 15th Air Force, then stationed in Bari, Italy.In March, 1945, General Born was assigned to Air Force headquarters at Washington and later that month became chief of operations and training of the Continental Air Forces at Bolling Field, D.C. In October, 1945, he was named director of separations at Air Force headquarters, and the following January was appointed chief of staff of the Continental Air Forces.In March, 1946, he became commanding general of the Second Air Force at Colorado Springs, Colo., retaining this position when the Second was redesignated the 15th Air Force. General Born was appointed chief of staff of Tactical Air Command at Langley Afield, Va., in April, 1947, and four months later was named deputy commanding general of the Indoctrination Division of Air Training Command, with station at Lackland Field, Texas. In September, 1948, he became commanding general of the 3700th Basic Training Wing at Lackland Air Force Base, and the following month assumed command of the Indoctrination Division of Air Training Command there.In May 1949, General Born was assigned to Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe at Wiesbaden, Germany, as deputy chief of staff for operations. In January 1951, he became deputy for operations, Air Training Command, with headquarters at Scott Air Force Base, Ill.General Born assumed command of the 3600th Flying Training Wing at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz., in November 1952. In August 1953, he became vice commander of the Crew Training Air Force at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, and in October of that year assumed command.General Born has been awarded the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit with two oak leaf clusters, Distinguished Flying Cross, and Air Medal with oak leaf cluster, and is an honorary Knight Commander of the Bath of the British Empire. He is rated a senior pilot.EFFECTIVE DATES OF PROMOTIONHe was promoted to first lieutenant (permanent) March 1, 1934; to captain (temporary) March 12, 1935. He reverted to the rank of first lieutenant June 16, 1936, and was promoted to captain (permanent) June 9, 1938; to major (temporary) Feb. 1, 1941; to lieutenant colonel (temporary) Jan. 5, 1942; to colonel (temporary) March 1, 1942; to brigadier general (temporary) March 25, 1943; to major (permanent) June 9, 1945; to major general (temporary) July 9, 1946. He reverted to the rank of brigadier general (temporary) May 15, 1947, and was promoted to colonel (permanent) April 2, 1948. He was promoted to major general (temporary) Dec. 15, 1953.(Current as of December 1953)
For more than fifty years, Bob Hope traveled around the world, giving shows for members of America's armed forces. It started in nineteen forty-one when he and several other performers went to an air base in California. Later that year, the United States entered World War Two after Japanese forces attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Hope attempted to join the armed forces. He was told he could better serve his country as a performer, building support for the war effort. So he took a team of performers to bases around the country to perform his radio show.
United States Congress honored Hope four times. In nineteen ninety-seven, Congress made him an honorary veteran of the armed forces. He was the first individual so honored in American history. The following year, Britain's Queen Elizabeth made Hope an honorary knight. She recognized his work in films and his service to allied forces during World War Two.
HOPE, LESLIE TOWNES (BOB) (May 29, 1903-July 27, 2003) was a popular actor and comedian who appeared in vaudeville, radio, film, and television, and was also known for the prominent role he undertook in United Service Organization (USO) tours to entertain American troops. Hope was the fifth of seven sons, born in Eltham, England, a London suburb, to stonemason William Henry Hope and aspiring concert singer Avis Townes Hope. Hope spent the first few years of his life in England before moving with his family to Cleveland in March 1908. The family settled in the DOAN'S CORNERS neighborhood, first living at Standiforth Court on EUCLID AVENUE and East 105th Street (the family would later occupy residences at 1913 East 105th and 2029 East 105th). Hope attended Fairmount Elementary School before moving on to Fairmount Junior High and East High School, leaving school at the age of sixteen. The family, though originally Anglican, attended the Presbyterian CHURCH OF THE COVENANT on Euclid Avenue, the site of William Hope's first stonemasonry job in the Cleveland area (Hope would convert to Catholicism in his later years). Hope's father also worked on the Lorain-Carnegie Bridge and helped to carve the Guardians of Traffic figures (see HOPE MEMORIAL BRIDGE).
After entertaining American troops at March Field in Riverside, California in 1941, Hope joined the USO and began leading groups of Hollywood stars to entertain U.S. servicemen. He brought his radio show overseas in 1943 and created the first of his popular Christmas shows in 1948. Hope remained actively involved with entertaining the armed forces, flying around the world to perform for troops during the KOREAN WAR, VIETNAM, and the PERSIAN GULF WAR. The U.S. military named Hope a "Four Star Hero" in 1992 and awarded him the Distinguished Service Medal (from all four military branches) in 1995. The U.S. House of Representatives recognized Hope's service in 1997 by naming him the first civilian honorary veteran of the armed forces.
Margaret McGurnaghan, '27, was born in India. As a young child, she and her family first lived in Florence, Kansas, before making Topeka her home. At the age of 49 years old, she received the LL.B. cum laude from Washburn University School of Law. She had spent the previous 25 years with a Topeka law firm (then known as Wheeler, Hunt, & Brewster) as a stenographer and being trained in title standards before entering law school. Later, she became a managing partner of the firm. In addition to becoming the first female partner in a large law firm in Topeka, she became one of the first women admitted to practice law in Kansas and also one of the first women to join the Kansas Bar Association. McGurnaghan was prominent in legal aid work for members of the armed forces. She practiced for 33 years before retiring at the age of 84. 2ff7e9595c
Comments