National Archives and Records Administration

ARC Identifier 2569724 / Local Identifier 111-TV-467

Big Picture: United Service Organization (USO): Wherever They Go

DVD Copied by Timothy Vollmer. The usual "image" in the public mind of the USO -- the United Service Organization -- is that of a dance, a USO show, a cup of coffee and a rendezvous point. But it is more as seen on THE BIG PICTURE in this documentary film. It is a story that has never fully been told. On the Army's series for television it is dramatically treated without becoming a mere travelogue. It is packed with human interest values which have been quickly spotted by the production staff of the Army Pictorial Center. Here is a story that has needed to be told--and the sooner the better. Just as the human and production resources of the nation are mobilized to provide the sinews of national defense, so are the spiritual and welfare resources of the nation mobilized through the USO to provide off-post welfare and morale building environments for American troops around the world. The USO is with them wherever they go. In this episode, the Army brings to the public the story of a job being done well. To the extent that the American people support the USO program, it is in a sense the story of the public's own effort. Featuring many of the "greats" from the world of entertainment, including Bob Hope, Joe E. Brown, and Edward G. Robinson, THE BIG PICTURE covers a span of current American history, familiar to the more than 15 million men and women who have seen duty in the service since 1941.

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