From Oct 1971 to Feb 1973, I was a right-seat pilot C-130 Hercules tactical airlift in Vietnam. On December 24, 1971, at Than Son Nhut Air Base, just outside Saigon, I was wandering around base and a USO lady gave me a “care package” containing tootsie roll pops, cracker jacks, bazooka bubble gum, and more. In the Tu Do section of Saigon was a USO destination offering long forgotten USA goodies. At every airport in the USA I passed through, there was a USO lounge catering to active military. In flying around Vietnam, every so often, we carried USO ladies from Danang-Cam Rhan Bay-Than Son Nhut – these ladies were in the cockpit with the crew, a rare opportunity to mix with America’s women. Mid December 1972, on the flight line at Than Son Nhut, maybe 3 people total could be seen – until a C-123 Caraboo (with its nose painted red, and Merry Christmas – Happy New Year painted on its flaps = Santaboo) pulled into the flight line, parked, the side door opened, stairs lowered – and down those stairs walked American USO women in skirts = several hundred military came out of nowhere heading directly to that Santaboo brightening up the lives of every GI in sight. Also, flying over Danang in 1972, we could see hundreds of troops at a huge USO show in progress. Oh, did we wish we were on the ground at that show.
USO brightened my life and has brightened the lives of millions of active duty troops away from home for many, many years. I have donated to the USO in small amounts for over 20+ years. On May 2, 2023, I arranged with USO a much larger donation to fund USO with its mission of uplifting the spirits of American troops overseas and at airports scattered throughout the USA.