[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 21 (Thursday, February 4, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E118-E119]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              RECOGNIZING THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE USO

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JEFF MILLER

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, February 4, 2016

  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the 75th 
anniversary of the United Service Organizations Inc. (USO). The USO is 
a shining example of what can be achieved by an organization committed 
to serving those who wear the uniform. Throughout its proud history, 
the USO has served millions of servicemembers and their families, 
ensuring that our Nation's heroes remain connected to their communities 
and families wherever their service to our country may take them.
   As Thomas Jefferson wrote during his time as the United States 
Ambassador to France, ``No society is so precious as that of one's own 
family.'' The brave men and women who choose to serve our Nation, to 
protect and uphold our Constitution, understand that their decision may 
lead to extended absences from their loved ones. While they take on 
this sacrifice without asking for anything in return, the USO was 
founded on the belief that, when the military mission takes our 
servicemembers away from their loved ones, we have a duty to support 
them by keeping them connected to their family, their home, and our 
country.
   The USO was formed during one of the most challenging periods in our 
history. With the United States on the brink of entry into World War 
II, President Franklin Roosevelt brought together six private 
organizations--the YMCA, YWCA, National Catholic Community Service, the 
National Jewish Welfare Board, the Traveler's Aid Association and the 
Salvation Army--to create a new organization wholly dedicated to 
maintaining the bonds of family and comforts of home. In response, 
these organizations pooled their resources, and, on February 4, 1941, 
the USO was born.
   As American servicemembers began fighting in World War II, the USO 
teamed up with Coca-Cola to provide every servicemember with the taste 
of home, and they also established the world famous USO show concept. 
From 1941 to 1947, an incredible 428,521 USO shows were performed, and 
by the end of World War II more than 1.5 million Americans had 
volunteered on the USO's behalf.
   Building on their incredibly successful efforts during World War II, 
the USO has accompanied our troops during wartime in Korea, Vietnam, 
the Persian Gulf, Afghanistan, and Iraq. In Korea, not a single day 
passed without a USO show for the troops, while in Vietnam the USO's 17 
centers in Vietnam and six in Thailand served more than a million 
servicemembers a month, including with the famous Bob Hope USO 
Christmas shows. In recognition of their work, the USO entered into a 
memorandum of agreement with the Department of Defense in 1987, which 
recognized the USO as the principal channel representing civilian 
concerns for servicemembers worldwide.
   Today, the USO, with the support of 30,000 volunteers and 600 
employees, provides services, entertainment, and programs at more than 
180 locations worldwide. From Afghanistan, Kuwait, the United Arab 
Emirates, and Djibouti, to Germany Italy, Japan, South

[[Page E119]]

Korea, and Guam, and of course right here at home, USO centers are 
visited more than 7 million times a year by servicemembers and their 
families. These USO centers allow traveling servicemembers and their 
families to have a place to enjoy some of the comforts of home, and 
they are an integral part of the USO's success.
   Mr. Speaker, assisting our servicemembers and fighting for our 
veterans as Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs and as 
Founding Co-Chair of the USO Congressional Caucus is my greatest honor 
serving in Congress. The men and women who put on the uniform choose a 
life of selflessness, putting their service to our Nation above all 
else. As a grateful Nation, we have a duty and responsibility to 
support them in any way possible, and there is no greater example of 
civilians coming together to show our recognition and support for our 
servicemembers than the USO. The USO keeps our brave men and women in 
uniform driving on, while adhering to that simple promise made by 
President Lincoln so many years ago: ``To care for him who shall have 
borne the battle.'' My wife Vicki and I congratulate the USO on their 
75th anniversary, and thank the dedicated volunteers and all those who 
work with the USO to help show our Nation's eternal gratitude to our 
servicemembers and their families ``until everyone comes home.''

                          ____________________