Bob Hope
Click here to hear Bob's Opening Line At Camp Atterbury

Recollections of Bob Hope’s USO Shows

Camp Atterbury, Indiana

November 1951

By Joe L. Glass

I arrived at Camp Atterbury in July, 1951 as a 2^nd Lieutenant, having graduated with a U.S. Army commission from Texas A&M University in 1949. I was assigned to the 91^st Transportation Car Company, attached to 6^th Corps Headquarters. Our CO was Captain Thomas J. Worlein, and the Camp Commander was General Paul Kendall.

The 91^st had twelve 1950-51 Chevrolet sedans, in which we transported 6^th Corps officers and others to their destinations. Some called us the camp “Taxi” service, but that’s another story.

In early November we learned that Bob Hope was bringing his USO troupe to Atterbury. There was a contest linked to his then-latest movie "My Favorite Spy."  Contestants had to write why it should be premiered in his or her hometown, and a soldier at Camp Atterbury won. 

So Bob brought the movie and troupe to Atterbury, and it was premiered at two of the camp’s movie theaters. But there was more! Hope’s other purpose was to visit the patients at Wakeman Hospital, many of whom had been wounded in Korea, and were brought to Wakeman for special care. While they were at it, they put on two USO shows for the rest of the camp.

Our job was to pick them up at the Indianapolis airport and convoy them to camp in our fleet of sedans. A 2½ ton truck also went for their equipment and baggage. November 28^th arrived and there they were. They deplaned, and Atterbury staff officers made the welcoming overtures and instructed them where to board the vehicles. Bob Hope and Marilyn Maxwell got in the back seat of the sedan where I was located, and we waited for everyone else to board theirs.

The convoy was about to leave. No one was in the front passenger seat of the Hope vehicle, so I climbed in. As we drove off, a Major from Corps, whose name I do not recall, walked toward us, and I’m sure expected to ride in the car with them. He saw me there, and put his hands on his hips with disdain as we left for Camp Atterbury. He didn’t even wave goodbye! Regrettably, I do not recall our driver’s name.

So I got to ride in the car with Hope and Maxwell all the way to camp. They were very cordial and the conversation was light, but it became obvious that he was not feeling well. The 31-mile drive went by rapidly, at least for me. We pulled into camp and everyone disembarked at the large theater-gymnasium where the shows would take place that evening. Camp brass greeted them, and then the cast and crew retired to the theater for rehearsal, food, and rest.

Meanwhile, Hope's manager and I scheduled the transportation needs for the rest of the day. There were two USO shows, with the hospital visit between them. The manager told me "confidentially" that Hope was sick, and had 102 degree temperature. He swore me to secrecy, and to this day I don't know whether he actually wanted me to leak that information or not.

In the troupe with Hope were stars galore. Regular cast members besides Hope were Jerry Colonna, Les Brown (and a combo, not the whole orchestra), and his announcer. Other stars besides Marilyn Maxwell were Jan Sterling, Rhonda Fleming, Academy Award winner Gloria Grahame, and a group of seven or eight "Golden Circle Girls," young starlets, including Mary Murphy, who later starred in several movies, one of which was with Marlon Brando.

I did not attend the first USO show because we had to be ready to transport the troupe to Wakeman as soon as it was over. The visit to Wakeman was memorable. A few of us followed as they toured the patient areas for about an hour and a half. All the stars were very attentive to the patients. They chatted, held hands, smiled, and put on the "happy face," even though the condition of some of the patients was grim. They had been well prepared to handle all situations in the hospital. They knew just what to say and do and they did it with grace and aplomb. I was impressed.

Then - back to the theater for the second show, which I did attend. Hope didn't miss a beat, 102 temp or not, nor did anyone else. The soldiers, of course, really enjoyed the starlets, and Hope made the most of their beauty and persona. They laughed, giggled, flirted, sang, danced, and used their considerable talents to the delight of the entire audience. Comedy dialogue kept us laughing, and ovations occurred frequently. Calls for encores lasted a long time.

In retrospect, here’s a man, Bob Hope, who knows how to give soldiers a taste of home better than anyone. I don’t know if his temperature broke or not, but his staying power was extraordinary; it never exhausted. I figure from the time the first show started, he and the whole troupe were on the go for at least eight straight hours. In fact, I believe they went from the second show straight to the airport. They had to fly out that night to be somewhere else the next day. I didn’t make that trip.

Regular readers of these pages will remember that this was Hope’s second visit to Camp Atterbury, the first having taken place December 1, 1942. What an entertainer, what a trouper, and what a guy.

God bless Bob Hope during this season of his 100^th birthday.

Joe L. Glass

June 18, 2003

6th Corps HQ was a training and inspection command, and full of "brass." Lots of full Colonels and below, and most were Regular Army. They flew all over the western part of the US inspecting military operations. I believe they were located at Atterbury because of the district they covered.

Because of the large number of Field Grade officers, HQ somehow got a Car Company in its command for ferrying them to the Indianapolis airport and about. Most of the field grades lived on the post. Very few of the company grades did.

We had 12 Chevrolet sedans, all 1950 models, painted olive drab, no AC, no radios, but with heaters. Our C.O. was Capt. Thomas J. Worlein, a career Transportation Corps reserve officer, and WW II veteran. Other than the Captain and me, we had an all-black company of about 30 men. Our "top" was a Sergeant Hodo. Later we got another 2nd Lieutenant whose first name was Kevin. He was from Chicago.

I entered the Army and immediately reported to the 61st in July, 1951. Got my 2nd Lt commission in the Transportation Corps (TC) from Texas A&M University when I graduated in 1949. I had been a reservist in Houston. I was the Platoon Leader and general flunky. One of my duties was get our men out of local and Indianapolis jails. (Use that last sentence with discretion.)

One of the perks we had was involvement in the Bob Hope USO show. We were temporarily the envy of the post.

2nd Lt. Joe L. Glass, 61st Car Company, 6th Army Corps Headquarters. Driver for Bob Hope and Marilyn Maxwell during visit to Camp Atterbury.

Wendell Wilkie and Paul V. McNutt and Sonja Henie, who is playing a personal appearance engagement in the ice revue at Indianapolis, came in for a bit of humorous mention, by Hope in his myriad of "gags."

Bob Hope's Picture Premiered at Camp Atterbury

Comedian Bob Hope and his touring troupe "played" Camp Atterbury, November 28, 1951, and he premiered his movie "My Favorite Spy" at two of the camp's movie theaters.

Hope and his group, consisting of Rhonda Fleming, Jerry Colonna, Marilyn Maxwell, Les Brown, Jan Sterling and Gloria Grahame did two shows at the camp's sports arena and one for invalid patients in Wakeman Hospital, taping one of the shows for his weekly radio program.

The shows were scheduled as a result of a letter from an Atterbury GI, who entered a letter-writing contest "Why the Premiere of 'My Favorite Spy' Should Be Held in My Home Town."