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CNN Live Today
Look Back at Bob Hope's Service to U.S. Troops
Aired July 28, 2003 - 10:09 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, he made a lot of troops happy all around the world for many, many years. And one of those, our own military analyst General Don Shepperd, got to see one of those USO shows. General Shepperd joining us on the phone right now from Tucson, Arizona. General, good morning.
MAJ. GEN. DON SHEPPERD (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Hi, Daryn. How you doing?
KAGAN: I'm doing good. Tell us where you were when you saw Bob Hope perform.
SHEPPERD: Well, actually I saw him twice. Once as an 18 or 19- year-old cadet at the Air Force Academy. He was wandering around preparing for a show in our social center. We just happened to walk up on him, my buddy and I. And we just sat there and rapped with him for about five minutes. He was funny, he was warm. You know? He joked with us, what have you, back and forth. So it was quite an experience. Then we saw the show.
The next time I saw him was in Vietnam. I was returning home from a particularly tough mission over North Vietnam. He was scheduled to have the show and they were setting up on the stage and everything. The crowd was gathering and I resisted the temptation to buzz the stage -- probably saved my career. But landed and then attended the show.
Unfortunately a helicopter that was bringing in a bunch of the soldiers to view the show crashed and killed them. This was at Phu Cat Air Force base in 1968. It was a tough time but he brought a lot of smiles to a lot of us in some real tough times in the military over the years.
KAGAN: And how is it -- is it possible to translate or to explain what that meant to be so far away from home and to see such a familiar face (UNINTELLIGIBLE)?
SHEPPERD: Yes, what Bob did was he brought a piece of America to you wherever you were. You were a long way away from home, often in really in bad conditions. They transported you from the outlying areas in to see the show.
And he was just -- he was what America's about: warm, funny, good, clean humor. And everything he said made you laugh even if had you had heard it before, because it was Bob Hope it made you laugh. And the show was good, too, a really good variety show. He just, he brought a lot of smiles to soldiers, sailors and airmen all over the world.
KAGAN: Apparently he started to playing to troops even long before World War II started. Wanted to enlist but was told he would be of more service to entertain. And it sounds like that's absolutely true.
SHEPPERD: Oh, absolutely, yes. He didn't belong with a gun, he belonged a mouth and the quips come out of it. Again, everything he said was funny. It just -- I can't tell you how funny he was and what good humor and chuckles he brought to the troops that needed it.
KAGAN: The best weapon possible, bringing his humor. General Shepperd, thanks for bringing your memories along with us.
SHEPPERD: Pleasure.
KAGAN: Appreciate that.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired July 28, 2003 - 10:09 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Well, he made a lot of troops happy all around the world for many, many years. And one of those, our own military analyst General Don Shepperd, got to see one of those USO shows. General Shepperd joining us on the phone right now from Tucson, Arizona. General, good morning.
MAJ. GEN. DON SHEPPERD (RET.), CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Hi, Daryn. How you doing?
KAGAN: I'm doing good. Tell us where you were when you saw Bob Hope perform.
SHEPPERD: Well, actually I saw him twice. Once as an 18 or 19- year-old cadet at the Air Force Academy. He was wandering around preparing for a show in our social center. We just happened to walk up on him, my buddy and I. And we just sat there and rapped with him for about five minutes. He was funny, he was warm. You know? He joked with us, what have you, back and forth. So it was quite an experience. Then we saw the show.
The next time I saw him was in Vietnam. I was returning home from a particularly tough mission over North Vietnam. He was scheduled to have the show and they were setting up on the stage and everything. The crowd was gathering and I resisted the temptation to buzz the stage -- probably saved my career. But landed and then attended the show.
Unfortunately a helicopter that was bringing in a bunch of the soldiers to view the show crashed and killed them. This was at Phu Cat Air Force base in 1968. It was a tough time but he brought a lot of smiles to a lot of us in some real tough times in the military over the years.
KAGAN: And how is it -- is it possible to translate or to explain what that meant to be so far away from home and to see such a familiar face (UNINTELLIGIBLE)?
SHEPPERD: Yes, what Bob did was he brought a piece of America to you wherever you were. You were a long way away from home, often in really in bad conditions. They transported you from the outlying areas in to see the show.
And he was just -- he was what America's about: warm, funny, good, clean humor. And everything he said made you laugh even if had you had heard it before, because it was Bob Hope it made you laugh. And the show was good, too, a really good variety show. He just, he brought a lot of smiles to soldiers, sailors and airmen all over the world.
KAGAN: Apparently he started to playing to troops even long before World War II started. Wanted to enlist but was told he would be of more service to entertain. And it sounds like that's absolutely true.
SHEPPERD: Oh, absolutely, yes. He didn't belong with a gun, he belonged a mouth and the quips come out of it. Again, everything he said was funny. It just -- I can't tell you how funny he was and what good humor and chuckles he brought to the troops that needed it.
KAGAN: The best weapon possible, bringing his humor. General Shepperd, thanks for bringing your memories along with us.
SHEPPERD: Pleasure.
KAGAN: Appreciate that.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
