Rear Admiral [Ret.] Jim Carey is Chairman of the NATIONAL DEFENSE COMMITTEE and NATIONAL DEFENSE PAC. His background includes duty in cruisers and amphibs, at Naval Beach Group, and in the Pentagon, and naval service from Seaman Recruit to Rear Admiral. He also served in the Reagan and George Bush Sr. Administrations. Further details at The National Defense Committee and The National Defense Political Action Committee.
America lost a true friend of the military today with the passing of Bob Hope. Although he had never served in the military, he had a unique and incredible understanding of the men and women in uniform. He is probably one of America’s most decorated citizens, with Congressional and White House awards and citations. Congress even passed a bill recently naming him “an honorary military veteran” for his services. Anyone that ever met him or attended one of his shows – particularly at a military base – instantly knew and understood that “he was one of us,” that he had an understanding of who America’s warriors were and what American military service was like.
I got to meet Bob Hope. He was doing a show at Great Lakes, IL when I had duty there. During the show, I had the opportunity to go up on stage and present him with a plaque thanking him for all he had done for America’s armed forces. I got to shake his hand, and, as I recall, he made a wisecrack as I left the stage. Unfortunately, I don’t even remember what the wisecrack was. After all, I had just gotten to shake the hand of a great American who had been bringing humor to soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and coastguardsmen for decades. (Thanks for that memory, Bob Hope.)
Who can forget all the great shows that Bob Hope did all over the world for the guys and gals on duty? It was great humor, fun humor – humor the troops understood and humor that showed a unique understanding of all who wore the uniform. Millions will remember his shows during World War II, Korea, Vietnam and every other conflict our nation saw, as he stepped on stage, cracking jokes about a Base Commander or a ship’s skipper or himself, offering a short respite to all those in the audience who would later return to war. I remember particularly how he made sure that the troops who were wounded were always given seats in the front row, and I will never forget the ending of those shows where Bob and everyone in the audience sang “Silent Night” together. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house (even for those at home, watching on television). He’d then end his show with his classic theme song of “Thanks for the Memories” and head off to another ship or another base or another helo pad to do it all over again. Just thinking about those shows, gives me chills up my spine.
America owes a lot to Bob Hope. And so does her armed forces and her veterans. He was there for us, caring about us; he gave himself up for us even as the years began to take their toll on his physical presence. But his humor never slowed, and he brought it to us year after year, decade after decade. Bob Hope truly gave more to America than he took from America. He made ours a better nation and us a better people.
We in the military adopt and subscribe to very high standards and ideals – Duty, Honor, Country; Honor, Courage, Commitment – and you know what? Bob Hope ascribed to many of those same things. He led by example. He was a solid family man, a devoted husband and father. Unlike many stars in the entertainment business, he never promoted the drug culture, he didn’t lecture “we, the little people,” as to how we should live. Instead, he was extremely supportive of our nation and military service, and was a role model for generations of Americans. Bob Hope never traveled to an enemy nation to extol the virtues of communism and socialism in the news media while American sons and daughters were dying in combat.
Bob Hope did a lot for America. America loved Bob Hope for it. Most of all, Bob Hope was truly loved and admired by generations of America’s warriors because he proved, by his actions, that he loved us, respected us, cared about us, and “was truly one of us.” Because of his example, our Great Nation will now move on, prosper, and continue to grow better and better.
Bob Hope showed us how to be a good citizen and a great American. What better legacy could anyone leave than that? So Thank you, Bob Hope. Thanks for the memories.
