Subject: Re: Fw: VA Salutes Bob Hope
Date: Wed, 30 Jul 2003 09:02:53 -0700
From: "Chip Schram"

I still can't believe after all this time that Bob Hope is really gone in a physical sense. He will never be gone from my memories and the memories of countless Americans.

Greetings:

Bob Hope made the world a better place for all Americans and especially GIs who felt his sincere appreciation. He came to us in combat zones, jungles, forests, at sea, deserts, mountains and at state side training camps and bases.

I first saw Bob at probably the smallest USO Show he ever formally gave. You will probably never see it on any news reels. It was on Wake Island on a December day in 1966. We built a stage for the unauthorized show. It took us about two weeks in our off duty time. We practiced stomping on it to make sure that it would hold about 40 people. Somehow?? there were about 5 to 7 plane loads of GIs at the airfield either going to South East Asia or coming back to the world. There were only 60 of us full time Air Force people stationed on Wake Island. I was one of the 6 Air Policemen. Most of the USAF folks were communicators. Others were FAA workers and some of their dependents, Pan Am employees, contractors who serviced the Wake Island International Airport and various other workers for the kitchens, etc.

We blocked his C-141 airplane with our Air Police Econoline vehicle once he touched down for fuel. The driver of the Air Police vehicle was our Detachment Commander, Major Smith. The other pax was my Flight Chief, TSgt Jones. They put a "lay" (sp) of miniature booze bottles around his neck. The bottles were courtesy of Pan Am Airlines. The airlines had a mini station full time on Wake Island. The band came out of the plane with just their instruments and just played while standing up.

I spent some quality time with Les Brown (the band leader) and his wife during the stop over at our island club known as Drifter's Reef. Drifter's Reef was on another part of the Island where the permanent party lived. We set up a T-shot for Bob and he hit the golf ball over the channel between Peale and Wake Islands. Joey Heatherton and Phyllis Diller danced in the channel surf in their skirts until they got too deep and both fell in. They then drifted down the channel about 20 yards until they could get their footing and come ashore. It was a real "wet skirt" event to witness! The young and not so young all wet! Thank God that they didn't drown!

The same day, the stage was used by Billy Graham and Cardinal Spellman who were passing by. They both received warm receptions and they gave us messages of hope and peace.

The only other time I saw Bob Hope alive was at General Rosie O'Donald's memorial service at the USAF Academy in Colorado Springs, CO. This was about 1974. Bob gave the eulogy. General O'Donald was the President of the USO at that time. During this time, my father, Eugene C. Schram, Jr. was the USO National Director. He served with the USO from 1943 until he retired from the USO in 1976.

If you have an American flag, please be sure to lower it on the day of his Memorial Service.

Hope this was of some interest to you.

Chip Schram