(S01-E05) Bob Hope 1948 USO Christmas Show West Berlin

In this podcast episode, we feature a rebroadcast of a USO Show led by Bob Hope for our U.S. soldiers on station in West Berlin in December 1948. The dramatic timing of this event was that West Berlin was under siege by the East German and Russian troops. Food, medicine, and the basics for life were being stalled by the Soviet troops at the road crossing points into West Berlin. This Cold War event is better known as the “Berlin Airlift” that saved the lives of hundreds of thousands and was the first time the U.S., Great Britain, and France stood up to the first act of aggression by the Soviets against the NATO alliance of nations. As I record this podcast episode a few days before Christmas Eve, I remember listening to the Bob Hope Christmas USO shows that he led to our troops in the most dangerous war zones around the world. I will feature other holiday shows in upcoming podcast episodes. You can view edited versions of these shows on video through YouTube and other online websites. Click this link for an article about Bob Hope and his work with the USO over the years.