This Memorial Day, the USO is sharing rarely-seen vintage photos exclusively with Parade—including an iconic Monroe moment—to celebrate both its 85th anniversary and May's Military Appreciation Month.
We spoke with retired Lt. Gen. Michael Linnington—the Chief Executive Officer of the USO— in an exclusive interview. "We go wherever our service members go," he said. "We support them wherever they may be assigned, and we stand not only alongside them, but we take care of their families as well."
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Recently, former Bones and SEAL Team star David Boreanaz became the newest USO Global Ambassador. He'd previously visited service members at many bases—including Scott Air Force Base in Illinois, Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri and Marine Corps Base Quantico. "He has a passion for our mission," says Lt. Gen. Linnington. "The way he connects with military service members and families is so authentic and genuine.”
Boreanaz joins a long list of USO stars. The late comedian Bob Hope blazed the biggest trail—completing 57 USO tours across the world in his lifetime. Before her tragic death, Monroe thrilled American soldiers overseas during the Korean War. In recent years, artists like Brett Young and Wilmer Valderrama have been giving their all for enthusiastic military members.
1. Sammy Davis Jr. – Vietnam, 1972
Sammy Davis Jr. performing in Vietnam"My recent tour in Vietnam was one of the most exciting and satisfying experiences of my career," he said. "I've never been so tired and felt so good in my life."
2. Marilyn Monroe – South Korea, 1954
Marilyn Monroe entertains soldiers in South Korea in 1954"When Marilyn Monroe performed for the troops…the military was largely all-male, [that ’s] not so today," Lt. Gen. Linnington noted. "I think Marilyn Monroe just brought a taste of the girl back home. The fact that she was the icon she was—and really let service members know first-hand that the American people had their back—she has inspired other [USO] women to perform equally as she did over the years.”
Related: 50 Marilyn Monroe Quotes That'll Make You Feel Empowered, Inspired and Confident
3. Bob Hope – 50 Years of USO Performances
Bob Hope showcases his comedy in the WWII Pacific Theatre in 1944.“Hope performed 57 tours across 50 years…visiting some of the military’s most remote outposts, dangerous battle zones and isolated ships,” Lt. Gen. Linnington told Parade. “Bob Hope set a standard that today’s entertainers and performers always want to emulate.”
"Laughter up at the front lines is a very precious thing," Hope said. "There’s a lump the size of Grant’s Tomb in your throat when they come up to you and shake your hand and mumble 'Thanks.' Imagine those guys thanking me! Look what they’re doin’ for me. And for you."
4. Ann-Margret – Vietnam, 1966
Ann-Margret thrilled the troops with song and dance.Related: Ann-Margret Is About to Turn 85—Her Birthday Plans Might Surprise You (Exclusive)
In her autobiography, Ann wrote that she “regarded the trip as a moral responsibility, something I owed to the soldiers and to America." She continued: "Nothing could deter me. I went [to Vietnam] for the guys and ladies…It had nothing to do with politics. Absolutely nothing.”
Ann Margret and Bob Hope at a 1969 USO performance in VietnamPhoto by Bettmann on Getty Images
On April 30, 2026, Ann Margret was honored with a commemorative USO Challenge Coin—she and Hope are the only two people to receive such an honor.
View this post on Instagram5. Robin Williams – Afghanistan, 2010
Robin Williams entertains troops in the USO Holiday Tour show at Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan.“There’s nothing I enjoy more than traveling with the USO and giving back to our troops in whatever way I can,” Williams said during his 2007 tour. “They work hard, sacrifice a lot and deserve to be treated like the heroes they are. The very least I can do is bring a smile to their faces.”
Lt. Gen. Linnington saw Williams perform in Afghanistan. “I remember when Robin Williams had started his comedic monologue to the troops," he shared. "Shortly after he got started, they started playing taps—which is the song they play when they lower the flag—and immediately all the soldiers, sailors, air men, and Marines that were at the performance turned their back on Robin Williams and saluted the flag. In that moment, Robin Williams stood there in awe of the commitment to our nation’s defense from the service members. When the flag was lowered and the troops turned back around, Robin Williams was in near tears.”
6. B.B. King – Bosnia, 1996
The thrill was never gone for the troops who got to see BB King perform.The late blues legend (who passed away in 2015) performed for the USO tour on July 27, 1996, traveling overseas to entertain deployed U.S. troops in Bosnia and Hungary.
"The troops here are always doing the best they can do,"" At the time," King told Stars and Stripes at the time. "It's special to be allowed to do this."
7. Toby Keith – Middle East, 2007
Toby Keith performs an intimate acoustic set for American troops.Performing for troops was a tradition for the late country music singer Toby Keith. He and his band would set aside 17 days every spring to entertain troops serving throughout the Middle East."My way of serving my country is for me to come over here and support the troops," Keith once said. It was personal—Keith's father lost his right eye while serving in the Army during the 1950s."Everybody who wears the uniform is a warrior for me," Keith said. "I go wherever American military families and troops are, to try and give something back to them."Keith performed such hits as "American Soldier" and "Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue," to enthusiastic military audiences.
8. Coolio – Southeast Europe, 2002
Coolio entertains on a USO tour (Courtesy USO)According to USO records, Coolio performed in both the Middle East and the Balkans. The “Gangsta’s Paradise” rapper’s third USO tour included a show at Peacekeepers Hall on Eagle Base in Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina. During the trip, Coolio also performed and visited with troops in Kosovo, where he signed autographs, took photos and joined them for meals—building morale the whole way!“I perform for soldiers because they are important,” Coolio said before his death in 2022. “They are willing to die in order for me to be able to do the things I do every day … for my kids to be able to go to school, and to be free. I just think it’s my responsibility as a human being and an entertainer to see the soldiers.”
9. Alex Trebek – Spain, Turkey and Greece Tour, 1992
Alex Trebek visits with service members during a USO gathering (Courtesy USO)The Jeopardy! host volunteered with the USO for more than 30 years and completed 13 tours across the globe before his passing in 2020.
The Jeopardy tradition of support has continued as well. “We just did an event overseas in Korea with Ken Jennings, who replaced Alex Trebek [on the show] when Alex passed away,” Lt. Gen. Linnington said.
During one 2016 USO event, Trebek said: “I’ve had a great time every time I’ve been away with the USO. There’s nothing I can say that would really measure up to the gratitude I feel, and most of America feels, for our military men and women.”
10. Loretta Lynn – Christmas 1987
Loretta Lynn sings directly to a sailor during a 1987 USO performance.Lynn’s late 1986 excursion reportedly featured U.S. bases in Korea, the Philippines and the Indian Ocean. The star’s son Jack—who died in an accident in 1984—had served in the Army and another son, Ernest Ray, is a Marine Corps veteran.
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