Article: The USO

Although I enjoyed the article, our local USO in Jacksonville, North Carolina was not mentioned. We have the longest continuing run USO in the country. Judy Pickford is the state director, having started as the local director. She has helped launch USO extensions at the airports in both Raleigh and Charlotte. With many bases in our state, the largest being Camp Lejeune Marine Corps base next to Jacksonville, and Fort Bragg Army base in Fayetteville, our service men go through the airports often and it is nice to have this little bit of home for them. As I read this article, I was sure our USO would be mentioned but was very disappointed when it wasn't.

As a Vietnam veteran, I would like to challenge the sincerity of Toby Keith and the publicity that he gains for his exposure with our present day veterans, I don't care how many tours he's made to Iraq to entertain the troops. Nancy Henderson needs to do her homework. Keith is good buddies with one of America's notorious cowards has been rock guitarist Ted Nugent who boasted in an interview with the Detroit Free Pres (July 15, 1990) to urinating and defecating in his pants for an entire week before reporting for his draft board physical to avoid serving his country during the Vietnam War. Keith even dragged Nugent to Iraq and foisted him in the faces of our brave troops. He continued with his insulting tour in the U.S. having Nugent participate in presenting folded flags to grieving family members who lost loved ones in these Middle East conflicts. How can Keith insult these true American patriotic families by presenting Nugent in their grieving presence. Does Keith really think that these American families would respect him if they knew the truth about Nugent?? Moreover, what kind of respect is Keith showing Vietnam veterans with his association with such a coward like Nugent?? There are many of us Vietnam veterans who question the sincerity of Keith and his antics. Come clean Keith, you can't have it both ways.

I thoroughly enjoyed the article about the USO. I was in the U. S. Army during peacetime for our county which was from 6/30/58 to 6/29/60. I was stationed at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri & have two USO experiences that still remain in my memory nearly 50 years later.

I had been at Ft. Leonard Wood only a month prior to Christmas of 1958 & had been in the Army for les than 6 months. I obtained a 3 day pass & decided that since I was born & raised in Virginia & had never been to the mid-west that I would use the 3 day pass to go to St. Louis. This was my first Christmas away from home & while at the USO in downtown St. Louis I was approached by 2 guys & asked if I would like to go home with them for Christmas dinner. I was leary of doing this but one of the USO workers assured me that it was okay as they were brothers who came to the USO every Christmas & took a serviceman home with them.

They were from an Italian family & I enjoyed my first & only Christmas dinner Italian style & remember it as being delicious. After dinner they took me to the local bowling alley & treated me to a few lines of bowling which I also enjoyed.

I will always regret not getting their full names & addresses so that I thank them for the kindness they extended to me. I always said that when I got out of the service that I would do the same thing for a serviceman but I am ashamed to admit that to this day, I have never done so. I have not lived near a USO for most of my life which is the main reason for me not doing so.

The second USO event in my life came a week later at New Years when I had another 3 day pass. This time I decided to catch the first bus that arrived at the bus station regardless where it was headed, St. Louis, Kansas City, or Tulsa, OK. The first one to arrive was to KC so I made my first trip to that city. On Saturday night I attended a dance that was held at the downtown USO/Catholic Youth Center combined & saw a young lady come in that I eventually got enough nerve to ask to dance. That was the start of a long distance courtship & about every two weeks I made a trip to KC to see her. We were married the following July & have 3 children together. Unfortunately we are no longer married but I will always remember that I met the mother of my 3 wonderful children thanks partially to the USO.


Wesley L. Poindexter
Orange Beach, Alabama