Leslie Towne Hope, who later changed his name to Bob, was born May 29, 1903 in Eltham, England.  As a child he moved with his family to Ohio and became a citizen of the United States.  Bob Hope delivered newspapers, was a soda jerk, and boxer in younger days before heading off for a career in Vaudeville and later the movies.  He made his first movie, “The Big Broadcast”  in 1938, the theme song of which later became his own trademark, “Thanks for the Memories.”  Primarily a comedian, Hope made a string of movies, often paired with Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour.

During World War II, Bob Hope was concerned about troops heading off to battle, so  he took a wonderful USO show, including top performers and bathing beauties, to March Field in California.  He later took shows overseas for combat troops. One memorable show was done impromptu for the marines who were headed for Guadalcanal - the next day, most of those boys in the audience were killed in that infamous, bloody battle.

In 1948, Hope began a holiday tradition of touring overseas military bases, eventually filming the shows for television starting in 1954. The 90-minute 'Bob Hope Christmas Specials' continued every holiday season for the next two decades. This practice became controversial in the mid-Sixties when public opinion started turning against the war in Vietnam. Bob Hope didn’t care about politics or war protesters, though, and he kept on going, saying it was the troops that mattered, not the war.

In 1950, Hope entered the fledgling world of television, but he refused a weekly show, fearing his style of humor would grow old quickly.  Instead, Hope headlined monthly specials that lasted for decades, while many of his contemporaries weekly shows were canceled after a few seasons.  Hope also often hosted the Academy Awards.

In the early troop tours, Hope and company would venture as close to combat areas as they could get. In the Sixties, it was decided that the beloved American icon made too tempting a target for the Viet-Cong and the productions were held in somewhat safer territory. Bob Hope won an Emmy for his 1966 Christmas show, filmed in Southeast Asia and his 1970 Christmas special was the highest-rated program in television history up to that point.

In 1969, President Lyndon Johnson bestowed the Presidential Medal of Freedom upon Bob Hope for his service to the men and women of the Armed Forces through the USO.   Bob Hope made his final USO tour in December 1990, bringing Christmas cheer to the troops enforcing Operation Desert Shield in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

In 1997, the USO successfully worked with Congress to designate Bob Hope the first and only Honorary Veteran of the United States Armed Forces.  Hope also had a C-17 Globemaster airplane named after him, “The Spirit of Bob Hope.”   Secretary of the Air Force Sheila Widnall told Bob Hope that the honor comes in appreciation for the many times he entertained American service men and women on station around the world.
"The Spirit of Bob Hope," Dr. Widnall said, "will carry a message of peace, a message of freedom and, most appropriately, of America's Hope." She also noted that the new C-17 Globemaster III will "visit the troops in some of the least enviable locations on the planet."

Bob Hope celebrated his 97th birthday on May 29, 2000.

Perhaps his biggest honor comes from the many service men and women who thank Bob Hope for the memories.   Airman 1st Class Jim Misch of Arcadia, Wis. said, "Bob Hope's enthusiasm made me feel good and I remember feeling proud to be an American. What most impressed me, then and now, was that Bob Hope didn't have to spend his Christmas with us. He was nearly 70 years old.  He didn't have to endure the abominable heat and humidity in Vietnam. He could have stayed home in California and enjoyed the holidays with his family. Instead, he came to make our day a bit more enjoyable and I'll always be grateful."