Just a Kid from Hell's Kitchen - In Remembrance of TC Murray

It must have been an awesome experience for a country boy arriving in Gotham for the
first time. The canyons of skyscrapers, the cacophony of sounds, and the rapid beating
pulse of its people must have been overwhelming. Having finished their basic training at
Camp Kilmer or Fort Dix in nearby New Jersey, the PFC’s would spend a couple of days
“on leave” in the City before they would embark on troop ships for the European theater
of war. Whether they arrived at Grand Central, Penn Station, or at one of the two major
Greyhound bus terminals, a USO Welcome Wagon was there to greet them with donuts
and coffee. More importantly, was the smiling face of a USO volunteer. If hotel
reservations were not prearranged, the USO rep would tend to this. Tickets for baseball
games (less some key players like Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio who were in the
service) or Broadway plays, tours, church and synagogue locations and service times,
eateries – all arranged by the USO “concierge”. USO canteens were a haven for so many
of our troops where they could relax with fellow servicemen and women, have a smoke
and a beer, sing, dance, and be entertained by entertainment’s brightest lights. Tomorrow
they will ship out.
In 1987, while a social studies teacher at Mater Dei High School, New Monmouth, N. J.,
my history class honored the local veterans of World War II by staging a USO Show. The
students did a great job depicting the work of the USO, as well as portraying entertainers
such as the Andrew Sisters, Bob Hope, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. I invited Celeste
Holm, a New Jersey resident, to the show. The original “Ado Annie” of Oklahoma when
it opened in 1943, Miss Holm phoned me that she would be unable to attend and wished
the Mater Dei High School class production every success. A moment that I will never
forget was the scene of the last night at the USO canteen in New York City. My cast,
dressed as servicemen and women, were having their last dance. The old 78 record was
playing “Now is the Hour” as sung by Gracie Fields. The student emcee invited the vets
and their wives to join the cast as they danced on the floor level. The lyrics: Now is the
hour when we must say goodbye. Soon you’ll be sailing far across the sea… brought tears
to the eyes of several of the vets who were in their ‘60’s at the time. Their wives hugged
them, for some of them were war brides. Then “generation x” cut in and danced
with the older folks. It was interactive theatre at its best. That moment, when my students
recaptured history, has left an indelible impression on my mind.
The USO would follow the boys into both theaters of war. The greatest names in
Broadway and Hollywood volunteered their time and talent helping the boost the morale
of our troops abroad. The tradition continued in the Korean and Vietnam wars with “Mr.
USO” himself, Bob Hope, leading the way.