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The United Service Organizations offers various entertainment tours, including actors, athletes, comedians and others, for service members throughout the year.
Most recently, the USO brought members of the National Cartoonist Society to the KMC Oct. 22.
In addition to the National Cartoonist Society, the USO also tours with actors, athletes, comedians, musicians, among other entertainers to provide service members with a reminder of home.
The National Cartoonist Society is a group of artists who tour from base to base drawing cartoon-style drawings of service members and their families.
“Tours like these are a great way for celebrities and the American public to show their appreciation for the service members around the world,” said Tracy Thede, USO entertainment tour producer. “Members of these tours take pride in taking some time from their normal schedule to be there for those who dedicate so much in doing what they do.”
Venues such as this take a lot of time to plan, with many things going on behind the scenes.
“It takes several months to make these tours happen, there’s a lot of paperwork and logistics behind each tour we do,” she said. “Gathering travel information is possibly the biggest part of organizing a tour. These guys had recently arrived from the U.S. and they’re doing their first two events hours after arriving here.”
For one member of the cartoonist society, coming here provides an opportunity to give back to service members, like those on USO tours before him.
“I was a Soldier once, so I know what it’s like to be in faraway places,” said Bruce Higdon, caricaturist. “I also know that it feels good to have a little piece of home come to you. I think it’s important that we let the service members know that we appreciate you and the service you give to our country.”
For Higdon, visiting service members in hospitals is a particular favorite.
“My absolute favorite part about what I do is when I go visit troops in the hospital and make them laugh,” Higdon said. “Each cartoonist here has said that we get much more out of this experience than the troops we speak to.”
At the end of a tour, each cartoonist takes specific things away with them.
“We’re touched by the stories these men and women have of sacrifice, looking past difficulties in their lives and seeing the future,” he said. “We’re looking at people who have surpassed and overcome insurmountable odds; if I were in their situation I don’t think I would have the same attitude. We see people who deserve the term
‘hero’ and a lot of times that may be used arbitrarily, but in most cases describe the young military member today.”
For more information about the USO and their entertainment schedule, visit www.uso.org.
