Swing Times USO Club

The United Service Organizations Inc.- USO is a non-profit organization that provides programs, services and live entertainment to United States troops and their families. Since 1941, it has worked in partnership with the Department of Defense.

The USO was founded in 1941 in response to a request from President Franklin D. Roosevelt to provide morale and recreation services to U.S. uniformed military personnel. Roosevelt was elected as its honorary chairman. This request brought together six civilian organizations: the Salvation Army, Young Men’s Christian Association, Young Women’s Christian Association, National Catholic Community Service, National Travelers Aid Association and the National Jewish Welfare Board. They were brought together under one umbrella to support U.S. troops. Roosevelt stated he wanted «these private organizations to handle the on-leave recreation of the men in the armed forces». According to historian Emily Yellin, «The government was to build the buildings and the USO was to raise private funds to carry out its main mission: boosting the morale of the military».

The USO became the Militaries’ "home away from home" and began a tradition of entertaining the troops, relying mainly on private contributions and on funds, goods, and services from various corporate and individual donors. The participation in the USO was one of the many ways in which the nation had come together to support the war effort. In response to World War II, «centres were quickly established in churches, barns, railroad cars, museums, castles, beach clubs, and log cabins». Most centres offered recreational activities, such as holding dances and showing movies. And there were the well-known free coffee and doughnuts. Some USO bases provided a haven for spending a quiet moment alone or writing a letter home, while others offered spiritual guidance and made childcare available for military wives.

The organization became mostly known for its live performances called Camp Shows, through which the entertainment industry helped boost the morale of its servicemen and women. Camp Shows began in October 1941, and by that fall and winter 186 military theatres existed in the United States. Overseas shows began in November 1941 with a tour of the Caribbean. Within five months 36 overseas units had been sent within the Americas, the United Kingdom, and Australia, and during 1942 1,000 performed as part of 70 units. Average performers were paid $100 a week; top stars were paid $10 a day because their wealth let them contribute more of their talents. 

According to Emily Yellin, «many of the key foot soldiers in the USO's mission were women who were «charged with providing friendly diversion for U.S. troops who were mostly men in their teens and twenties». USO centres throughout the world recruited female volunteers to serve doughnuts, dance and just talk with the troops. USO historian Julia Carson writes that this “nostalgic hour”, designed to cheer and comfort soldiers, involved «listening to music - American style and looking at pretty girls, like no other pretty girls in the world - American girls».

Swing Times has its own USO Club, located at the centre of all action – the Green. In Captain Paul Creighton’s words «The USO is the heart of Swing Times' music scene. We have had more regular DJs play there, more guest DJs play there, and more live performers there that at any other venue in Swing Times. It is also available to host community events».

The USO Club hosts regular weekly events such as Fridays at Five with DJ Bea Hermit-McMahon, Fridays with Phi, an intimate show with Phi Mayo, the premiere songstress of SwingTimes and the Friday Night Furlough USO Dance featuring DJ Paul Creighton.