WWII USO Show Saturday at fairground

Published 10:00 pm Wednesday, November 12, 2008

World War II veterans will be the special honored guests at the 2nd Annual USO Show at the Pike County Fairgrounds on Saturday night, Nov. 15.

“This year the USO Show will actually be the World War II USO Show because we are saluting our World War II veterans but all veterans are invited and will be recognized and honored,” said Elaine McLeod, commander of American Legion Post 70 in Troy, a sponsoring organization. “Admission to the USO Show is free and the public is invited to share this special time with our veterans.”

The World War II Show will begin with social dancing at 6 p.m. and the show will begin at 7 p.m. Following the USO Show, the floor will again be open to social dancing.

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“We will have 12 featured acts of song and dance from the 1940s and ’50s,” McLeod said. “The acts will include professional dancers from the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Montgomery, Butch Wells and Donna Hicks from Troy and Keith Murphy from Birmingham.

“The World War II USO Show is designed to bring back good memories for our World War II veterans, because there were some good memories, and to create new ones for them, the other veterans and our community.”

The first USO Show was held in 2007 and was deemed a great success.

“We had about 175 people attend and, for our first time, I was overjoyed with the response,” McLeod said. “All of the comments that we heard were positive and everyone wanted us to sponsor the USO Show again this year.”

McLeod said the World War II USO Show is offered free through the generosity of Green Hills Funeral Home in Troy.

“Green Hills has joined us in sponsoring the USO Show and we are very appreciative of their support,” McLeod said.

“We are partnering with a couple of other organizations for future events. The American Legion is working hard to be more involved in the community and to let the people of Pike County know more about our organization and the Post Auxiliary.”