The Hollywood Victory Caravan

After the Boston show the train carried the intrepid troupe to Cleveland, Detroit, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Chicago, St. Louis, Des Moines, Dallas, and Houston. Following the Houston show, Hope and his radio program regulars, Jerry Colonna and Francis Langford, set out for further touring of military bases around the continental United States and Alaska. The Alaska tour was Hope's first out-of-country trip for the USO; a tradition he continued for the next half-century.

The remaining stars continued on to the last show in San Francisco and then the final stop at Glendale, California. There Bert Lahr recalled seeing "Babe" Hardy standing on the platform " trying to look away from his friends to hide his tears." Hardy told everyone, "Don't let's lose this. Keep in touch." Hardy always remembered the Victory Caravan as a highlight of his life. "They were special people doing something special. Such fun, the time of your life, and the icing on the cake was that we were all together for the sake of the boys in the service."

Sources:Bob Hope: A Life in Comedy, William Faith; Laurel and Hardy: A Bio-Bibliography, Wes D. Gehring; When the Stars Went to War: Hollywood and World War II, Ray Hoopes; Don't Shoot It's Only Me, Bob Hope; Notes on a Cowardly Lion: The Biography of Bert Lahr, John Lahr; Cagney, John McCabe; Newsweek, May 11, 1942; Life, June 1, 1942.