More young men met more young women at USO dances than almost any other place at the time more than a few marriages were born there, too. He called it the United Service Organizations - the USO - and charged it with giving the troops a taste of home, and keeping them 'occupied.' He took groups from the Salvation Army to the YMCA and put them under one umbrella. Roosevelt founded the USO in 1941, to help the nation cope with the thousands of young soldiers pouring into small town train stations. Ned Powell, who now heads the USO, says, 'As long as we have men and women in service, as long as they're a long ways from home - and I don't see that changing anytime soon - there's gonna be a need for us to look 'em square in the eye, on a regular basis, and say, 'Hey, thank you.' That's all we do.'Īnd, adds Cowan, it's what they've been doing for 65 years. 'I deliberately don't do political stuff,' Franken notes. The emcee is frequently Wayne Newton, working the stage with jokesters such as Al Franken, who opposes the Iraq war, but says he does it to support the troops. They welcome donations, sponsorship, volunteering, sharing USO stories online, or providing in-kind items to USO Georgia.Instead of the dulcet tones of the Andrews Sisters, now it's performers such as Kid Rock who rattle the rafters. To aid in supporting our military service members and their families, the USO invites the public to join Force Behind the Forces and Give More Than Thanks. Through its family of volunteers and generosity of partners and donors, USO Georgia has helped advance the USO’s mission of connection in various ways since its establishment, hosting millions of service members and their families each year. “From our flagship USO Center at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, USO Georgia is proud to be part of the USO’s legacy of serving America’s Armed Forces,” said Mary Lou Austin, president and CEO of USO Georgia, Inc.

The USO has been a valuable resource for the 40 million-plus brave individuals who have served in the military.

It has been there in offering impactful career transitions programming to facilitating connections with loved ones. It has been there to provide morale-boosting entertainment to delivering millions of care packages. Since its founding in 1941, the USO has adapted to the military’s evolving needs and has always been by their side. We believe they deserve first-class treatment in a first-class facility.”įor 80 years, the USO has been strengthening America’s military service members by connecting them to family, home and country throughout their service to the nation. Armed Forces that we truly appreciate their service. Here at ATL, for the past 41 years, we’ve shown members of the U.S. “For many military service members, the USO facility is the first place they visit before heading home from deployments overseas. Navy veteran, I know firsthand how important the USO organization has been for military servicewomen and men and their families,” said Airport General Manager John Selden. The small celebration will include veterans, active-duty personnel, USO leaders, and members of the public. Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) officials join local USO (United Service Organization) leaders to celebrate the USO’s 80th anniversary on Feb.

Uso atlanta airport location