“He did something wonderful for those kids; he made them laugh and made them forget what was going to happen.”

Patty Thomas

Patty Thomas dancing, 1944. War: World War II, 1939-1946 Service Location: South Pacific; Europe; Alaska Status: Civilian Place of Birth: Erie, PA

If you were going to entertain the troops, you could do a lot worse than being part of Bob Hope’s company that toured the South Pacific from 1944 to 1945 for the USO. Patty Thomas, a young dancer, joined Bob’s troupe—including singer Frances Langford and comedian Jerry Colonna—for an island-hopping tour that included over 150 shows, one forced landing on a sandbar, a couple cases of jungle rot, and the adoration of thousands of GIs starved for a look at a pretty girl showing off her dancer’s legs.