Hampton USOs
"Home away from Home"
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During World War II, while in training for the Army, Navy, or Army Air Corps, both men and women found a "home away from home" at two locations in Hampton, one for whites and another for African Americans. These USO (United Service Organizations) clubs were places where service members could take part in "wholesome recreation," as their charters stressed, but what they were mostly remembered for was the entertainment and the dances. On dance night, the USOs were almost always packed.
The USOs sprang up in almost every city in the nation after President Franklin D. Roosevelt, in 1941, urged several national service groups to form them. They also had presences on military bases and behind the lines at overseas camps where famous performers entertained the troops. In Hampton, the white club on nearby Academy Street was operated by the YMCA. The club for blacks, here on King Street, was run by the National Catholic Community Service. Both centers operated in large, one-story, white-frame buildings.
Hampton citizens supported the USOs by participating in regularly scheduled activities such as letter writing, hobby classes, movies, dances, and Sunday night suppers. Local women and teenage girls volunteered as cooks, hostesses, and dance partners. After the war ended, the King Street USO became the Colored Community Center, later renamed King Street Community Center. The Academy Street USO was utilized by a manufacturing company. Both buildings were razed during the 1970s.
Erected 2010
this page online
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Charity & Public Work • Entertainment • War, World II. In addition, it is included in the Former U.S. Presidents: #32 Franklin D. Roosevelt series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1941.
Location. 37° 1.539′ N, 76° 20.76′ W. Marker is in Hampton, Virginia. It is in Downtown. It is on West Queens Way just east of West Queens Court, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 47 W Queens Way, Hampton VA 23669, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on Virginias Peninsula and in Coastal Virginia. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in the Tidewater, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: War of 1812 Veterans Interred or Memorialized in this Historic Cemetery (within shouting distance of this marker); Founders And Patriots Buried In This Cemetery (within shouting distance of this marker); St. John's Church (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named St. John's Church (within shouting distance of this marker); Elizabeth City Parish (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named St. Johns Church (within shouting distance of this marker); Hampton Confederate Monument (within shouting distance of this marker); Virginia Laydon (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hampton.
Another marker is no longer nearby. St. Johns Church (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been replaced with another marker now near it).
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 8, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 473 times since then and 25 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 8, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
