Camp Kilmer U.S.O. Hostesses of WWII
"Camp
Kilmer Sweethearts"
The United Service
Organization (U.S.O.) was established in order to provide social clubs on America’s
military bases during the Second World War. Young women who volunteered to work in these clubs were given the
title of U.S.O. Hostesses. The Hostesses
of Camp Kilmer were given an unofficial title, the “Kilmer Sweethearts.”
These hostesses provided a wide range of services including serving food,
dancing with the soldiers etc. They
also visited sick and wounded soldiers in America’s hospitals.
The U.S.O. also organized shows for Allied servicemen both at home and
abroad. Many big stars of the era volunteered to participate
in these shows.
(Right, a photo
of an original Sweetheart handkerchief.)
The
following quotes give a snapshot of some of the experiences a few of the Sweethearts
had while at Camp Kilmer.
- “Well,
your father was drafted, and after a year of just sitting around, my sisters
and I joined the U.S.O. We joined
through St. Peters and we would get on a bus that dropped us off right in
front of the front door. At the
end of the night, you got right back on the bus. We would arrive with cookies and items
we had baked, and we would serve hot dogs and sandwiches. And of course we danced with the men…”
Eleanore DeFellipo Yusko.
- “
You had to stay inside the canteen and you could not give out your phone
number…but rules are made to be broken, and in fact that’s how I met my
husband!” Mrs. Dowdy.
- “You
felt like the belle of the ball, one soldier after another would cut in
to dance with you!” Eleanore DeFellipo
Yusko
- “We
would write to the boys, especially boys who had no one to write to them,
and I knitted a lot!” Eleanore DeFellipo
Yusko.
- “I
wrote to so many servicemen, so I began to keep a map. Each time I received a letter, I placed
a new star on the map; just nice, friendly letters to keep up their morale.”
Paula DeFellipo George.
- “We
also visited with the wounded boys in the hospital, and many of them were
badly hurt. When you went to the
hospital, you mainly talked and wrote letters for them. The hospital visits, that was the most
difficult job I did with the U.S.O.” Eleanore
DeFellipo Yusko.
- “Well. Camp Kilmer was a main point of debarkation
for boys heading overseas, so of course each serviceman tried to work on
you by telling you: ‘I’m heading
overseas tomorrow.’” Eleanore DeFellipo
Yusko.
- “Yes,
the army was segregated so there was a separate U.S.O. for the black
servicemen across the street in the small building which is now the Stelton
Restaurant.” Paula DeFellipo George.
- “We
were happy to serve in any way we could, to support the boys. Maybe we were just naïve, but we just
did not think in terms that many might not return.” Paula DeFellipo George.
Questions
and Activities 
Explain why you feel
the U.S.O. did or did not serve an important function during World War Two.
Examine the “Kilmer
Sweetheart” doily (handkerchief) given to Eleanore and the other Kilmer U.S.O.
Hostesses, and read the quotes of women who served as Kilmer Hostesses during
World War Two. Would young ladies
be eager to serve in such a capacity (if the need were to arise) today?
Why or why not?
Links to Standards NJ
6.3, 6.4 and NCSS
Vb and Vg
