USO celebrates 65 years with special gala event

Early guests were treated to some patriotic music courtesy of Navy Band Southeast's Ceremonial Band. The audience then participated by singing along to the patriotic song, ''This Land is Your Land,'' performed by cast members followed by an Andrews Sisters medley performed by Vocalists Michelle Miller, Margaret Weitzel and Karen Miller.

With the toot of a horn, Honorary Chairman and Host Ed McMahon arrived on stage in an old military Marine Corps jeep along with Naval Hospital Jacksonville Com-manding Officer Capt. Raquel Bono. After a few moments of banter, Bono recognized some key military members in the audience and then it was on with the show.

McMahon has been an entertainment icon for more than six decades and is a retired Marine colonel fighter pilot with 85 combat missions under his belt. He spent 30 years working with Johnny Carson, 12 years hosting Star Search, nine years co-hosting Bloopers and Practical Jokes and has been in numerous feature films and TV shows.

The Natural Truth from Jacksonville harmonize together, performing a number of old favorites for the audience.

''I was actually stationed in Green Cove Springs many years ago. In fact, I met my wife at a USO dance in Jack-sonville,'' said McMahon. ''I'm happy to be back and to participate in this event.''

Highlighting the event, were special guests Mickey Rooney and his wife, Jan who performed a number of songs while reflecting on Mickey's life and the old days of Hollywood. ''We are here tonight because I am an Army veteran who earned the Bronze Star during my service and because we were invited by our old friend, Ed McMahon and the USO,'' said Mickey.

''We have been on the road for the past six years performing our show and just returned from the United Kingdom. We've always done a lot of work with the USO and anytime we can do something for them, we'll be there. It's all about taking care of our troops because they are working so hard for us,'' added Jan.

Rooney has spent the past 80 years in show business and has starred in more than 200 films, earning him an Honorary Oscar for Lifetime Achieve-ment, a special Juvenile Oscar in 1939, five Oscar nominations, one Emmy Award and two Golden Globes. 

Mickey Rooney and his wife, Jan perform "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off" during the show.

The Rooney's were also able to visit the Sailors on board USS John F. Kennedy Friday ''We were thrilled to be able to meet the Sailors and tour the ship, especially since it is being decommissioned,'' said Mickey.

The event also featured

numerous song and dance numbers performed by local talent including members of A Social Affair Dance Studio, the Jacksonville ''Metropolitans,'' the Natural Truth, the Jacksonville Jaguars Cheerlead-ers ''The Roar'' and vocalists Don Burris, Donnie Locke and Jake Hunter. Master of ceremonies was Jim Villers who added some light humor with his jokes between acts.

And of course, what's a variety show without a little magic? The audience was thrilled as Comedian and Magician Terry Jones demonstrated his magic along with the help of several Sailors who got up on stage and played along during the act.

After a 15-minute intermission, the performers continued entertaining the crowd with show tunes and patriotic numbers. Near the end of the event, several speakers acknowledged the importance of the USO and what it does for service members and their families. ''We are here tonight to celebrate the 65th birthday of the USO.

The National Football League (NFL) has a long-standing relationship with the USO. This year marks the 40th year of the NFL's partnership with the USO,'' said Delores Weaver, chairman and CEO of the Jacksonville Jaguars Foundation. ''In 1965, then Commissioner Pete Rozelle, suggested a plan to have NFL players visit troops in Vietnam. The following year, the NFL joined forces with the USO and became the first sports organization to send players around the world to bring a special smile to those serving in far regions of the world. NFL cheerleaders, including The Roar have performed at USO and Armed Forces entertainment shows throughout our world.''

The Navy Band Southeast Ceremonial Band plays some patriotic music for early guests at the gala.

''It is an honor to support the USO who provides a home away from home to our military who put country before self. To all the men and women in the military, we offer special heartfelt 'thanks' for keeping us safe 24/7,'' she continued.

A special recognition was given to Greater Jacksonville Area USO Executive Director K.C. McCarthy for her dedication and service to the USO. ''We wanted to celebrate the USO's 65th anniversary and its heritage of serving those who serve. Other major cities that host a USO hold a gala event to celebrate the work of the USO and it serves as their primary fundraiser. We don't do that here and I thought it was time we did,'' said McCarthy. ''It took an enormous amount of work to pull this event off. In three months time, and with just a handful of major players coordinating the event, a spectacular show was put together,'' said McCarthy. ''The USO here has experienced tremendous growth in the past two years and we need to continue to grow to better honor and serve our local military and their families.''

Before the gala, a reception was held at the Omni Jacksonville Hotel to recognize sponsors for the event including Armor Holdings, Goodrich, PRI Productions, Weaver Family Foundation, Miller Electric Company, BlueCross BlueShield of Florida, CTI, Yamaha, WOKV, Spectrum, Broadbased and the Omni.

Legendary Actor Mickey Rooney and Ed McMahon offer some jokes and talk about the old Hollywood days at the USO's 65th Anniversary Gala Saturday night.

''We came here tonight to support this event and let the USO know how much we appreciate them. We have a program that recognizes our military members at our home games, which is a USO program, that allows Sailors and Marines to buy tickets at a low cost. We also have a program called Sailor's Aweigh for families of deployed military members that allows them to come to games for free,'' said Jacksonville Jaguars Owner Wayne Weaver. ''It's our way of saying 'thank-you' to our military.''

Several other events were held throughout the day in celebration of the USO's 65th anniversary including a motorcycle ride and festivities at The Jacksonville Landing.