United Service Organization offers service members place of sanctuary

"I can't tell you how many times before the USO opened here, I'd be in McCarran Airport and see a soldier sleeping on his duffel bag. I'd go over to him and ask how long he'll be here. I heard sometimes that it would be 36 hours. I would call a hotel on the Strip and tell them about the soldier. The answer always was to send him to the hotel, where they'd put the soldier up for free."

The speaker is entertainer Wayne Newton and he's talking about his involvement with the United Service Organization, popularly known as the USO, at McCarran International Airport.

The USO sponsors sanctuaries where members of the military, veterans and their families can rest and refresh while traveling. They are also well-known for the entertainment they bring to service personnel in war zones.

Beginning during Vietnam and continuing through every confrontation since then, Newton has done scores of USO shows and, after one of those walks through McCarran when he saw yet another service member sleeping on a duffel bag, he decided to do something about it.

Newton recalled: "I spoke to (Sen.) Harry Reid and said, 'We need some help. We need a USO facility here.' Reid was incredible. We got on the phone, called people to help and since it opened it's been a phenomenal success."

The McCarran USO opened on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, 2010, in the former US Airways first class lounge near the A and B gates in Terminal 1. On a recent weekday, Air Force physician Chris Ledford was waiting for his flight back to Fort Belvoir in Virginia.

"When I travel, I see the USO as the reminder in every environment - even thousands of miles from a war zone - that we have a military that's still hard at work," he said.

Those reminders include 160 USOs in 14 countries, 99 of them in the United States. Because the USO is not a government organization but, rather, a private nonprofit, it counts on donations to operate and has a relatively small staff.

When service members - active and retired, and their families - come, there is a place to rest, with no charge for anything, from food to Internet service to phone charging.

The USO was founded in 1941 at the request of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who wanted recreation and morale services to be provided to members of the armed forces worldwide. The request brought The Salvation Army, the Young Men's and Young Women's Christian Associations, the National Catholic Community Service, the National Travelers Aid Association and the National Jewish Welfare Board together to work on the project.

In Las Vegas, the two salaried staff members and 163 volunteers have provided more than 40,000 service personnel and/or their families with some comforts of home.

One volunteer is Russ Johnston, who served on a submarine during the Vietnam era.

"I am 65. I served for almost 40 years and know that these guys who are serving deserve special treatment," he said.

One of Johnston's dearest possessions is his challenge coin. There's a display case filled with these hanging on the wall of the USO. They are specially struck metal coins commemorating a military unit or an event.

"My coin," Johnston explained, "is from when my submarine crossed the Arctic Circle and we became 'bluenoses,' as we call people who do that. When you go into a gathering of service members, he or she who does not have a challenge coin has to buy the round of drinks."

Because the volunteers use their special skills at the USO, Michael Cassidy, who served in the Air Force in the 1970s, is the local USO photographer. He comes in one day a week and on special occasions.

"Because I'm disabled," he said, "I have time to volunteer and this is a great place to do that."

Pat and Bob Canfield are both retired. He served in the Marines in Vietnam and today they take great pleasure in serving the USO as volunteers, doing a minimum of one four-hour shift each week. His specialty is small repairs and carpentry.

"We have supported the USO with financial contributions for many years," he said. "When I was in Vietnam in '65 I was in a very primitive area that had no buildings, no runways and the showers and toilets were outdoors. I was in Da Nang once and heard them complain they didn't have ice in their water. Where I was, the water had to be flown in. One time we had a comedienne entertain us and her USO show was the only entertainment we had."

Pat Canfield added: "This is the one place where you can interact on a personal level with the soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen and say thank you and, sometimes, you can help a spouse.

"One time, a soldier's wife was traveling with a 6-month-old baby. She couldn't get a flight and she was exhausted. She showed up here and, while she rested, we cared for the baby and assisted with travel arrangements."

All volunteers go through specialized training. Marianne Wojciechowicz, programs manager at the McCarran USO, said she "cannot overestimate how much we value our volunteers."

While most volunteers are older than 40, the minimum age is 18 and, at McCarran, the oldest volunteer is 83.

With a family that has served in the military since World War I, Wojciechowicz said, "this is the job I've been waiting to have my whole life. The overriding common factor I share with our volunteers is the desire to serve the troops. We see all branches, all ranks, represented here. But rank and branch don't matter."

Las Vegas USO Director Doug Bradford was in the Navy for five years. His father was in for 31 years. Two brothers were in the Army and two also in the Navy.

"The service is a brotherhood that never leaves you. Regardless of what branch you are in, there's a desire to take care of people in the military," he said.

The Las Vegas community has been "very receptive to the USO," he added. Various organizations support their fundraising efforts - they must repay the $500,000 it cost to refurbish the space so it could be used for the USO - so they can become self-sustaining.

Besides money, the USO collects such items as toothpaste, toothbrushes, dental floss, Q-Tips and baby wipes to send to service members. The latter are often used for improvised bathing where there's a shortage of running water.

"We are grateful for every donation - money or products - because every donation makes a real difference," Bradford said.

David Janossy is stationed at Nellis Air Force Base as a parachute and survival instructor. His wife and 8-month-old daughter live in Chicago.

"The USO has been instrumental in the maintenance of my marriage," he said. "I come through here once a month. I relax and transition from a military to a family mindset."

He added, "I'm really glad to talk about the USO because ever since they opened this place I've been thrilled."

Bradford and Wojciechowicz stressed that volunteers are always welcome and, since the McCarran USO is open all the time, there can be a schedule to suit everyone. Anyone wishing to volunteer or donate can call the USO at 702-261-6590.