Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor one of the most beloved and recognizable talents in the world. Bob Hope is regarded as a gifted entertainer, with an unmistakable ability to bring laughter and joy to persons of all ages; however, he was also an ambassador of hope to our men and women overseas.
It is with great honor that I stand before you today, and bring to the Floor, House Resolution 3011, a resolution cosponsored by all of my colleagues from California. This legislation will honor Bob Hope's many contributions to veterans, active duty troops, the field of entertainment and the greater Los Angeles community, by naming the Burbank, CA, Main Post Office for him.
Born in Eltham, England, on May 29, 1903, Bob Hope seemed to be destined to entertain. From impersonating Charlie Chaplin in front of the neighborhoods firehouse in Cleveland as a young boy, to celebrating an unprecedented 60 years with NBC in 1996, Hope's entertainment persona has been evident in every decade of the 20th century.
An avid golfer, Bob Hope had been quoted as saying, ``Golf is my profession. I tell jokes to pay my green fees.'' Most notably, he developed and hosted the Bob Hope/Chrysler Classic, a pro am tournament held annually in Palm Springs, CA. Over four decades later, the Classic draws the most famous pros and celebrity amateurs, and it has gone on to raise over $35 million for the Eisenhower Medical Center and 70 other various charities.
What separated Bob Hope from other beloved celebrities was his unwavering commitment to bringing smiles and hope to American servicemen and servicewomen overseas. For nearly six decades, during times of war and peace, Hope traveled to countless countries to entertain the troops. Affectionately referred to as ``G.I. Bob,'' Bob Hope became a fixture on the U.S.O. stage.
In May of 1941, Bob Hope performed for U.S. Troops at March Field, CA, beginning a legendary tradition of military performances. During World War II, he performed almost all of his weekly radio shows from American military bases around the U.S. and in the theaters of war. In his support of our troops, he traveled to England, Ireland, Africa, Sicily, and the South Pacific. After the war, he continued his commitment to freedom and humor with a Christmas show for troops supporting the Berlin airlift. During the 1970s, he brought joy to weary soldiers with Christmas shows at bases or veterans' hospitals throughout Vietnam. 1983 took him to Beirut, and in 1987 he traveled around the world to entertain troops in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans.
His globetrotting commitment to entertainment is unsurpassed, in peacetime or in war. The Navy has honored him with a class of ships in his name. Not to be outdone, the Air Force named a C-17 The Spirit of Bob Hope. When I was in Iraq in August, I visited a commissary named after Bob Hope and saw first hand how much his visits to the troops meant to them. Our Nation's only honorary veteran, Bob Hope's legacy will be that of a wartime and peacetime soldier, always fighting to bring a smile and a piece of home to U.S. troops around the world.
John Steinbeck once said of Bob Hope, ``It is impossible to see how he can do so much, can cover so much ground, can work so hard and be so effective.''
Former Burbank mayor Michael Hastings said to Hope, ``He was as large in this community as he was in the world, and I think Burbank has been a great beneficiary.'' It seems only fitting that a city that served such an instrumental role in Bob Hope's life, return that honor by naming its historic post office after the entertainer.
Hope's ties to the city of Burbank, CA were numerous. In 1973, he was named the city's honorary mayor, and in 1989, the city renamed a portion of Catalina Street near NBC studios to Bob Hope Drive. In April of 1993, those studios were dedicated in honor of Hope's 90th birthday and his more than 50-year association with the network. Donating more than $1 million to the Providence St. Joseph Medical Center Foundation in Burbank, Hope also helped raise money to build a veteran's monument in the city, by performing at the Starlight Bowl in 1987.
By naming the Burbank, CA Main Post Office for Bob Hope, we will remember him for his talent and honor him for his extraordinary impact on the lives of our troops. With the release of his very first feature film, ``The Big Broadcast of 1938,'' ``Thanks for the Memory,'' became Hope's signature song. Earning an Academy Award, the song will forever remind us of the legendary Bob Hope. The classic Hope song ends with the words, ``Aw' fly glad I met you, cheerio, and toodle-oo and thank you so much.''
We thank you Mr. Bob Hope, for all the memories.