Wednesday, November 12, 2003 Contact: Sean Oblack (202) 225-4176 President Bush Signs Schiff, Berman Bill To Name Burbank Post Office For Bob Hope A Veterans’ Day Tribute to Bob Hope, Post Office Bill Becomes Law WASHINGTON, DC - In a fitting Veterans’ Day Tribute to one of America’s favorite honorary veterans, President Bush signed legislation - sponsored by U.S. Representatives Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) and Howard Berman (D-Van Nuys) - to name the post office located at 135 E. Olive Avenue in Burbank, California for Bob Hope. "What better time of year to honor Bob Hope than on Veterans’ Day," Rep. Adam Schiff said. "An 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. During my visit to Iraq over the summer, I ate lunch and dinner with California soldiers at a commissary named for Bob Hope and saw first-hand how much his visits to the troops meant to them. A token of our gratitude for his many contributions to our country, Congress and the President honor Bob Hope as a patriot and emissary of goodwill to generations of U.S. troops." "It has been a privilege to join Rep. Schiff in creating this tribute for Bob Hope," said Berman. "I look forward to seeing the name of this great entertainer on the Post Office building, where it will remind generations of Americans of the laughter and comfort he brought to American soldiers serving throughout the world." Reps. Schiff and Berman will now work with the U.S. Postal Service to create a plaque bearing the entertainer’s name which will be presented at a dedication ceremony in the coming months. At that ceremony, the Olive Avenue branch will be officially renamed the Bob Hope Post Office. Born in 1903, Bob Hope started his entertainment career early in California with a radio show at the NBC Studios in Burbank. In 1938, Bob Hope's weekly radio show - the "Bob Hope Pepsodent Show" - made Hope a national celebrity and the show ran for ten years until 1948. In 1941, Hope performed for U.S. troops at March Field in California, beginning a long tradition of military performances. For decades, Hope entertained troops at military bases bringing laughter and a bit of home to U.S. servicemen and women overseas. Hope has been honored both as a goodwill ambassador and entertainer over the years. In May 1993, NBC named its studios for the entertainer and in 1997, he was named an honorary U.S. veteran by Congress for his 50 years of entertaining troops around the world. On his 100th birthday - May 29, 2003 -- President Bush established the Bob Hope American Patriot Award, and a famous Hollywood intersection was named for him. The City of Burbank has a history of honoring Bob Hope. In 1989, the city of Burbank renamed a portion of Catalina Street near NBC studios Bob Hope Drive. Bob Hope and his wife have been long-time residents of the Toluca Lake neighborhood of the Burbank/Los Angeles area.