Record, USO, Letter

Nice genuine WWII 78 rpm USO phonographic record.  The United Service of Organization had kiosks in some locations that allowed soldiers to record voice messages onto records that could then be sent home to their family or their sweetheart.

The United Service Organizations was founded in 1941 by Mary Ingraham in response to a request from President Franklin D. Roosevelt to provide morale and recreation services to U.S. uniformed military personnel. They were brought together under one umbrella to support U.S. troops. Roosevelt said he wanted "these private organizations to handle the on-leave recreation of the men in the armed forces." According to historian Emily Yellin, "The government was to build the buildings and the USO was to raise private funds to carry out its main mission: boosting the morale of the military."