Bob Hope Military Tribute Project links up with award-winning film, television and video producer Carl Urbin of Network Communications Media
June 2003: The much-anticipated Bob Hope Military Tribute, a national monument to honor Bob HopeÂ’s decades of service to our men and women in uniform, has received some welcome support from Hollywood. Due to a fortuitous turn of events, the World War II Navy veteransÂ’ group that originated the project has linked up with award-winning film, television and video producer Carl Urbin, president of Network Communications Media and an expert in media relations, to help make the Tribute a reality.
(PRWEB) June 14, 2003
June 2003: The much-anticipated Bob Hope Military Tribute, a national monument to honor Bob HopeÂ’s decades of service to our men and women in uniform, has received some welcome support from Hollywood.
Due to a fortuitous turn of events, the World War II Navy veteransÂ’ group that originated the project has linked up with award-winning film, television and video producer Carl Urbin, president of Network Communications Media and an expert in media relations, to help make the Tribute a reality.
“The veterans’ group contacted me to produce commercials for them in the hope of raising public awareness and funding,” Carl said. “Rather than expensive television ads, I suggested that public relations activities would be less costly, and more effective.”
In other words, Carl turned down the commercial business, but came on board to help with media relations. “I recognized the extraordinary historical and spiritual value to Americans of this project, and I didn’t hesitate to become involved. This Tribute needs to be built.”
The Tribute occupies the beautifully landscaped San Diego bay area. As you walk across the terazzo bridge into a circle filled with historical memories, you'll enter the realm of one of America's greatest entertainers. Five bronze full-size statues of Bob Hope stand on the points of a granite five-star platform.
The planned Tribute is a permanent, park-like installation featuring sculptures, and interactive sound and images located on the San Diego harbor at the U. S. Navy Fleet Landing. It will honor Bob Hope's indefatigable six decades of morale-boosting entertainment for the millions of men and women who served the United States of America – Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard.
It is the brainchild of a veterans’ group called Taffy III, all survivors of the South Pacific Battle of Leyte Gulf in October, 1944, that saw the sinking of the aircraft carrier St. Lo and other American ships, and the tragic loss of nearly 1000 American lives. “Taffy” is an abbreviation for “Task Force” and the III designates the group’s South Pacific Navy task force.
Battle Only Two Weeks After USO Show
The St. Lo was struck by a kamikaze aircraft and sank only two weeks after Bob HopeÂ’s USO tour entertained the sailors. John Ibe, Taffy III vice president, was aboard the St. Lo when it went down, and was in the ocean for two hours before being rescued.
“(Bob Hope) gave us a performance that was unforgettable,” John told the Los Angeles Times last year. “Some of the guys I was sitting with that day, that was among their last memories.” John, now 80, is Principle and Vice President of Western Devcon, Inc., a San Diego real estate development company.
Jack Yusen, president of the group, spent 55 hours in shark-infested waters after his destroyer was sunk at Leyte Gulf. “Bob Hope brought a little bit of home to us,” Jack told the Times. “It’s amazing what he’s done.” Now a Seattle resident, Jack was the national sales manager of an industrial chemical maintenance company for 42 years before retirement.
Ed Hagerty is secretary of the group, and a senior partner of a Minneapolis law firm. Paul Michel, of St. Louis, Missouri, is treasurer, and before retirement was vice president of Boatsman National Bank (now Bank One) of St. Louis.
Stellar Industry Team
To help on the project, Carl swung into action and assembled a stellar team of industry veterans to help. “These are well-connected people who know how to make things happen, and who all appreciate how worthwhile this project is,” Carl said. “Bob’s devotion to the morale of “the kids,” as he called them, has become more than just entertainment history – it is world history, the stuff of legend. The Bob Hope Tribute is the kind of project we wanted to support.”
The team includes:
· Lily Lipton, public relations consultant and founder of Lily Lipton International and Public Information Network.
· Mirjana van Blaricom, president of the International Press Academy and producer of the Golden Satellite Awards.
· Gary Arabia of Global Cuisine, event planner extraordinaire whose credits include the Academy Awards and simply too many other major events to list here.
· A. C. Lyles, Paramount Studios Vice President of PR and a long-time, personal Hope family friend.
· Dr. Marianne Burke, author and Executive Produce of fund-raising events.
· Penny Keaton, Operations Manager and veteran of many projects including the famous Muscular Dystrophy Love Ride hosted by Jay Leno and co-chairman Peter Fonda. Carl has done media relations for the Love Ride for six years.
Carl added that although hundreds of awards and honors have been bestowed on Bob Hope for his work on behalf of the troops, “this is the first one initiated entirely by veterans who were there, men who never forgot what Bob Hope meant to them in those most perilous of times.”
No stranger to awards himself, Carl has won three Golden Halo Awards from the Southern California Motion Picture Council, for productions that reflect the Council’s criteria for programming that is “informative, entertaining, uplifting, and suitable for all ages” – certainly criteria met by the Hope Tribute project. Carl’s company is a community and family-oriented film, television and video production company, and recently celebrated its 15th anniversary and 500th production with The Healthy Hour, a show that promotes replacing “happy hour” alcoholic drinks with natural juices and health food snacks. Dole Foods and the Governors’ Council on Physical Fitness and Sports are sponsors.
The Bob Hope Military Tribute fund raising efforts will benefit from CarlÂ’s broad event and media experience, which includes associate producer for the recent 6th Annual International Press AcademyÂ’s Golden Satellite Awards, as well as the First World Song Festival at the Shrine, the Greek International Festival at the Glendale Civic Auditorium, Japan Expo 2001 at the L. A. Convention Center, the Radio Music Awards in Las Vegas, the Latin GrammyÂ’s at the Forum, and many more.
Also, syndicated television shows that Network Communications Media produces involve entertainment industry movers and shakers. Such shows include Star Power, which airs domestically on the American International Network, and focuses on personal interviews with movie stars about their passions in life with particular emphasis on favorite social causes and charity work. And Hollywood Xpress, which is distributed in Europe, offers a special twist by featuring European hosts, actors, and filmmakers in addition to Hollywood personalities. Guests on the shows have included Leonardo Di Caprio, Jeremy Irons, Bruce Willis, Madonna, Richard Gere, Melanie Griffin, and many other stars.
As well as commercials, videos, and television programs, Carl has several feature film projects in various stages of development. He is currently involved in co-ventures with Raul Julia Levy, son of the late Raul Julia. Other projects in the wings include a feature starring actor James Caan, another with actor Eddie Griffin (Double Take), and a third with producer David Permut and actor Val Kilmer.
Such connections could help provide even more support for the Hope Tribute.
Hope Family Enthusiastic
The Hope project also has the enthusiastic support of Dolores Hope and her daughter, Linda, as well as the Port of San Diego.
The tribute's honorary board is chaired by former President Gerald R. Ford and Gen. Charles C. Krulak, former Commandant of the Marine Corps. Honorary board members include the Rev. Billy Graham, U. S. Senators Daniel Inouye and John McCain, U. S. Reps. Duncan Hunter and Bill Young, Gov. Jesse Ventura, and entertainment industry personalities Phyllis Diller, Brooke Shields, Connie Stevens, Johnny Grant, and many others.
In 1997, by an act of Congress and signed by President Bill Clinton, Bob was made an 'honorary veteran." Upon receiving the award, Bob said, "I've been given many awards in my lifetime - but to be numbered among the men and women I admire most is the greatest honor I have ever received."
Additional information on the Tribute
Bob Hope entertaining troops in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Europe during the Cold War, and in the Persian Gulf.
The Tribute occupies the beautifully landscaped San Diego bay area. As you walk across the terazzo bridge into a circle filled with historical memories, you'll enter the realm of one of America's greatest entertainers. Five bronze full-size statues of Bob Hope stand on the points of a granite five-star platform. Let history come to life as you hear motion-activated recordings of Bob Hope telling jokes, while five full-size statues representing each military branch (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard) respond with the hearty laughter of those who so appreciated Bob Hopes efforts to improve their morale.
A radiant bronze globe, three feet in diameter, unites the circle of statues, propped above a scenic water fountain in the center of the star platform. Large entry sidewalks with lavish landscape surround the entire Tribute. In all, the Tribute stretches 47 feet in diameter.
Bob Hope is clearly much bigger than ordinary life. Experience his incredible energy and willingness to keep entertaining. View this versatile entertainer in a variety of stances, including him dancing, as he often did during his early burlesque years. Gain a rich sense of the immense effort and sacrifice Bob Hope, his family, and the other entertainers made over the years by visiting the three large information panels.
This Tribute truly provides a strong sense of those to whom Bob Hope brought much-needed relief and laughter.
The reason Bob Hope did what he did was to honor the "kids" as he called them, stating, "I'd like to thank every kid in uniform for the honor of working for him."
We believe it is this relationship between all those "kids" and their appreciation of him, as well as Bob Hope's appreciation and love for all the men and women who served the United States of America, that necessitates this Tribute be built.
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