Don’t know why, but I never noted in my journal that we had a USO show on board. There were pictures in the cruise book, but I can’t assign it to a date.
We were on the line, certainly. We were one of the stops for a helicopter-borne troupe of performers. They gave us a couple of hours of fun, and I think most of us appreciated it very much. We were there on orders. They were volunteers, helping us feel a little better.
The performers were known as the “Maniackers” and the “Tony Diamond Show.” Diamond was a comedian who brought his crew to Vietnam four times, and was later an activist for veterans.
There were songs, jokes, guys in drag, women — out on the foc’sle. Of some distinction, one of the singers in the Tony Diamond Show was Maureen Reagan, oldest daughter of Ronald Reagan, then governor of California.
Here’s a gallery of photos from the cruise book.
