Single sheet of United Service Organizations (USO) letterhead. This stationery was probably acquired by Almeda (Harrison) Passet or Norman Passet. Both were at Fort Riley during World War II. Almeda worked in the post property office; Norman was a soldier assigned to horsemanship for a Cavalry unit. When horses proved ineffective in the war effort, Norman became a cook for the Army. They met at a square dance in Junction City, Kansas, and later married on her family's farm near Riley, Kansas. After the war, the couple settled on a farm near Wharton, Ohio, and had two children. Almeda died in 2011; Norman in 2009.
The United Service Organizations, Inc., is a non-profit organization founded in 1941 at the request of President Franklin Roosevelt. The organization's purpose was to boost morale of troops fighting in World War II. USO centers, the soldier's "home away from home," opened around the world, providing soldiers a place to socialize, write a letter home, or get a free cup of coffee and a donut. The USO is probably best known for its "Camp Shows," which featured entertainment from Hollywood celebrities. The organization has provided support to soldiers fighting in every war since its creation.
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