A Century of Laughs 

Bob Hope turns 100 and makes the whole year a party.

Most people celebrate their birthdays one day each year — comedian Bob Hope, however, is stretching his 100th birthday, May 29, into a yearlong party. 

Hope has been an entertainment icon for the majority of the 20th century and is well-known for his unfaltering support of and commitment to the morale of America’s servicemembers. For almost six decades, Hope has traveled the globe to entertain U.S. troops during times of peace and war.

Events honoring Hope’s birthday include a plaque addition to his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame naming him the “Citizen of the Century,” a dvd release of 17 Bob Hope film classics by Universal Studios, and the “Bob Hope: American Patriot” traveling exhibit, which features some of Hope’s presidential memorabilia. The exhibit will debut at the Ronald W. Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, Calif., until June 8 and continue on to the Dwight D. Eisenhower Library (Abilene, Kan.), the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum (Austin, Texas), and the Gerald R. Ford Library and Museum (Grand Rapids, Mich.). 

Other exhibits include “Bob Hope and the Military,” open at the U.S. Air Force Museum at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, and a similar exhibit scheduled to open soon at the Vietnam Veteran’s Air Museum in Chicago.

Later this year, Bob Hope film festivals are scheduled in Chicago, Los Angeles, New York City, and England. There also will be a rededication of the Bob Hope Theater at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. 

Finally, two books celebrating his centennial year are scheduled for release: Bob Hope — My Life in Jokes (Hyperion, 2003) and Bob Hope — A Life in Comedy (Da Capo Press, 2003).

Comedienne Phyllis Diller once asked Hope, “Who would want to be 100 years old?” Hope answered, “Anyone who is 99.”

Taking Measures to Avoid SARS

The Department of Defense (DoD) is advising military and civilian personnel to take precautions against severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). DoD is discouraging travel to certain Far East countries where SARS is believed to have originated. The virus has killed hundreds of people worldwide, raising concern about its potential impact on deploying forces and operations.

Sufferers have flu-like symptoms, including fever, body aches, headaches, sore throat, dry cough, and shortness of breath or difficulty breathing. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports the syndrome may be associated with headache, muscular stiffness, loss of appetite, malaise, confusion, rash, and diarrhea.

SARS is spread by contact with respiratory droplets from infected people. Despite its easy transmission, the virus appears to have a relatively low communicability. To contract the disease, you have to be in close contact on a sustained basis with an infected person. Washing your hands frequently and avoiding people who have flu-like symptoms or who have traveled to the Far East reduce the risk of transmission (see “Ask the Doctor,” page 46). If you have symptoms and have associated with a person who’s been to the Far East, see your doctor immediately.

Only 10 percent of people with SARS-related infections have severe trouble and face the possibility of death. As of April 30, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported 5,663 probable SARS cases in 27 countries. According to the CDC, the United States had 320 suspected or probable cases as of May 5.
DoD is working with who and the CDC to track SARS and reduce the risk of catching the disease. DoD personnel should follow Department of State and CDC travel advisories.

Guidance on SARS can be found on the DoD Health Affairs Web site at www.ha.osd.mil. Information also is available on the CDC site at www.cdc.gov/ncidod/sars.