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(H)our History Lesson: The USO Serving on the WWII Home Front in Pensacola and Escambia County, Florida

Colorful postcard of a single story red building with a green lawn, an American flag flying on a pole and a blue sky in the background
Postcard of the Spring Street U.S.O. Club, Pensacola, Florida [printed between 1941-1945], Tichnor Brothers Postcard Collection

Credit Boston Public Library

About this Lesson

This lesson is part of a series teaching about the World War II home front, with Pensacola and Escambia County designated as an American World War II Heritage City. The lesson contains photographs, a background reading, and newspaper excerpts to contribute to learners’ understandings about the experiences and contributions of community connections to the Armed Forces, such as through civilian volunteer efforts and recreation.

Objectives:

  1. Describe the purpose of the USO sites to the Pensacola and Escambia County community
  2. Identify ways that civilians and home front workers contributed to the USO
  3. Share examples of segregation and its impact on the home front during WWII

Materials for Students:

  1. Photos (can be displayed digitally)
  2. Readings 1, 2, 3 (three primary)
  3. Recommended: Map of Pensacola and Escambia County, Florida and/or, Downtown Pensacola (Example: 1944 Downtown Pensacola)
  4. Optional Extension materials

Getting Started: Essential Question

How did the USO engage with and support the service members and greater Pensacola and Escambia County community during wartime?

Black and white photo of an African American man in uniform sitting between two African American women. African American men and women stand around the perimeter of the room, also in uniform
Photo 2: “USO for African American servicemen – Pensacola, Florida” located at 313-315 North Devilliers Street, 1942.

Credit: State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory

Key Vocabulary:

USO: The United Service Organizations, Inc. was founded in February 1941 as a joint charitable organization to serve active-duty service members at home and abroad. They operated clubs and facilities for service members and provided mobile entertainment and services.

By the numbers:

In each of the readings, you will notice many numbers and statistics. Find a few that are significant or interesting to you. What makes them meaningful? Why were they included by the authors?

Quotation to consider:

“In some overburdened communities where recreational facilities are inadequate and where the government requests it, USO makes its services available to war workers and women in industry. When you good people of Pensacola and Escambia County contribute to the Pensacola Community Chest and War Fund, remember that you are helping the USO as well as all the other worthy agencies.”
- Charles W. Smith, president of the Pensacola Community Chest and War Fund, in Pensacola News Journal, October 17, 1943 (p.22)

Read to Connect

Sepia photo of a large brick house with columns and large porch surrounded by trees along the street
Photo 3: The Brent Home, site of the La Rua St. Club, described in Reading 1. The home was demolished in 2005.

Credit: Photograph collection of Frances Brent Fick; located on Pensapedia

Student Activities

Questions for Reading 1 and Photos 1-3

  1. What were the main USO sites in Pensacola? Who did they serve?
  2. What were some of the differences among the USO sites?
  3. Describe unique details about 1) the La Rua Street USO club, in how it served women, and 2) the radio connections to the U.S.O. club located at the corner of Palafox and Gregory streets.
  4. How do you think volunteers were important to the success of USO provided services?

Questions for Reading 2

  1. What was the significance of the two-day celebration?
  2. What were some of the volunteer opportunities available at the DeVilliers Street USO club?
  3. Explain the significance of the DeVilliers Street USO club to the African American service members and civilians in the area.
  4. How did segregated USOs show the discrimination and racism that was happening in the United States during World War II?

Questions for Reading 3

  1. What services did the USO provide in Pensacola and Escambia County? How did civilians contribute or engage?
  2. Analyze the data to draw conclusions about the impact of the USO on the Pensacola and Escambia County community.
Drawn map of "Downtown Pensacola" with places numbered and a key on the left
Pensacola Municipal Advertising Board. Guide to Pensacola, Florida: The Annapolis of the Air - booklet, ca. 1944. 1944 (circa).

State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory.

Map Activities: USO sites on Downtown Pensacola, 1944

Using Readings 1-3 in the lesson, identify the USOs on the map of Downtown Pensacola. Highlight each one. There are four marked on the map. If helpful, access a bigger version of the map.

Guiding Questions to discuss as class, or small group:

  • What do you notice about the locations of the USOs?

  • What do you know about each of these sites, based on your readings?

  • If you were to design historical markers for each of these sites, what details would you include for each?

Wrap Up: Connect back to the essential question

How did the USO engage with and support the service members and greater Pensacola and Escambia County community during wartime?

Extension Activities

Newspaper article with two photos of a building and the headline "Preservationists hope to save USO building"
Picture of the 2007 Pensacola News Journal article from the Extension Activity.

This lesson was written by Sarah Nestor Lane, an educator and consultant with the Cultural Resources Office of Interpretation and Education, funded by the National Council on Public History's cooperative agreement with the National Park Service.

Part of a series of articles titled Pensacola and Escambia County, FL, WWII Heritage City Lessons.

Last updated: July 3, 2024