Bob Crane: Life & Legacy: Veterans' Day Weekend

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Veterans' Day Weekend - 'Operation Entertainment'

Sorry to say, we were hoping to have this up yesterday. Unfortunately, our sound hosting site is currently experiencing a problem with sharing files. We didn't want to wait any longer, and besides, we should be thanking our veterans every day! So while this is just a tad late, we wish all United States veterans a very Happy Veterans' Day weekend! And we THANK YOU for your service in the U.S. military, providing us with your protection so that we may enjoy our freedom.

Operation Entertainment was a program produced by Chuck Barris and Bill Carruthers for ABC that ran in 1968. Actors, musicians, and other celebrities traveled across the country and around the world to entertain U.S. troops serving in the military. They entertainers performed on location at Navy, Army, and Air Force bases. In addition to Bob Crane, other hosts included Rich Little, George Carlin, Dick Cavett, Dean Jones, Dick Shawn, Tim Conway, Jimmy Dean, Roger Miller, Norm Crosby, Ed Ames, Flip Wilson, Don Rickles, Jim Lange, Phil Harris, and Dale Robertson. Among the entertainers were Vikki Carr, Donna Jean Young, Roy Clark, Louis Armstrong, Richard Pryor, Barbara McNair, Allen & Rossi, Minnie Pearl, Paul Lynde, Florence Henderson, Martha and the Vandellas, Shelley Berman, the Righteous Brothers, the Lennon Sisters, Arethra Franklin, Ray Charles and the Rayettes, Patti Page, Pat Buttram, Rodney Dangerfield, Kenny Rogers, Larry Storch, Stephanie Powers, and many more.

Bob Crane was the host of the November 1, 1968, episode, which was performed and recorded for servicemen and women stationed at Elgin Air Force Base in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Performers included Teddy Neeley and his Band, comedian Pat Paulsen, singer Fran Jeffries, and the Lennon Sisters, among others. We have for you here the opening of that program, with Bob performing an opening stand-up comedy routine.

If you are a veteran who served in the U.S. military and would like the entire November 1, 1968, audio recording of Operation Entertainment, drop us an email (see sidebar on right), and we'll send it to you for free on CD. That is our special thanks to you.

Freedom is not free! Thank you for your service!

Operation Entertainment - November 1, 1968

Eglin Air Force Base, Fort Walton Beach, Florida

ABC-TV / Bob Crane, Host

Praise for Bob Crane: The Definitive Biography

"...nothing short of amazing."

—Danny Lyons, operations manager, WICC/WEBE, Bridgeport, CT

"Carol Ford and company have ripped the lid off the real story of Bob Crane."—Marakay Rogers, Broadway World

"If you're a Bob Crane fan, this book is a must."—Kevin Doran, owner, WLEA, Hornell, NY

"...the most extensive biography I've ever read about a movie or TV actor. I'm impressed with the amount of research the authors did over the last 12 years."—Bill Dillane, NHTV, North Haven, CT

"TRULY DEFINITIVE... One of the best Hollywood-related books I have seen."—James Zeruk, Jr., author, Peg Entwistle and the Hollywood Sign Suicide

"...can serve as an inspiration for anyone seeking to understand the often double world of the sex addict."—Susanne A. Quallich, ANP-BC, NP-C, CUNP, FANNP, University of Michigan Health System; Member, Urologic Nursing Journal Editorial Board; Expert on Men's Sexual Health

"There are many biographies in the world of literature, and this is certainly up there with the best of them."—Dean Mardon, radio host, Napier, New Zealand

"Ford and her colleagues have exhaustively researched every conceivable detail of Bob Crane's life."—Cindy Vitto, PhD, Dean, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ

Official National Radio Hall of Fame Campaign for Bob Crane

Formerly 'Vote For Bob Crane.'
The late legendary radio personality, musician, actor, and director Bob Crane, also known for his role on Hogan's Heroes, is being considered for induction into the National Radio Hall of Fame. Support for his induction was submitted by his colleagues in radio. Bob Crane's nomination is officially endorsed by WICC 600 AM in Bridgeport, CT; WLEA 1480 AM in Hornell, NY; WATR 1320 in Waterbury, CT; the Connecticut Broadcasting History Organization, and members of the Columbia Square (KNX) Alumni Group. This effort is supported by members of Bob Crane's family, as well as his close friends and colleagues in music, radio, television, film, and theatre. Founded, owned, and managed by Carol M. Ford, author of Bob Crane: The Definitive Biography, in 2011.

Vote For Bob Crane

Vote For Bob Crane was created because the National Radio Hall of Fame (NRHOF) allows public voting as part of their selection process. Thus, we needed to raise and build public awareness so people could literally vote for Bob Crane for his posthumous induction. Public voting was suspended in 2012 and then re-established in 2015. You can show your support by nominating Bob Crane via the NRHOF website.

Our work on Bob Crane's behalf has grown to include the publication of Bob Crane: The Definitive Biography and our 2017 podcast The Bob Crane Show: Reloaded. In 2018, we began work on a new project, in collaboration with a producer. Therefore, we changed our name to Bob Crane: Life & Legacy.

About Us

For most of her life, campaign manager Carol Ford, a professional editor and author, has been an advocate of Bob Crane's. This led to her collaboration with Linda Groundwater and Dee Young in researching a serious biography about Bob,. More than 200 individuals from Bob's life—including family, close friends as far back as grade school, and coworkers in radio, television, theatre, and film—contributed, and on September 7, 2015, Bob Crane: The Definitive Biography was published. The book is available through all major book retailers worldwide.

After getting to know Bob Crane's family and many of his dearest and trusted friends on a personal level, in February 2011, Carol nominated Bob for the National Radio Hall of Fame. He has, to date, not been inducted; however, the Steering Committee has assured us that our nomination for Bob has been retained on file and will be considered for future classes. We will continue to petition the Steering Committee for Bob Crane's posthumous induction in the National Radio Hall of Fame.

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Saturday, November 12, 2011

Veterans' Day Weekend - 'Operation Entertainment'