Blake Hall
Among veterans and civilians alike, Bob Hope is a legend. In Los Angeles, however, that is a name that no longer carries any weight.
Bob Hope Airport is officially being renamed Hollywood Burbank Airport in order to attract more tourists. Airport officials voted to change the name to something more recognizable.
“Bob Hope isn’t doing it,” Commissioner Don Brown said to the LA Times. “The name of the airport — Bob Hope — is just not. We’ve been told by our travel agencies here and been told by the airlines that we’ve got to do something, and the name Bob Hope just doesn’t identify with this airport.”
The airport was named after Hope after the comedian died in 2003 at age 100.
Will a name change suddenly make this airport popular? Given Hope’s legacy as an entertainer, we’re not convinced.
The comedian completed a whopping 57 tours with the USO between 1941-1991. During that time, Hope delivered rapid-fire oneliners and gut-busting monologues before soldiers in every major armed conflict from World War II to Operation Desert Storm. During the Vietnam War, Hope spent months bringing smiles to troops even though it made him a prime target for anti-troop criticism.
The U.S. Military Academy at West Point recognized Hope’s service as an entertainer by awarding him the Sylvanus Thayer Award in 1968. Thirty years later, an act of Congress named Hope an honorary veteran in 1997.
“I’ve been given many awards in my lifetime — but to be numbered among the men and women I admire most — is the greatest honor I have ever received,” Hope said of his honorary title.
Outside the military, Hope’s career stretched through film, television, radio, theatre and music.
Bob Hope might not have an airport named after him anymore, but we can still appreciate the comedian for the legend her was.