July 13, 2011
Vol 13 No 28
December 24, 2014
Serving those who serve Recipes
Create a Cookie Tradition
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Around Town
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Business
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Volleyball Champs
Photo courtesy the USO of Missouri The USO of Missouri delivers a field lunch to troops stationed at Ft. Leonard Wood earlier this year. This is only one of the ways the USO of Missouri supports military personnel.
USO of Missouri wins top honor for division located at Lambert International Airport By Brett Auten They are there at the most joyous of times and at the most sullen. Whether it’s that sensational reunion or escorting the families of the fallen, the USO has been a constant ally and partner in the lives of the U.S. military since the 1950s. Fortunately for those servicemen and servicewomen coming through Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, they have the best there is to offer. The James S. McDonnell USO, a division of the Missouri USO, was honored for the top U.S. Airport Center-Large Division at the 2014 TellUSO Awards. Located on the lower level of Terminal 1 at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport, the James S. McDonnell USO serves as many as 12,000 service members and their families each month along its satellite facility in Terminal 2. Since 1981, over 5 million traveling military and their families have benefited from the multitude of services offered there as the USO of Missouri provides services and smiles to more than 209,000 military personnel and their families annually. “We do the best we can to provide support and a warm, welcome environment,” said Kathy O’Conner, Executive Director of the USO of Missouri. The USO of Missouri serves the military and their families in Missouri and the Illinois counties of Jersey, Madison, Monroe, and St. Clair. “It’s a tribute to the volunteers for all
the hard work they put in,” said David Waltrip, the President of the Board of Directors for the USO of Missouri, of the Terminal facility, which is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The USO of Missouri leans on 1,200 volunteers to serve troops across the state and those traveling through Lambert. Volunteers typically log around 7,500 hours a month. Military visitors at Lambert receive free food and drinks. The USO has had to roll with the punches of the changing times and have complete WiFi access, comfortable rest areas and an assortment of entertainment options. “It’s very exciting for us and our volunteers,” O’Conner said. “Our guests continually tell us we’re the best USO they’ve been to. The award now validates what we hear every day.” What makes the award extra special is that the TellUSO awards are based on the feedback of thousands of troops who are surveyed about the USO’s programs and services at centers in the U.S., Europe, Asia and Pacific regions. With nearby Ft. Leonard Wood, the Army is the most frequent branch that comes through Lambert, often times reaching double digits every month for servicemen and servicewomen heading to the Ozark installation. Despite all of the good vibes and positive feedback, it’s a hard financial fight to put out such a good product. The USO of Missouri and all outreach functions are governed by a board of di-
rectors and funded solely by the generosity of donors. The USO of Missouri is not funded by the government, military or the United Way and is not part of the Department of Defense and is financially independent from the National USO. So in order to defend its title the Missouri USO will once again have to drum up funding. “In January we start back at zero,” O’Conner said. “We are blessed with community support and are able to raise our own finances.” For more information on services, volunteering or donations, call 314-4297702 or go to www.usomissouri.org.
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Over The Fence Language is Weird
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“The Imitation Game” photo courtesy of Black Bear Pictures
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