Kaye Russell
Raritan's USO Entertainer during World War II
By Bruce Doorly
On display in the Raritan Municipal Building is what we call the World War II Honor Roll. It consists of 40 wooden frames that lists all the Raritan Men and Women who served in World War II.

There are 830 men and 17 women. The branch of service is listed along with the name. For the men, it is Army, Navy, Air Force or Marines. For the women it is mostly WAC (Women's Army Corps) or Nurse. But one woman is listed as “USO.” It is Kaye Russell from 53 Canal Street. This article will tell of her unique contribution to the war effort.

But first, what was the USO? And what impact did it have on the troops during World War II.
The birth of the USO

During World War I the United States military recognized the need for wholesome recreational activities for the men. The activities that the men often choose during the stress of wartime were drinking (often to excess) resulting in behavior problems and visits with prostitutes resulting in widespread venereal disease.

WWI ended before any significant programs were in place, but the seed was set for the next war. With war clouds on the horizon, in February 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt established an organization dedicated to providing recreational services for the troops – the United Services Organization (USO).

They initially were a group of clubs where military personnel could go to relax and get free coffee, donuts, sandwiches, and soft drinks.
The USO also held dances. These dances were initially held on the Homefront, then spread throughout the war in Europe and into the Pacific. To account for the large discrepancy between the number of men and women, many women volunteers, who were carefully selected and chaperoned, were in attendance. The girls were often only permitted one dance with each guy - with romance being prohibited.

Not that the guys minded, as dancing with a girl in Europe during wartime was better than not seeing any girls at all – as was common during the war.
Although dances and recreational centers offered the soldier benefits, the USO quickly realized the need for live quality entertainment.

Thus, in October of 1941, a new branch called the “USO Camp Shows” was established.

Upon the U.S. entry into the war in December of 1941, the growth of the USO was exponential.
Bob Hope is the most famous USO Entertainer
Kaye Russell

Born in 1923 in New York City, she grew up in Raritan. Service to one’s country was a family tradition as her father served in World War I with the Rainbow Division in France.

During World War II her brother Arthur served in the Navy aboard a ship known as a submarine chaser. Kaye’s talent for dance was recognized early. When she was just eight years old, she first appeared on stage at the Cort Theatre in Somerville. She left high school in her junior year to perform with a prominent nightclub act in Baltimore.

When the U.S. entered the war, she joined the USO.
She was sent overseas to Europe with the “USO Camp Shows.” The USO show was called the “Loop the Loop” show.

Her specific act was known as the “The Step Sisters” - a tap dance that she performed with a partner. She did as many as five shows a day. This USO group toured England — playing at air bases, hospitals, mess halls, and even in muddy fields.

Overall, in Europe, she did over one-thousand shows during the ten-month tour.
The Step Sisters do their thing
She was ever aware that the war was near. Once at a show, an air raid alarm had gone off. They were given permission to continue to perform, but it was under flashlights from the audience.

Even while not performing and staying in London she was haunted by the V1 rockets launched by Germans.

One of these bombs exploded in the backyard of a home she was staying at.

At the hospitals where she often performed, she saw firsthand the horrible results of the war. Many soldiers had serious injuries and would need major operations.
Kaye is the second girl on the left
After the 10-month tour Kaye returned home to Raritan. At that time a couple of articles about her appeared in the local newspapers.

After a few months at home, with WWII still raging, Kaye Russell returned to entertain the troops. This time she would tour throughout the Pacific Theatre of war. This is where she met her future husband Neal Shier, who was also an entertainer (an impressionist) with the USO. Together they traveled throughout the Pacific to perform for the troops. Not only did they entertain, but often visited with the injured men in the hospital.
Kaye with her future husband
Kaye said she enjoyed her wartime experience as she had made a difference.

Stating “The boys are grateful just to see and speak to American girls. They crowd around us after each performance and ask questions just to hear us talk in our good-old American style.”

She said one of the biggest thrills was meeting boys from her part of the country back home. Overseas she would meet two Raritan men—John Cox and Allen Tonkin.
The boys were just glad to be able to
talk to an American Girl
The role of the Regular USO Entertainers during WW II

In the history books and on surviving videos about the USO, well known entertainers such as Bob Hope are featured. But one radio announcer summed up the role that the non-famous USO entertainers played during wartime to the stressed-out homesick men on the front-lines:

“They might not be the biggest names in show business back home, but they are headliners here, and if you could see the faces of the GIs watching their performance, you would see why.”
Kaye Russell after the war

Following the war, Kaye and Neal married in 1946. After a few years they settled in Bloomfield where they remained for decades.

Throughout her life she maintained a passion for dance and a commitment to community. She choreographed and directed productions to raise funds for charitable organizations. She applied her background in music and dance to pioneer the use of dance therapy to help speech and hearing-impaired children. She later owned and operated several dance studios in New Jersey. One dance company that she started, the "Happy Hoofers", was unique in that it was for professional middle-aged women.

Kaye Russell Shier died in 2010.
Kaye is in the middle Click to see all photos enlarged