Save the Third Army Soldier Show Story

In the heat of the Vietnam war and the turmoil of the Civil Rights Movement, hundreds of soldiers were making music. While lives were being lost for both causes, the show went on.

The U.S. Army stepped up its entertainment program for stateside soldiers in the early 1960s. It had two major purposes: provide entertainment and reduce the AWOL rate. What the Army didn't realize is that its troupes of enlisted entertainers would be among the most opposed to fighting and the most supportive of equal rights.

Approximately 500 men and women served in the Third Army shows from 1962 to 1973. INTER/MISSION, The Story of the Third Army Soldier Shows  is the book that will retell lost and fading stories of the soldiers, their interactions with other GIs, anti-war protests, discrimination, and their mission to deliver top quality entertainment. Members of their audience were frequently facing deployment to war or suffering from the physical and emotional aftermath of serving in a war zone. Between shows, the cast and crew would encounter many of the social and emotional struggles being faced by the American public. On stage, they were professional entertainers.

Please support this worthy cause. There are no official records and we are striving to capture the memories and the experience from a group of diverse and aging show veterans. Their stories apply now, more than ever, to the constantly changing social and political landscape in America. Funds are needed for research, professional writing and editing, digitizing of tape recordings, video production, printing, and miscellaneous expenses.

INTER/MISSION, The Story of the Third Army Soldier Shows will be completed in late 2014.