“The Spirit of Hope Award”
1998

Presented by General Carl E. Mundy, Jr.
Presented at The Caucus Room
Russell Senate Office Building
Washington D.C.
September 23, 1998

Recipient
SENATOR STROM THURMOND

In 1998 the USO presented “The Spirit of Hope Award” to Senator Strom Thurmond for his decades of support for the men and women of the Armed Forces. “The Spirit of Hope Award” is presented to distinguished Americans whose patriotism and service to the troops reflects that of Bob Hope.

Biography

Senator Strom Thurmond was born December 5, 1902 in Edgefield, South Carolina, and received his bachelor’s degree from Clemson University in South Carolina. He was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army in 1924, and was first elected to the South Carolina Senate in 1933. After one term, Senator Thurmond was elected to serve as a South Carolina Circuit Judge, where he remained until volunteering for the Army during World War II. Senator Thurmond fought in five battles, including the Normandy Invasion, and received 18 decorations, medals, and awards, including the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star for Valor, and the Legion of Merit With Oak Leaf Cluster.

Senator Thurmond ultimately attained the rank of Major General in 1959. After serving as Governor of South Carolina from 1947 to 1951, he was elected to the United States Senate as a write-in candidate in 1954. He was a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee since 1959, and served as Chairman of the Committee. He was the Senior Member of both the Judiciary and Veterans Affairs Committees. He was recognized as a respected authority on military issues, and a magnificent advocate for a strong national defense.

Senator Thurmond was instrumental in passing the legislation that granted the USO a Congressional Charter in 1979, as well as the Joint Resolution designating Bob Hope an Honorary Veteran of the United States Armed Forces in November 1997.