Daily Archives: December 21, 2009

The USO family was saddened to hear about the death of actress Brittany Murphy on Sunday morning.  She went on tour for us in 2003 to the Persian Gulf.  And did she ever make a great impression on the Troops.

Bernie Rone, the USO’s Director of Celebrity Entertainment Recruiting, was on that tour and recalls Murphy as “A fun-loving young lady who got it.  She went out on the tour for all the right reasons and the troops loved her.”  Not only did Murphy make an impression by stopping to say hi and shake the hand of every service member she encountered, Rone said her talent shined through.  ”She actually performed and sang a few numbers with Wayne Newton’s band.  And we were blown away by how good she was.”

Senior Vice President of Communications John Hanson was also on the tour and remembers that even adverse conditions didn’t seem to affect Murphy. “The heat on that tour was unrelenting.  It was over 120 degrees everywhere we went,” explains Hanson.  ”Brittany Murphy was there for the troops 15 hours a day every day, and her commitment to the troops was clear from the beginning.  We will miss her compassion, her charm and her generous spirit.”