The DeRidder USO was built in 1941 for the same reasons as all other United Service Organizations; to provide a relaxing atmosphere to members of the armed forces. The building is located at 250 Seventh Street and is across the street from the present day Beauregard Memorial Hospital.
DeRidder USO Building | |
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| Location | 250 West 7th Street, DeRidder, Louisiana |
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| Coordinates | 30°50′26″N 93°17′19″W / 30.84069°N 93.28866°W |
| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1941 |
| Built by | LeBlanc Brothers |
| NRHP reference No. | 92000037[1] |
| Added to NRHP | February 25, 1992 |
NRHP listing
editThe DeRidder USO building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 25, 1992.[1][2]
History
editThe DeRidder USO opened November 28, 1941, was accepted by the United Service Organization on December 1, 1941, and served permanent party and visitor members of the armed services of the United States from DeRidder Army Air Base, as well as Camp Polk.[3]
More than 500 USO's were built for our service men during World War II and some in foreign lands. What sets this one apart is that it was the first USO not built on a military reservation and built specifically for, and donated to, the USO. The second USO in Galveston opened 24 hours later. Civic Center records show that 89,000 soldiers visited the DeRidder USO, 15,000 had showers, and 27,000 saw movies during the time it was an active USO.[4][3]
Current
editThe building now serves as the community Civic Center for Beauregard Parish. Plaques commemorating Generals Bradley, Mark Clark, Eisenhower, Marshall and Patton, along with their pictures, hang on the walls near the entrances of meeting halls named in their honor. Fort Johnson or Louisiana does not have a USO at this time. The museum also boasts a Norden bombsight, a very rare item.[citation needed]
References
edit- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
- ^ "National Register of Historical Places - LOUISIANA (LA), Beauregard County". Archived from the original on 2011-09-27. Retrieved 2010-05-23.
- ^ a b National Register Staff (November 1991). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: DeRidder USO Building". National Park Service. Retrieved April 5, 2018. With ten photos from 1991.
- ^ "Beauregard Parish History". Archived from the original on 2004-12-13. Retrieved 2004-12-13.
See also
edit- Bay City USO Building, Bay City, Texas, also NRHP-listed
- East Sixth Street USO Building, Hattiesburg, Mississippi, also NRHP-listed
- Hawthorne USO Building, Hawthorne, Nevada, also NRHP-listed
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