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05/29/2003 Archived Entry: "Happy Birthday Bob!"

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOB HOPE:"Bob Hope turns 100 on Thursday, and he's received an outpouring of birthday greetings and thanks from the veterans and others he's entertained over the last 75 years. Dolores, his wife of 69 years, said they would have a birthday cake with 100 candles, 'with a fireman standing by with a fire extinguisher.' Hope, who entertained troops during World War II, the Korean, Vietnam and 1991 Gulf wars, remains the only civilian named an honorary veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces. He adopted the golf world with such enthusiasm that a tournament is named after him. And last month, the Hollywood Walk of Fame added a plaque to Hope's fourth star -- one each for radio, television, theater and film -- proclaiming him the 'Citizen of the Century.' Hope is said to have marked his birthday with a new one-liner: 'I'm so old, they've canceled my blood type.'"

Hope remains the only man that I've written an obituary for. You'll remember a couple of years ago that a member of Congress announced on the floor of the House that Hope had died and the news spread quickly. At the time I was working for an online newspaper at the time and crafted a fine obit -- quite good actually -- and it ran for about an hour until the news was revealed to be a hoax. Plenty of people got hoaxed that day. I was quite happy to know I had been tricked and he hadn't passed away.