During his USO tours, Bob Hope made a point of visiting hospital wards. “A soldier stands in the twilight between his civilization and the raw savagery of war,” Hope explained to an audience in 1971. Wounded soldiers, Hope believed, “did not want sympathy, they wanted cheer.” Hope often greeted them flippantly: “Okay, fellas, Don’t get up.” On occasion, Hope collected greetings to loved ones.