Groundbreaking comedian Joan Rivers died Thursday at the age of 81.
Rivers was a longtime supporter of the USO, even being named the 2001 USO of Metropolitan New York’s Woman of the Year.
She made a surprise visit last month to USO Denver at Denver International Airport, according to the Official USO Blog:
[Rivers] made sure each guest, volunteer and staff member knew how much she appreciated them.
While Rivers was being interviewed for New York magazine in 2010, a man approached her at the Sundance Film Festival:
“Excuse me,” he says. “I just have to interrupt.” Rivers looks up at him and cautiously smiles. “I want to thank you for bringing me joy in 1960 in Korea.” Her body language changes in an instant. “I was a gay soldier in peacetime Korea who was starved for Broadway,” he continues, “and you were performing with the USO troop...
“I was way up above the 38th Parallel in Camp Kaiser, Korea, and will never ever forget all of you.”
