70th Anniversary of the Historic USO Building

The doors of the Historic USO Building will open at 9:30 a.m. to host two very special building dedications. First off at 10 a.m., a re-dedication of the Historic USO Building: a celebration of the 70th anniversary of the opening of the Historic USO Building, and of the subsequent historical "eras" that the building has experienced (county, city, and Society), will be highlighted by a ceremony reminiscent of the building's dedication in October 1945. Dignitaries from the USO National Organization, the Salvation Army (the building’s original sponsor), and the U.S. Navy, along with governmental leaders at the national, state, county and city levels, will participate in the ceremony along with the current stewards of the historic building — the Historical Society of the Upper Mojave Desert.

A formal dedication of the Historical Society's Veterans Memorial Building will be made at the end of the Historic USO Building's 70th anniversary ceremony. After several years of carefully restoring the former school building to its historic configuration, the Society will, on this day, dedicate it as a Veterans Memorial Building honoring military veterans who are connected to the Upper Mojave Desert area and help ensure that their past service and sacrifices will not be forgotten. A reception with drinks and hors d'oeuvres will be served in the Veterans Memorial Building at 11:30 a.m. following the celebration ceremony and dedication of the VMB.

During this celebration, local noted author Liz Babcock will be in the lobby of the Historic USO Building, signing her new history of the Historic USO Building for anyone who purchases one of the books in the HSUMD Gift Shop. Her book is being published by the Historical Society of the Upper Mojave Desert as part of the 70th anniversary celebration.