In June 1950, North Korea invaded South Korea. The United States was drawn into the Korean War. By 1953, several thousand more men had been drafted into the Armed Forces. There were now 3.5 million armed personnel. The USO and the former USO affiliate, Camp Shows, Inc., were called upon to provide social and recreational support.
The USO focused its resources on the smaller communities located near the military bases. Local community groups, churches and fraternal organizations were asked to help the USO. This was the first in the organization's history that they extended themselves fully to the over one million servicemen and women who were stationed in Korea and other parts of the world. USO centers were now set up in France, Italy, North Africa, Japan and the Philippines.
