DeRidder USO Building

The DeRidder USO was built in 1941 for the same reasons as all other United Service Organizations; to provide a relaxing atmosphere to members of the armed forces. The building is located at 250 Seventh Street and is across the street from the present day Beauregard Memorial Hospital.

DeRidder USO Building
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	250 West 7th Street, DeRidder, Louisiana
Coordinates	30°50′26″N 93°17′19″W
Area	1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built	1941
Built by	LeBlanc Brothers
NRHP reference No.	92000037[1]
Added to NRHP	February 25, 1992

NRHP listing

The DeRidder USO building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 25, 1992.[1][2]

History

The DeRidder USO opened November 28, 1941, was accepted by the United Service Organization on December 1, 1941, and served permanent party and visitor members of the armed services of the United States from DeRidder Army Air Base, as well as Camp Polk.[3]

More than 500 USO's were built for our service men during World War II and some in foreign lands. What sets this one apart is that it was the first USO not built on a military reservation and built specifically for, and donated to, the USO. The second USO in Galveston opened 24 hours later. Civic Center records show that 89,000 soldiers visited the DeRidder USO, 15,000 had showers, and 27,000 saw movies during the time it was an active USO.[4][3]

Current

The building now serves as the community Civic Center for Beauregard Parish. Plaques commemorating Generals Bradley, Mark Clark, Eisenhower, Marshall and Patton, along with their pictures, hang on the walls near the entrances of meeting halls named in their honor. Fort Polk or Louisiana does not have a USO at this time. The museum also boasts a Norden bombsight, a very rare item.

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 2, 2013.
2. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-09-27. Retrieved 2010-05-23.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
3. National Register Staff (November 1991). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: DeRidder USO Building". National Park Service. Retrieved April 5, 2018. With ten photos from 1991.
4. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2004-12-13. Retrieved 2004-12-13.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)

See also

• Bay City USO Building, Bay City, Texas, also NRHP-listed
• East Sixth Street USO Building, Hattiesburg, Mississippi, also NRHP-listed
• Hawthorne USO Building, Hawthorne, Nevada, also NRHP-listed