Creating an “Ideal Liberty Town”
Kinston’s WWII USOs
Part of Kinston’s enduring World War II legacy revolves around its two USOs in operation from 1942 through the end of the war. More than 700,000 men and women from Camp Lejeune, Cherry Point, Camp Davis and the Marine Corps Auxiliary Airfield-Kinston visited these two facilities during the WWII.
The main USO was the current Roundtree American Legion building located at the intersection of North and McLewean streets. USOs were segregated and the former American Legion facility was for white service personnel.
African American service members initially had the use of a facility on South Queen Street, but the number of service members quickly outgrew the available space. In 1944, a larger USO facility for African Americans opened on east Bright Street in April 1944.
Founded in 1941, the United Service Organization was an umbrella organization for a number of groups whose mission was to provide recreational activities and lift the morale of American military members. USOs did not serve alcoholic beverages, but these were readily available on military bases and in the civilian world.
The USOs offered a host of social activities and services to visiting members of the US military. Kinston’s main USO offered Saturday night dances, a popular Sunday buffet supper prepared by local Home Demonstration Groups, and a Sunday “Java Club” featuring coffee and refreshments paired with brief religious services by local ministers. The USO also offer service personnel the opportunity to record messages for folks at home, singing around the piano, quiz competitions, and Bingo.
The main USO facility made great efforts to create a welcoming atmosphere for its military visitors. The McLewean facility had a fireplace and knotty pine paneling. Volunteers decorated the interior with flowers and a large spread of magazines, creating a relaxing environment, a “home away from home,” where visitors could sit and relax for a few hours to escape the drudgery of military life.
Because of its relatively small size, the Kinston USO did not offer overnight lodging as did the Wilmington USO, but volunteers, for a small fee, did assist service members in acquiring overnight accommodations in private residences.
Kinston’s efforts to aid the thousands of service members visiting each weekend prompted Sergeant C.M. Harris, US Marine Corps Recruiter, to proclaim that “Kinston is doing more for men in the armed forces than any other town or city in the state.”
The African American USO closed in 1945 as the number of black Marines visiting Kinston had dropped significantly. The main USO remained open until 1946 that facility witnessed an exponential drop in visitation due to the closing of Camp Davis and major reductions in Marine personnel at Cherry Point and Camp Lejeune.
The Marine Corps Auxiliary Airfield-Kinston also ceased operations as its parent facility scaled back operations.
The main USO building reverted to the local American Legion and still functions as a meeting site for veteran’s groups. The second African American USO building still stands but appears largely abandoned.
Both USOs played a key role in Kinston’s WWII history and represent the colossal efforts of the people of Kinston and Lenoir county in assisting the thousands of service members visiting Kinston each week.
A final USO report stated, “The services of the USO [in Kinston] are no longer needed. The job well-done is now finished.”
On Saturday, September 27, the American Legion Building will be open to the public with displays of WWII uniforms, equipment, vehicles, tents, and weaponry along with exhibits on the Kinston WWII home front and life in Lenoir County during those years. A bus tour of notable WWII-related sites in and around Kinston will depart from the American Legion building that morning.
For more information search the VisitKinston.com website or contact Thomas Bailey at 919-738-8946.
Neuse News is an independent, locally-owned startup based in downtown Kinston. We’re committed to providing free, hyper-local news across Lenoir, Greene, and Jones counties—the kind of stories that matter most, delivered in a format built for today.
We don't charge subscriptions. Instead, we rely on readers like you—and the businesses that serve our community. When you shop local, dine local, and click on our sponsor ads, you help us keep real journalism free and accessible.
