Wednesday, November 11, 2020
By: Monica M SmithClub Historian Monica Smith shares some history about the Rotary Club of Washington, D.C.'s long-time volunteer efforts to host Bingo nights for veterans and their family members.
Thanks to all of our veterans and families of veterans who are with us at this meeting. We honor your service today and always. I am pleased to share a few historical photos from the Rotary Club of Washington, D.C.'s 46 years of association with the Walter Reed Medical Center [first Army Center, then all branches of the U.S. military] since January 23, 1944.
Initially, during 1944-1945 when Americans officially fought in World War II, the D.C. Rotary Club hosted hospital entertainment for wounded warriors and their families at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center on 16th St. NW, Washington, DC, featuring talent from local Capitol Theater. Originally, the entertainments were held on Friday afternoons, 2-4:30 p.m., but moved to Tuesday nights in September 1944. Two years later, after the war ended, the D.C. Rotary Club changed to hosting "Bingo parties at Walter Reed Hospital and the rehabilitation center at Forest Glen, with cigarettes, soft drinks, and prizes on the side." (1) "Bingo games were set for the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month, with a special Christmas party on the 2nd Tuesday in December....In addition to regular Bingo prizes, there [were] door prizes, the most popular of which [were] transistor radios and ten-minute phone calls anywhere in the U.S." (2)
The original Walter Reed Army Medical Center was closed in September 2011, and Rotary Bingo nights resumed in March 2012 at the relocated--and slightly renamed--Walter Reed National Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Rotary Bingo is a wonderful opportunity to meet wounded warriors from all service branches with their families, enjoy time playing Bingo over snacks, seeing the participants win fun prizes that they get to pick out for themselves, and generally providing a fun opportunity for them to have a minor break from their "real life" challenges. Unfortunately, due to the Covid-19 situation, we are not currently holding in-person Bingo events until further notice.
In this PDF, you can see the following images:
- Cover: A photo from the 1967 Water Reed Rotary Bingo Christmas party (3);
- Slide 2: Scans of two pages about our Walter Reed connections from the 1987 Club history (4);
- Slide 3: Black & white photo of men and women playing Bingo [with one soldier lying in bed and Camel cigarettes on table] (5);
- Slide 4: Black & white photo of three servicemen playing Bingo--note the desegregation of the military (6);
- Slide 5: Black & white photo of four women playing Bingo [love the one wearing a net over her hair curlers!] (7);
- Slide 6: Four black & white photos from apparently one Rotary Bingo night at Walter Reed [please let Monica know if you can identify the woman and man leading Bingo!] (8);
- Slide 7: Three black & white photos from apparently one Rotary Bingo night at Walter Reed with an unidentified officer [please let Monica know if you can identify him!] (9);
- Slide 8: Scan of a page about Walter Reed Bingo from the 2012 Club history (10);
- Slide 9: Four color photos from the Rotary Bingo Christmas party featuring "Santa Shelly" [Rotarian and Bingo guru Shelton Williams] and current President Nancy Riker (bottom right), December 2018.
(1) Rotary Club of Washington, DC, "1962 Club History," p. 14.
(2) Rotary Club of Washington, DC, "1972 Club History," pp. 10-12.
(3) Courtesy of the Walter Reed Medical Center's Public Information Office, photo by ACKAD, undated. [From Club Historian Monica's miscellaneous "Rotary Bingo Photos" file folder; found by PP Howard Davis in storage box]
(4) Rotary Club of Washington, DC, "Seventy-Five Years of Service Above Self: 1912-1987," pp. 9, 11.
(5) Ibid., p. 10
(6) Courtesy of the Walter Reed Medical Center's Public Information Office, photo by ACKAD, undated. [From Club Historian Monica's miscellaneous "Rotary Bingo Photos" file folder; found by PP Howard Davis in storage box]
(7) Ibid.
(8) Unmarked photos [From Club Historian Monica's miscellaneous "Rotary Bingo Photos" file folder; found by PP Howard Davis in storage box]
(9) Ibid.
(10) Rotary Club of Washington, DC, "A Century of Service: 1912-2020," p. 13.
(11) Rotary Bingo at the USO Warrior Center, photos courtesy of Monica Smith, December 2018. Read More