New Stamp To Include A Little Hope

By The Associated Press
Published: November 24, 2008

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WASHINGTON --

The post office is telling Bob Hope: Thanks for the memories.

The beloved entertainer will be honored on a U.S. postage stamp next spring.

The stamp design will be unveiled today on New York's Ellis Island, the entry spot for thousands of immigrants like British-born Hope.

•Born in England as Leslie Townes Hope, the singer, actor and comedian was a youngster when his parents moved to the United States.

•Though never a member of the armed forces, Hope dedicated much of his time traveling the globe to entertain men and women in uniform, beginning in World War II and continuing through Operation Desert Storm.

•In 1997 Hope became the first person recognized by the U.S. Congress as an "honorary veteran of the United States Armed Forces."

•Hope died in 2003 and becomes the first person to benefit from a postal rule change allowing individuals to be honored on a stamp five years after their death.