We’ve heard several times since his return that taping The Colbert Report‘s Iraq episodes left a huge impression on Stephen. It’s not so surprising, when we consider all of his work supporting the troops before his visit and how patriotic he is (in the best sense of the word), and it was clear in watching the Operation Iraqi Stephen episodes how sincerely he respected the soldiers serving there and how eager he was to show them a good time.

Given all that, I was pleased to read this article covering the USO today, which characterizes Stephen’s shows as “one of the most popular in recent years”. I hope he and his team of writers and crewpeople take pride in what they were able to accomplish there. From MSNBC:

USO feeds troops starved for entertainment
In tradition dating back to 1941, celebs aim to bring slice of home overseas
By Michael Ventre

One of the harsher truths about life overseas for United States military personnel is that they rarely have all they need.

It isn’t just about enough weapons and ammo, bulletproof vests, Humvees or other equipment to help them thrive in combat. There are always shortages of letters and packages from home, of recreational opportunities and furloughs and of general contact with the free world outside of military bases.

There is also a dire need for entertainment.

. . .

One of the most popular [shows] in recent years occurred in June, when Colbert took his “Comedy Central” show to Baghdad for a week. The event featured the faux firebrand having his head shaved military style and prancing around in a tailor-made camouflage business suit.

“It was absolutely fabulous,” Pray said. “At the end of all the major tours, we put together a book, a compilation of events. To look at the photos of the venue he was working in, and then to see the smiling faces of all the troops … oh my gosh.”

Colbert said he was thrilled to be there, even if the logistics of staging his regular production were somewhat daunting for him and his entire production crew.

“I’m honored that we went to do the show in Iraq and in the end we still all liked each other,” he cracked. “When you put pressure on a system like that, things can rattle off and go wrong. It was sort of a painful process to go through, but we got back way more than we put in. I was grateful for that experience.

“The gratitude and appreciation from the people there was startling to me.”

. . .

Read the full article and view the slideshow here

I had to laugh at myself when I saw the top photo of Stephen featured on the slideshow, because it looked so familiar to me. (I think it was taken during one of the rehearsal sessions that was captured in these adorable videos, with Stephen laughing at his Army Basic Training exploits.) Anyway, here’s a brief clip of a Q&A featuring Stephen while he was in Iraq, from the MSNBC story:

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I remain terribly impressed with the people involved with the show for what they were able to accomplish at Camp Victory; the caliber of the shows and the guests was really incredible, and I think the response to the shows is a testament to that. Here’s hoping even more entertainers follow in Stephen’s footsteps, as the article makes it clear that the men and women in theater are always grateful for the shows.

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