The Crossroads USO
Nearly 200,000 Army, Navy, Marine, Coast Guard and Seabee service people flooded Maui for training and rest between deadly missions throughout the Pacific during World War II. An Army division headquarters, and Army hospital, other scattered military camps and Camp Maui in Kokomo were located in the Makawao area.
So it is not surprising that military men and some women, mostly young and anxious about their future, filled Makawao’s streets and businesses , seeking entertainment, a good hamburger, a haircut, or just a friendly conversation. Sometimes they sat on the curbs, just passing time. As the need grew, philanthropist Ethel Baldwin gathered volunteers and took charge. She leased the vacant Tam Chow Store on the corner of Makawao and Baldwin Avenues and and opened the Crossroads USO in January of 1943. Ehtel and her crew had decided on a ranch theme, gathered donations from the community, and created a space that was as comfortable as a living room but even better. Not only couches and chairs and attractive cowboy decor, but also pool and ping pong tables, radio, phonographs, musical instruments, books and magazines, and a fireplace for rainy days. the fire was also useful for roasting marshmallows and popping popcorn, reminiscent of home.
Left to right: -
Miss Rose Crook- Mrs. Willey- Chuck Allen- Mrs.Tuttle
Leo Estreicher- Edward Smith- Pvt Katalin- Corp Marino
Wallace Shaw- Glenn Jordan- Andrew Kuchta- Mrs Harry Baldwin
The Hostesses
Very important to lonely servicemen was the company of the hostesses. Hostesses not only chatted with the men, they arranged for horseback rides, played games, played the piano and served refreshments. Some, including Ethel Baldwin , took them home for dinner or out to a picnic.
Hostess Duties
Call Sheet
Letters Home
Letters home were very important to service men and women. Ample space was provided by the USO for them to write their family and friends back home with desk cubicles supplied with paper, pens, and lamps to write by.
Outstanding Service
By the first anniversary of the Crossroads USO, it had served 53,000 military men. That was before Camp Maui was established in early 1944! The 100,000th serviceman visited in August, 1944. The war in the Pacific ended in September, 1945, causing the closing of the Crossroads USO in November, 1945, after three years of outstanding service.
