Looking Back’s theme for 2026 is Downtown by the Decades. The USO Club in Olympia opened in early 1942, during World War II. It had a lounge, library, showers, and cafeteria. The USO (United Service Organization) is a nonprofit, founded in 1941, that provides support to service troops and their families. This building was located on Fourth Avenue near Bethel Street.
Unidentified photographer, around 1942, Susan Parish Collection, Washington State Archives
Text © Deborah Ross and The Olympian 2026