A retired football player poses for photos on a USO tour in Italy.
Members of the U.S. Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade line up at Caserma Del Din in Vicenza, Italy, on Dec. 10, 2024, to meet former NFL defensive tackle Vince Wilfork. (Rebecca Holland/Stars and Stripes)
VICENZA, Italy — Soldiers and their families in Vicenza reveled in their chance this week to meet with a variety of celebrities and enjoy a USO holiday show touring Europe.
On Tuesday, Caserma Del Din and Caserma Ederle welcomed former NFL star defensive tackle Vince Wilfork, actor and singer Charles Esten, comedians Hunter Hill and Melissa Villaseñor, and singer Tyler Rich.
Wilfork played for 13 seasons, all but two of them with the New England Patriots, who won the Super Bowl twice during his time with them. He was a five-time Pro Bowl selection and made first-team All-Pro in 2012.
In Vicenza on Tuesday, Wilfork joked and took photos with eager fans including Casey Hall, a specialist in the 173rd Airborne Brigade.
“You can’t not love him,” Hall said.
A musician plays a guitar at show in Italy.
Country singer Tyler Rich performs some of his biggest hits during a USO tour at Caserma Ederle in Vicenza, Italy, on Dec. 10, 2024. The music video for his newest single will feature footage from the tour. (Rebecca Holland/Stars and Stripes)
A comedian performs at USO show for military members and family in Italy.
Former "Saturday Night Live" cast member Melissa Villaseñor does impressions during a USO holiday tour stop at Caserma Ederle in Vicenza, Italy, on Dec. 10, 2024. (Rebecca Holland/Stars and Stripes)
Michelle Ligitt, a reservist and Army spouse, brought her 10-month-old daughter in a Patriots onesie.
“I grew up in New England and am a huge Patriots fan,” she said. “Plus, it’s a great event for soldiers, great for morale.”
Adm. Christopher Grady, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, kicked off the nighttime show Tuesday that followed the meet-and-greet.
“This is a great opportunity to spend a lot of time with the 173rd,” he said. “You are defending forward. You are America’s varsity team.”
The tour started at Naval Station Rota in Spain before coming to Vicenza, and it will make seven stops across Europe. Grady said it was important for giving back to soldiers and their families.
Grady added that he hoped the tour could bring a bit of the U.S. to the audience, especially young, single soldiers who can’t go home and don’t have family in Italy.
The performers said their favorite part of the tour so far has been hanging out with troops over meals and learning about what they do day to day.
“Who they are really shines,” said Esten, who had a role in the TV series “Nashville” and “Outer Banks” and was a regular on the comedy show “Whose Line is it Anyway?” in its early years. “I’m blown away, to a person, at how capable they are. We’ll go home and share their stories.”
A Navy officer speaks to people at a USO show.
Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Adm. Christopher Grady opens the USO holiday tour in Vicenza, Italy, on Dec. 10, 2024. (Rebecca Holland/Stars and Stripes)
An entertainer plays for a military audience in Italy.
Actor and singer Charles Esten plays Christmas songs Dec. 10, 2024, for U.S. service members stationed at Caserma Del Din and Caserma Ederle in Vicenza, Italy. (Rebecca Holland/Stars and Stripes)
An entertainer performs during a USO show in Italy.
Comedian Hunter Hill performs a set for U.S. military families stationed in Vicenza, Italy, on Dec. 10, 2024. (Rebecca Holland/Stars and Stripes)
Esten and fellow performer Hill have personal ties to Italy. Hill’s mother-in-law was born in Vicenza, while Esten’s wife was born in Naples and grew up playing sports on military bases. This is the second USO tour for both performers.
“If the USO calls, you answer,” Hill said. “It’s not only a huge gift, but a responsibility.”
Rich, a country singer whose debut album “Two Thousand Miles” was released in 2020, is on his first USO tour and said the experience has been one of the most rewarding of his career so far.
“I knew it was an honor, but the real time we’ve gotten to spend with the troops is amazing,” he said, adding that the tour has made such an impact that footage from it will feature in his newest music video, which is set to be released Jan. 10.
“I’ve got a song coming out called ‘Give Up to Get It,’ about everything we give up to get our dreams,” he said. “But then when you’re on stage, you’re surrounded by people who make it worth it.”
U.S. service members stationed elsewhere in Europe can check the Facebook page of their local USO to see whether remaining stops on the holiday tour will be in their area.
The tour will visit Naval Air Station Sigonella in Sicily on Thursday and Naples on Friday.