WATERLOO - Guests stepped into the 1940s for the first birthday of the Sullivan Brothers Iowa Veterans Museum on Saturday.

Nearly 200 attended "A Night at the Hollywood Canteen" to mark a year since the opening of the 32,000-square-foot, $11.5 million addition to the Grout Museum. The event mimicked a World War II USO show where celebrities performed for troops to boost their morale.

KWWL's Ron Steele, the University of Northern Iowa mascot TC the cat, Grout Executive Director Billie Bailey and re-enactors portraying Bette Davis and Clark Gable were among the modern-day celebrity servers.

Classic swing music filled the air as people in military uniforms and outfits from the era mingled about the room. Girls peddled candy cigarettes and bubble gum cigars. A nurse, aviator and sailor took swing dance lessons in the lobby.

The evening showcased the USO Liberty Bells of Metropolitan New York, made up of Broadway and off-Broadway performers. The group, a U.S. tradition that goes back more than 65 years, features four-part harmonies, solos and patriotic costumes.

"All what you've read about the USOs is coming alive tonight," said Bev Haugen, who attended the event with her husband, Axe.

Peggy Mundt of Waterloo loves the style of the 1940s. She wore a dress from a retro store in Las Vegas and loaned another vintage outfit to her sister, Grout curator Robin Venter.

"She came over and played dress up - makeup, hair," Mundt said. "I love this era. I just love everything about it."

A group of U.S. Naval Sea Cadets from throughout Iowa also attended. The junior high and high schoolers are training to join the Navy at a higher rank after graduation.

This year's Sullivan Brothers Outstanding Military Family Award went to the family of retired U.S. Army Reserve Maj. Gen. Evan " Curly" Hultman. The presentation recognizes and honors military families with three or more serving members who have demonstrated exemplary community service.

Hultman and his wife, Betty, have been great supporters of the museum, said Kelly Sullivan Loughren of Cedar Falls, the granddaughter of the late Albert Sullivan.

"That, to me, is the best part," she said. "It's neat to see how many different families sacrifice for our country, and I feel a deep connection to those families because of the Sullivan brothers. It just seems appropriate to give thanks to the people who serve our country."

Nearly 80,000 have walked through the exhibits since the addition opened. According to the Grout's Cyd Mchone, the museum also has seen three times as many group tours.

The museum's library continues to grow with more than 900 interviews of Iowa veterans and homefront workers, Mchone said.

"It's been a real rewarding year," said Grout historian Bob Neymeyer. "It's nice to celebrate something that we've been told we did very well. This is fun."