Connie Stevens' USO trips have paid off beyond the satisfaction she gets from entertaining the troops.
Stevens has been given the Army's Decoration for Distinguished Civilian Service Medal. The medal was presented to the actress at a recent ski event in Jackson Hole, Wyo., her Los Angeles publicist said.
The Army said Stevens has made "extraordinary contributions to USO-sponsored events in Korea, Vietnam and the Persian Gulf, as well as community service and support activities" in the United States.
Stevens, who starred as Cricket Blake in the 1959-63 TV series "Hawaiian Eye," says her support for the military comes from her heart. "I will always be there for the countless men and women who serve our country and preserve our freedoms," she said.