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Post by Jim on Apr 12, 2020 2:01:42 GMT 9
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Post by Jim on Apr 13, 2020 8:01:33 GMT 9
Now for a bit longer seeing as no one bothered the this post, I will add this.... Unless you are over 80, you weren't around when this happened, and probably never knew this........ This from an OLD F-106 Driver friend of mine, AJ Kelly, a foine Irishman he be. A Great History Lesson and one for the Memory Book - “God Bless America”
It’s been around before --- but it seems appropriate. If you don’t want to re-read the history, skip to the bottom for the song!
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Maybe you're not old enough to remember Kate Smith, but in our family I remember sitting in front of the radio listening to her. Never heard the full story of the song until now.
Frank Sinatra considered Kate Smith the best singer of her time, and said that when he and a million other guys first heard her sing "God Bless America" on the radio, they all pretended to have dust in their eyes as they wiped away a tear or two. Here are the facts; The link at the bottom will take you to a video showing the very first public singing of "God Bless America." But before you watch it you should know the story behind it. The time was 1940. America was still in a terrible economic depression. Hitler was taking over Europe and Americans were afraid we'd have to go to war. It was a time of hardship and worry for most Americans. This was the era before television when radio shows were HUGE and American families sat around their radios in the evenings, listening to their favorite entertainers and no entertainer of that era was bigger than Kate Smith.
Kate WAS large; “plus” size as we now say and the popular phrase still used today is in deference to her; "It ain't over till the fat lady sings." Kate Smith might not have made it big in the age of TV but with her voice coming over the radio, she was the biggest star of her time. Kate was also patriotic. It hurt her to see Americans so depressed and afraid of what the next day would bring (sound familiar?). She had hope for America, and faith in her fellow Americans. She wanted to do something to cheer them up, so she went to the famous American song-writer Irving Berlin (who also wrote White Christmas) and asked him to write a song that would make Americans feel good again about their country. When she described what she was looking for, he said he had just the song for her. He went to his files and dusted off a song that he had written but never published, 22 years before - in 1918. He gave it to her and she worked on it with her studio orchestra. She and Irving Berlin were not sure how the song would be received by the public, but both agreed they would not take any profits from God Bless America. Any profits would go to the Boy Scouts of America. Over the years, the Boy Scouts has received millions of dollars in royalties from this song. This video starts out with Kate Smith coming into the radio studio with the orchestra and an audience. She introduces the new song for the very first time and starts singing. After the first couple verses, with her voice in the background, scenes are shown from the 1940 movie, “You're In The Army Now” At the 4:20 mark of the video you see a young actor in the movie, sitting in an office, reading a paper - it's Ronald Reagan. You will recognize other old stars but probably have forgotten their names. You may remember George Murphy near the end, though. To this day, God Bless America stirs our patriotic feelings and pride in our country. Back in 1940, when Kate Smith went looking for a song to raise the spirits of her fellow Americans, I doubt whether she realized just how successful the results would be during those years of hardship and worry... and for many generations of Americans to follow. Now that you know the story of the song, I hope you'll enjoy it.
Many people don't know that there's a lead in to the song since it usually starts with God Bless America. So here's the entire song as originally sung. Enjoy it!
Click below and turn your volume up:
Kate Smith introduces God Bless America - YouTube or
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Post by LBer1568 on Apr 13, 2020 9:02:46 GMT 9
Jim, As I was born on 4 July 1944 I am an in between generation. I'm too old to be part of the Boomers. And I am too young to have heard the original Kate Smith recording. But I do remember she had a TV Show in early 50's and she would sing God Bless America as her closing song. I enjoyed it as a 4-6 year old and still brings a tear sometimes. A great lady who is being treated harshly by the younger pansy A$$ kids who live in parents basement, have a student debt more than my current house cost, and need a safe spot. They reject her because she sang songs back in 1930's about blacks. But they weren't considered racist by the "Negro's" back then. So today they take down statues of her which were respected for decades. Ever want to kick A$$ and take names? Lorin
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Post by Jim on Apr 13, 2020 9:24:09 GMT 9
Jim, As I was born on 4 July 1944 I am an in between generation. I'm too old to be part of the Boomers. And I am too young to have heard the original Kate Smith recording. But I do remember she had a TV Show in early 50's and she would sing God Bless America as her closing song. I enjoyed it as a 4-6 year old and still brings a tear sometimes. A great lady who is being treated harshly by the younger pansy A$$ kids who live in parents basement, have a student debt more than my current house cost, and need a safe spot. They reject her because she sang songs back in 1930's about blacks. But they weren't considered racist by the "Negro's" back then. So today they take down statues of her which were respected for decades. Ever want to kick A$$ and take names? Lorin EVERY DAY!!!!!
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Post by pat perry on Apr 13, 2020 11:56:19 GMT 9
Jim, As I was born on 4 July 1944 I am an in between generation. I'm too old to be part of the Boomers. And I am too young to have heard the original Kate Smith recording. But I do remember she had a TV Show in early 50's and she would sing God Bless America as her closing song. I enjoyed it as a 4-6 year old and still brings a tear sometimes. A great lady who is being treated harshly by the younger pansy A$$ kids who live in parents basement, have a student debt more than my current house cost, and need a safe spot. They reject her because she sang songs back in 1930's about blacks. But they weren't considered racist by the "Negro's" back then. So today they take down statues of her which were respected for decades. Ever want to kick A$$ and take names? Lorin EVERY DAY!!!!!Jim, I am one of them tweeners like Lorin. Born in '46, I relate more to the Greatest Generation than I do the Boomers. I well remember AJ Kelly and miss him. And I remember Kate Smith and Arthur Godfrey's Lipton Tea Talent Show on the radio and B&W TV. His talent scouts discovered Pat Boone and Julius LaRosa and many others. My Mom loved the show and music of that era and I learned to love them too. When I got to Okinawa in 1968 they had a audio recording service at Naha air base. They would copy record albums on 7 inch reels for 75 cents each. I copied all the albums my mom loved and bought her a Nivico (Japanese RCA Victor) console stereo system with AM/FM radio and reel recorder and had it shipped home in my hold baggage when I discharged. When it arrived, my Mom cried for a week listening to her favorite albums. She passed in 2004 but I still have that Nivico stereo and 7 inch reels and it still works and reminds me of her love of music. Do I remember Kate Smith? Yes, she was my Mom's favorite singer and mine. Thanks for the memories. Pat P.
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Post by LBer1568 on Nov 23, 2023 2:35:27 GMT 9
Actually 60 years ago today, JFK was murdered by Lee Harvey Oswald. Or so the story goes. Recently they released several thousand pages of Warren Commission data. Most all Americans of my age can tell you exactly where they were when hearing of the shooting and later his death. Myself I was the CQ runner in 1st Sgt/Commanders' office at Lowry AFB CO going to tech school for MA-1 System. All of "real" Air Force folks (not us student jeeps) were at a luncheon. I got the phone call from Command Post who demanded to talk to someone in charge. I told them I was it, until they returned. So he told me to "Lock down" Squadron and put dorm guards in place. About 15 minutes after first call I was informed that President was dead and LBJ would be next CIC. During this time we brought the TV from rec center and put it in Day room. We saw all the news and it was over 45 min later that TV announced his death. I got phone calls every 5 min until First Shirt returned. He had to then drive to Commander's Quarters to get him on-duty. When they both returned they smelled of booze as they had been at bar/club. So at that time the TI's all got issued 45 cal pistols or M-1 carbines and real ammo. We set up perimeters around all our dorms and parade pad and waited further word. We didn't go back to school until the following Monday as the death was on a Monday and Holiday was Thursday. Where were you when JFK was killed. Another day we also remember was 9-11. Lorin
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Post by pat perry on Nov 24, 2023 0:39:42 GMT 9
Actually 60 years ago today, JFK was murdered by Lee Harvey Oswald. Or so the story goes. Recently they released several thousand pages of Warren Commission data. Most all Americans of my age can tell you exactly where they were when hearing of the shooting and later his death. Myself I was the CQ runner in 1st Sgt/Commanders' office at Lowry AFB CO going to tech school for MA-1 System. All of "real" Air Force folks (not us student jeeps) were at a luncheon. I got the phone call from Command Post who demanded to talk to someone in charge. I told them I was it, until they returned. So he told me to "Lock down" Squadron and put dorm guards in place. About 15 minutes after first call I was informed that President was dead and LBJ would be next CIC. During this time we brought the TV from rec center and put it in Day room. We saw all the news and it was over 45 min later that TV announced his death. I got phone calls every 5 min until First Shirt returned. He had to then drive to Commander's Quarters to get him on-duty. When they both returned they smelled of booze as they had been at bar/club. So at that time the TI's all got issued 45 cal pistols or M-1 carbines and real ammo. We set up perimeters around all our dorms and parade pad and waited further word. We didn't go back to school until the following Monday as the death was on a Monday and Holiday was Thursday. Where were you when JFK was killed. Another day we also remember was 9-11. Lorin Lorin, I was a 11th grader in High School when JFK was assinated. Our parents had just bought a B&W TV with a small screen, and we watched the reruns of the shooting in Dealy Plaza. Also saw the killing of Lee Harvey Oswald on that TV.
I respected JFK and Harry Truman for their courage in WWII because both served in the Military. I had just returned from Vietnam to Okinawa and went to the Airman's Club in 1969 just as Neil Armstrong stepped on the Moon. It made me remember when JFK said, "We will go to the Moon and do the other things not because they are easy but because they are hard". Truman ordered the bombing of Japan that ended WWII and was never told about the Manhattan Project until FDR died, and Truman became POTUS. I would have voted for both of them if I had been old enough to vote when they were elected. LBJ was a failure trying to micromanage the Vietnam War from the White House. After them I became a Conservative and have been so ever since. Thanks, Pat P.
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