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Posted on 10/31/2003 3:01:59 AM PST by snippy_about_it
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 are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
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 For over 200 years, military bands have entertained troops and raised the morale of war-weary soldiers. Pre-Revolutionary War As far back as 1633, in the Colony of Virginia, drummers performed for marching practice during militia drills. In 1659, the Dutch supplied the militia of their new colony with drums. In 1687, the importance of music to the militia was further demonstrated when Virginia voted to purchase musical instruments for its militia. All free white males were required to serve in these units and supply their own rifles. Drummers received money for their services and public funds furnished their instruments. The first known band in the colonies was a band in New Hampshire in 1653 comprising of 15 hautbois (oboe) and 2 drums. The elite militia units in the colonies obtained the services of bands. Officers funded these bands. In 1747, the Pennsylvania colonists formed regiments and Colonel Benjamin Franklin was the regimental commander in Philadelphia. In 1756, the Regiment of Artillery Company of Philadelphia, commanded by Franklin, marched with over 1000 men accompanied by "Hautboys and Fifes in Ranks." It is likely that the term "hautboy" did not refer solely to oboes, but to military musicians, and that Franklin had a well-balanced band. This marks the first recorded appearance of an American military band in the colonies. The Colonies go to War  Musicians in the minuteman companies provided the steady rhythms needed to drill the new militia. On April 19, 1775, William Diamond (in some accounts Dinman), a drummer in Captain John Parker's Lexington militia company, beat To Arms at the Battle of Lexington. Also present was Jonathan Harrington, a fifer. Diamond later went on to march the Lexington militia to Bunker Hill. Some time after Bunker Hill, Diamond set aside his drum in favor of a musket and served throughout the remainder of the Revolution, to include the Battle of Yorktown, as a foot soldier. Support for independence grew and spread throughout the colonies as the war in New England intensified. The colonists held rallies with patriotic speeches and banners. Militia companies drilled while bands played patriotic melodies. At least seven regiments were known to have bands. The bands of the 3rd and 4th Regiments of Artillery served until the end of the war. Near the end of the Revolution, both bands gave frequent civilian concerts. One of them continued to exist into the nineteenth century under the name of the "Massachusetts Band." Musicians were largely young boys from the ages 9 to 14. Congress approved the plan for soldiers no longer enlisting to be only musicians. Drummers and fifers were now picked from the ranks of enlisted personnel. Thus is the first reference to musicians performing soldierly duties. The War of 1812 During the War of 1812, few changes occurred in the development of Army music. The only exception was the shift from fifes and drums to bugles sounding the signals. The bugler was located at the side of his commander. Militia bands were a common sight during the War of 1812. The first military band of New York City was organized in 1810 and offered its' services to the 11th Regiment of the New York Militia. It was stationed at Bledsoe's Island in the New York Harbor, the site of the Statue of Liberty. The band served throughout the War of 1812. Civil War Bands The number of military bands grew tremendously during the first years of the Civil War (1861-1865) when expenses were assumed by the federal government. In 1862 Congress consolidated over 200 regimental bands into about 60 brigade bands and limited the number of musicians in military bands to sixteen.  Some military bands had a less-than-professional appearance. This band (pictured below) was under the command of General James A. Blunt in Kansas in 1863.  Brigade bands performed concerts for the officers, provided music for marching troops, and aided in kitchen and medical duties at hospitals and in the field. This over-the-shoulder, or backfire, cornet was played by George Bind of Company C, 7th Kansas Cavalry during the Civil War. These horns were designed to point back behind the musician's shoulder so that troops marching behind the band could better hear the music. This horn was manufactured by Gilmore, Graves & Co. of Boston around 1861.  Military Bands on the Frontier After the Civil War bands continued to play an important role in the military. Army regulations required bands to be stationed only at those posts serving as regimental headquarters. In Kansas, that meant Fort Leavenworth, Fort Riley, Fort Harker, and Fort Hays. The regulations also allowed bands to travel around the region to posts occupied by companies of the regiment. Frontier military bands often performed concerts at nearby communities. People traveled great distances to hear military bands play.  Commanding officers had a wide latitude in the uniforms and outfits worn by band members, as is apparent with the band at Fort Hays in 1886.
Spanish-American War Regimental bands accompanied American troops to Cuba and the Philippines for "The Splendid Little War." The 20th Kansas Volunteers were commanded by Frederick Funston of Iola. Members of the 20th Kansas Band distinguished themselves in the Philippines, often taking part as stretcher bearers and sometimes in combat. After the war a number of musical compositions, like Funston's Fighting 20th March were written in tribute to Funston and his men.  "The War to End All Wars" Over 200 American military bands were stationed in Europe during World War I. Because the quality of these bands was fairly low, military bandmasters' schools were established. Many Americans got a musical education while serving in the military, and after the war pursued careers in music education in the public schools.  Corporal Martin G. Miller used this tenor saxophone while in the band of the 130th Field Artillery, 35th Division, from 1917 to 1919. It was manufactured by Frank Holton & Co. of Chicago around 1903.  World War II and Beyond In 1941, the War Department authorized the organization of over 400 bands for the American military. Smaller ensembles often formed out of the larger concert bands, and popular music such as jazz and big-band music was reflected in the selections performed by these military bands.  As in World War II, bands accompanied combat units into action in Korea. Bands traveled many miles to perform several concerts a day for units close to the front line. One report read, "The closer we play to the front line, and recently we have been within a half-mile of it, the more enthusiastic has been the response to our music." By 1969, eight bands were stationed in Vietnam. Bands in Vietnam, like those in Korea, often performed in forward areas. They flew into combat areas with instruments and performed pop concerts or military ceremonies when needed. Desert Storm/Desert Shield Army Bands played a part in these conflicts by increasing morale for Soldiers and providing music for military ceremonies. Bands' duties were varied. For example, the 3rd Armored Division Band performed on the enemy side of a berm while the 24th Infantry Division advanced into Iraqi territory; and many bandsmen spent countless hours guarding the perimeter. Members of the 1st Infantry Division Band from Fort Riley, Kansas formed a rock 'n roll band to entertain the troops while stationed in Saudi Arabia in 1991.       |
I think they go to class to learn how to do that, it's in the Union contract.
Witch: See "Mother-in-Law."
Zombie: What you look like before that first cup of morning coffee
Love these two. They are so true.
Dead since 1940 and with his records "corrected," Henry O. Flipper didn't really need a pardon, but in 1999, President Bill Clinton - the great pardoner - pardoned him anyhow.
Arrrrrrrgh. Mentioning that POS ruined an otherwise excellent article.
Good morning everyone. My dad says hello and has really appreciated your messages and phone calls. He continues to do extremely well with his recovery. He was up and out of bed yesterday, and enjoying the fine hospital dining experience. He was improving enough that they booted him out of the ICU and he now has a nice quite room with a view where he can continue to get the much needed rest in hope of getting sent home as soon as possible. As I mentioned earlier, he has really enjoyed the incoming phone and email messages and Iâ?Tm sure that once he is a little more rested, heâ?Tll even be ready to actually take calls (rather than rely on his built in secretarial staff!) and at some point visits. Again, thanks for all the support, thoughts and prayers.
Mike & the rest of the Lopez family
...enjoying the fine hospital dining experience.
LOL. I bet he is!
Johnny, as a Fire Fighter you can appreciate this story.
This KCAL9 reporter is standing in the middle of our neighborhood with flames burning on the hillside in the background. He stops this firefighter (in the middle of doing his job) and asks, "it appears the winds are picking up again in all directions . . . what will this mean for saving all these homes?" The fireman says, "that isn't the winds picking up, it's the fire sucking the oxygen out of the air . . . fires need oxygen to breath . . . excuse me." The look on this dufus' face was priceless. I know these reporters have a job to do but sometimes you have to wonder what exactly that job is.
Later . . .
Pardon me if I add some more about Glenn Miller.
GLENN MILLER: A SHORT BIOGRAPHY
February 5, 1940
Glenn Miller and his orchestra recorded the big-band classic "Tuxedo Junction."
April 2, 1942
Glenn Miller and his orchestra recorded "American Patrol" at the RCA Victor studios in Hollywood.
"A band ought to have a sound all of its own. It ought to have a personality." - Glenn Miller
Alton Glenn Miller was born in Clarinda, Iowa on March 1, 1904. But it was in North Platte, Nebraska, several years later that Glenn actually got his musical start when, one day, his father brought home a mandolin. Glenn promptly traded it for an old battered horn, which he practiced every chance he got. In fact his mother worried, "It got to where Pop and I used to wonder if he'd ever amount to anything."
In 1923, Miller entered the University of Colorado, although he spent more time traveling to auditions and playing where and whenever he could. After flunking three of his five courses one semester, Glenn dropped out to concentrate on his career as a professional musician.
He toured with several orchestras and ended up in Los Angeles where he landed a spot in Ben Pollack's group, a band that included a guy named Benny Goodman. Here, Miller also got the chance to write some arrangements. Arriving in New York City, he soon sent for, and married his college sweetheart, Helen Burger in 1928, and for the next three years, earned his living as a free-lance trombonist and arranger.
Miller played and recorded with the likes of Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey (who on several of their records, featured an up-and-coming singer by the name of Bing Crosby), Gene Krupa, Eddie Condon and Coleman Hawkins. In addition, during that time, Glenn cut 18 sides for Goodman, and also worked for radio studio conductors like Victor Young, Carl Fenton and Jacques Renard. In 1934, Miller became the musical director of the Dorsey Band, and later went on to organize The Ray Noble Orchestra, which included such players as Charlie Spivak, Peewee Erwin, Bud Freeman, Johnny Mince, George Van Eps and Delmar Kaplan, among others.
In April 1935, Glenn Miller recorded, for the first time, under his own name. Using six horns, a rhythm section and a string quartet, he recorded "Moonlight on the Ganges" and "A Blues Serenade" for Columbia. But selling only a few hundred records, he continued his position with the Noble Orchestra.
In 1937, Glenn Miller stepped out to form his own band. There were a few recordings -- one for Decca and one for Brunswick -- a couple of week-long stints in New Orleans and Dallas, and many one-nighters, but it was not to be. Though the group would play one more date several days later in Bridgeport, Connecticut, Glenn gave his men their final notice on New Year's Eve at the Valencia Ballroom in York, Pennsylvania. Broke, depressed and having no idea what he was going to do, he returned to New York City.
It is said that Miller could never remember precisely the moment he decided to emphasize his new reed section sound. But it was during this disheartening interim, that he realized the unique sound -- produced by the clarinet holding the melodic line while the tenor sax plays the same note, and supported harmonically by three other saxophones -- just might be the individual and easily recognizable style that would set his band apart from all the rest.
Formed in March 1938, the second Glenn Miller Orchestra -- which would later include the likes of Tex Beneke, Marion Hutton, Ray Eberle, Paul Tanner, Johnny Best, Hal McIntyre, and Al Klinck -- soon began breaking attendance records all up and down the East Coast. At the New York State Fair in Syracuse it attracted the largest dancing crowd in the city's history. The next night it topped Guy Lombardo's all-time record at the Hershey Park Ballroom in Pennsylvania. The Orchestra was invited by ASCAP to perform at Carnegie Hall with three of the greatest bands ever -- Paul Whiteman, Fred Waring and Benny Goodman -- and created more of a stir than any of them.
There were record-breaking recordings, as well, such as "Tuxedo Junction", which sold 115,000 copies in the first week. "In the Mood", and "Pennsylvania 6-5000", all appearing on the RCA Victor Bluebird label. In early 1940, Down Beat Magazine announced that Miller had topped all other bands in its Sweet Band Poll, and capping off this seemingly sudden rise to the top, there was, of course, Glenn Miller's "Moonlight Serenade" radio series for Chesterfield cigarettes which aired three times a week over CBS.
In 1941, it was off to Hollywood where the band worked on its first movie, "Sun Valley Serenade", which introduced the song -- and soon-to-be million selling record --"Chattanooga Choo Choo", and featured the Modernaires and the Nicholas Brothers. Then came "Orchestra Wives". But the war was starting to take its toll on many of the big bands as musicians, and the rest of country's young men, began receiving draft notices.
On October 7, 1942, Alton Glenn Miller reported for induction into the Army and was immediately assigned to the Army Specialist Corps. His appointment as a Captain came after many months of convincing the military higher-ups that he could modernize the army band and ultimately improve the morale of the men. His training complete, he was transferred into the Army Air Corps, where he ultimately organized the Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band. Miller's goal of entertaining the fighting troops took another year to be realized, but in late 1943 he and the band were shipped out to England.
There, in less than one year, the Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band engaged in over 800 performances. Of these, 500 were broadcasts heard by millions. There were more than 300 personal appearances including concerts and dances, with a gross attendance of over 600,000.
But Glenn was not to participate in the final six months of these activities.
In the Fall of 1944, the band was scheduled to be sent on a six-week tour of Europe and would be stationed in Paris during that time. Miller decided to go ahead, in order to make the proper arrangements for the group's arrival. And so, on December 15th, Glenn Miller boarded a transport plane to Paris, never to be seen again.
In his book "Glenn Miller & His Orchestra", George Simon wrote this about the man. "His favorite author was Damon Runyon. His favorite book was the Bible. Spencer Tracy and Olivia de Havilland were his favorite movie actor and actress. His big loves were trout fishing, playing baseball, listening to good music, sleep and money. His pet hates were bad swing, early-morning telephone calls (he liked to sleep from 4 a.m. to noon), and the phrase 'goodbye now'. His favorite quotation, one he stated, was not from the Bible, nor from Runyon, but from Duke Ellington: 'It Don't Mean a Thing If it Ain't Got that Swing!'
A great man,,gone too soon.
I have seen the movie, The Glenn Miller Story dozens of time,,but I watch it EVERY TIME I can.
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