The music of Big Band in America may have found its origins after World War I with Jazz and Swing. But after the stock market crash of 1929, it rose in popularity during the Great Depression and World War II with such composers as Duke Ellington, Tom Dorsey, Glenn Miller, and Benny Goodman.
One of the most memorable musicians of the World War II generation was Glenn Miller. In 1942, Glenn Miller had enlisted in the Army and later transferred to the Army Air Force. There, he headed up the US Army Air Force Band and boosted the morale of the troops with his music during the war.
In August 1944, Captain Miller had been promoted to the rank of major. Sadly, Major Miller's military flight from London to Paris disappeared on December 15, 1944. His death remains a mystery as neither his body nor the plane had been found. But as thousands of other men, he gave his life serving his country. [reference: Glenn Miller Biography ]
And 70+ years later during the Holiday Season....
In the spirit of Big Band music, the USAF Band, Washington DC, dance troupe from New York City put on this show, as described in the comments:
A special holiday musical presentation from Union Station in Washington, DC celebrating the service and sacrifices of our nation's World War II veterans and commemorating the 70th anniversary of the end of the war.
The picture above is a diorama of the Battle of the Bulge.
December 1944, as World War II turned in favor of the allies, Hitler's Army made a last ditch effort in an offensive against Belgium. The Nazi attack caught the American troops off guard and outnumbered.
As a consequence, the Germans bottled up the 101th Airborne in Belgium in what has became known as the Seige of Bastogne. And I previously blogged about this in the post: Christmas 1944, when we said NUTS to the enemy
General Patton to the rescue
Patton's Third Army did a 90 degree turn and moved quickly from northeast France to Bastogne, Belgium. Yet, another enemy was the weather. And Patton looked for help from the top of the chain of command, the Almighty, as shown below.
The weather cleared. As Patton's troops linked with the defenders of Bastogne, the seige was broken. Despite overwhelming odds, the Americans defeated the Germans.
In January 1945, the Battle was over. April saw victory in Europe. The Patton Prayer is now in the annals of history and the subject of many movies.
But that fighting spirit to not give up against overwhelming odds, to look up to heaven for help, is part of
Apollo 11 was a watershed mission. It was unique. It would never be repeated to have another first human being walk on an extraterrestrial world. [For more info: Apollo 11 Mission Overview ]
In 1969, an estimated 530 viewers watched Neil Armstrong take his first step on the moon:
And he said these words: "...one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind"
What about the second man?
Buzz Aldrin is the man in the spacesuit in the photo at the top of the page. And Neil Armstrong took his picture. His words were most poetic recorded in the clip below:
In the first book of The Commander and the Chief series, His Tribe of One, Chief Nova Orlovic remembers the second man on the moon as well as the first. The following excerpt takes place in the Middle-Eastern desert with Nova, Colonel Jack Sheffield, and Commander Reginald Barrett during their search for Admiral Quinn:
Mid-morning, Jack stopped on the crest of a bluff and
surveyed the landscape. “I need to do a recalibration.” He turned on his smart
tablet, then connected a cable into the KNOSE.
“Magnificent desolation.” Nova scanned the wilderness—edifices
of stone, rising like fortresses, floating on an ocean of pale yellow sand.
“I’ve heard that before. Somewhere.” Reggie skimmed the
desert-scape from his backseat window.
Nova turned around. “Buzz Aldrin.”
“Buzz who?” Reggie squinted at her.
“How quickly we forget.” Nova shook her head. “Buzz Aldrin
was the second man on the moon…after Neil Armstrong, of course.”
“Right-o.” Jack chimed in. “Admiral Quinn was an astronaut.
So you know this ancient history.”
“Doesn’t seem that long ago, though it happened before I was
born.” Nova panned the moonscape-like desert. “Yet this place reminds me of the
Badlands in the Dakotas, only with sand and stuff.”
Jack said, “So these Badlands look like the moon?”
“In many ways, they do.” Nova returned a fond look.
“Actually Jack, parts of Wyoming have been likened to Antarctica.”
from Part 5: The Badlands, Chapter 1: The Backside of the Desert. [for more info on the book: smithsk.com/cc.htm ]
To Infinity and beyond ....
Though Neil Armstrong had shunned the limelight and passed away in 2012, Buzz Aldrin has been more active in popular culture as well as promoting his vision of space.
And he inspired Disney's Toy Story character, Buzz Lightyear. In the clip below, one Buzz coaches another Buzz for a coming shuttle mission to the International Space Station. [reference: Buzz Aldrin FAQ ]
In step with the times, Buzz Aldrin is active on social media, such as twitter@TheRealBuzz and FacebookBuzz Aldrinas well as his own website: buzzaldrin.com.
The Church of England has launched a new site, Just Pray, to offer advice on what prayer is and how to pray. The campaign is geared for the digital age, and one of its chosen venues to promote the new site is to advertise in theaters.
The clip below (which was cleared by the Cinema Advertising Authority and British Board of Film Classification) was scheduled when the new Star Wars movie, The Force Awakens, debuted a week before Christmas.
But the Digital Cinema Media, which handles most of the cinema advertising in the UK, barred the ad. They believe it "carries the risk of upsetting, or offending, audiences".
November, 2015 marks the centennial of Einstein papers that rocked the world and withstood the test of many experiments. Let me tell of story of a couple of these.
Gravity Probe B and Me ...
Briefly, I worked on the Gravity Probe B (GP-B) project. I say briefly because budget cuts curtailed my tenure, though I moved on to other projects. And that is another story.
Yet the decades old GP-B soldiered on and its satellite was launched in 2004. The experiment tested two elements of Einstein's Theory of General Relativity.
(1) The Geodetic Effect, a precession (like that of a spinning top) in curved space-time.
November, 1915, was a watershed month for physics. Einstein submitted four papers, one per week, to the Prussian Academy in Berlin. They launched the gravitational revolution of general relativity, overthrowing Newton's theory of the universe. [reference: Einstein's genius changed science's perception of gravity ]
Meanwhile, during this time, astronomers were on a serious
Search for the planet Vulcan ... no kidding
Newton's classic view of gravity led scientists to believe there was a hidden planet, which they called Vulcan, that caused Mercury's perturbations. But it took Einstein to crack this mystery, as explained below:
As Gravity Probe B in the 21st century would provide more evidence to vindicate general relativity, explaining the anomalies in Mercury's orbit gave convincing validation at the birth of this theory in the early 20th century.
Also, I wrote about this search for this planet that wasn't there and posted it on my website in the article: Mr. Spock and Dr. Einstein
As Einstein's General Relativity turns 100, it seems the theory will ...
The generation that first heard this broadcast knew something about troubling times. In 1938, they had lived through most of the Great Depression, many remembering the Great War and hearing the rumblings of more wars to come.
From Wars of the Worlds to World Wars
Ironically, H. G. Welles wrote The War of the Worlds in 1898, sixteen years before World War I (1914 - 1918). And Orson Welles broadcast the radio version within a year of World War II (1939 - 1945). Both these World Wars surpassed the horror of science fiction.
And there have been countless stories about life on Mars and their invasions of Earth. Now, it's our turn, for real, as science and tech continue to follow SciFi.
Hee Hawwas my Dad's favorite show, second only to Gunsmoke. I clearly remember the lament from their Gloom, Despair, and Agony on Me segment, such as seen below:
Even 40 years ago, they all were "first world problems." Though this Hee Haw segment is humorous, it expresses a tinge of sadness, dissatisfaction in this life.
Dissatisfaction, unhappiness, and such are maladies throughout the ages. As King Solomon said -
... there is no new thing under the sun.
Ecclesiastes 1:9 (KJV)
Crowns and Frowns
As the wisest man and greatest fools in some estimations, Solomon knew something about this gloom, despair and agony on me.This king had "everything" in this life from riches; his unfettered search for knowledge, wisdom, and meaning in this life; wanting more and getting more. Yet this king lamented his "first world problems" as so stated below:
14I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit.
15That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered.
16I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.
17 And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit.
18 For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
Ecclesiastes 1 (KJV)
What a Gloomy Gus!
This dissatisfaction is not new for "the man under the sun."
In the clip below unhappiness is seen as a malady of the modern age:
The picture above is Uros Predic's 1919 painting, inspired by the Serbian poem - The Maiden of Kosovo. During the aftermath of the Battle of Kosovo (1389), the maiden, who is seeking her fiance, gives the fatally wounded Pavle Orlovic some water. At this moment, this Serbian knight gives her the news that her beloved and her brothers are dead. Then Pavle Orlovic dies and passes into legend as well as an epic poem and a famous painting. [reference: Kosovo Maiden Painting]
Below is a video clip from the movie, The Battle of Kosovo (1989), made for the 600th anniversary of the event. The scene when the sultan was killed by a Serbian noble dramatizes this long struggle between the Serbs and the Turks:
From the 14th into the 21st century, the battles of Kosovo continue. Most recent are the Kosovo conflict (1998-1999) and the continuing reprisals into the new century. [reference: Kosovo Conflict]
And if you read some of the comments in YouTube video above, the battle (with words) goes on and on.
Part 6 of the Commander and the Chief (CC) thread looks at this Balkan history.
In this excerpt from Book 1: His Tribe of One,the heroine Dr. Orlovic "the Chief" and her lineage (she is half Cheyenne and half Serbian) are discussed. Her agent Lord Wise is briefing Colonel Jack Sheffield on Nova's expedition to find her missing husband, Admiral Connor Quinn.
Jack questions Wise about his proposal:
“Remind me, again, why have you come to me with this mystery and not the Americans?”
“I come at the request of Dr. Orlovic.”
“Doctor…who?”
“Admiral Quinn’s widow, my client, Dr. Nova Orlovic.” Then Wise presented her business card for Chief Rainmaker Winery. A silhouette of an Indian maiden in a war bonnet held a goblet with stars and galaxies bubbling out and surrounding the quote: The whole universe is in a glass of wine.
“Yes, yes, your boss, of course. I forget this bird didn’t take the Admiral’s name.” Jack twirled the card in his fingers. “Orlovic. That’s quite ethnic sounding.”
Wise raised his brown eyebrows. “Her father’s side goes back to the Serbian knights. She’s quite proud of that name.”
“Orlovic, yes. Stuff legends are made of. And I recall that name in War College studying the Battle of Kosovo.” Then Jack raised a corner of his mouth. “But that first name—Nova? Sounds explosively stellar. And I can just imagine what she must be like in bed.”
“No doubt many have, but I assure you she’s a woman of virtue.” Wise returned a fatherly look. “Her name has nothing to do with exploding stars. It’s Indian as in Native American Indian. She has quite a fascinating family history. Father’s side from the Balkans, mother’s side Native American. But that’s another story.”
from Chapter 3: Soldier of Fortune
What about the name of Orlovic, the stuff legends are made of?
Some claims indicate one of Pavle Orlovic's notable descendants is the legendary scientist and inventor Nikola Tesla. [reference: Origin Orlovica]
To find out more about Pavle Orlovic's fictional descendant, Dr. Nova Orlovic, "the Chief" in "The Commander and the Chief," please read the book and its coming sequels.
Pop Culture reflects the mood and spirit of the times. So during a traumatic event, the right song can become a balm for healing. Such was the case for this turn-of-the-century song.
In November of 2000, Irish singer Enya released the album, A Day Without Rain. And one of the singles on that album was - Only Time
In 2000, Enya explained its meaning in an interview:
"I had to stop putting the pressure on myself, because of relationships coming and going, but if relationships aren't working that means they're not right. That's what the single Only Time is about." [reference: Enya News: A Day Without Rain Article ]
In response to the terrorist attacks, Only Time resonated with those seeking solace from the storm and looking forward to normalcy as the nation's psyche healed from this wound.
I clearly remember that day of the Memorial Day weekend in 1971. My mother looked at the morning newspaper and said that, mourning a loss of a great American hero, who perished in an airplane crash.
Frankly, a teenager at the time, I really didn't know anything about Audie Murphy. Yes, this dates me as a baby-boomer, whose parents were, as Tom Brakow coined the word: The Greatest Generation. My parents lived through the Great Depression, which ended with the onset of World War II.
I later learned one of the greatest heroes of that war was Audie Murphy. In fact, he was the most decorated World War II combat soldier, perhaps in all American history. [reference: Audie Murphy Facts]
And this soldier is the subject of part 5 of the CC (The Commander and the Chief) thread.
In this scene, Lord Wise briefs Colonel Jack Sheffield about another American hero, Admiral Connor Quinn, at a London tavern. The Admiral had died mysteriously and his widow is assembling a team to get to the bottom of his accident.
“Back to Admiral Quinn,” Jack continued when they were
alone, “word is, as a POW, he talked Yasser Nasser out of deploying his nukes,
surrendering to the allies, and destroying all his weapons of mass destruction.
That feat is legendary. Surely it’ll go down in the annals of military
history.”
“Quite.” Wise put away his reading glasses. “And not long
after the war, the Admiral and Yasser Nasser were awarded the Alfred Peace
Prize.”
“With much pomp and ceremony.” Jack wiped the brew from his
blond mustache. “But the Admiral’s death. Why would an admiral be flying alone?
Into hostile air space? Especially where he’d previously been shot down? You
send a drone, or one of your lackeys, someone more expendable. Not the Hero of
the Dust Devil War.”
Wise glanced about, then lowered his voice. “Precisely. The
press reported it as an unfortunate accident. They likened it to the death of
Audie Murphy, the most decorated American soldier of World War Two. Murphy,
too, was tragically killed in a plane crash, years later after the war.”
“And that should be the end of the story.” Jack finished his
brew.
“But it’s not.” Wise continued, “The US Navy SEALs were
alleged to have retrieved the Admiral’s remains in the desert—in the Forbidden
Area. The Admiral’s body was apparently badly mangled. That’s why he had a
closed casket funeral. He ostensibly has been laid to rest at Arlington
National Cemetery in a very public display on American television.”
Jack squinted at Wise. “Sounds like you have doubts.”
“My client…she has many unanswered questions.” Wise rubbed
his chin. “Dr. Orlovic has exhausted her resources at home. All her inquiries
have been met with stonewalling and threats as she digs for answers. She
believes the Todd Administration is covering up something terrible.”
Lord Wise seals the deal with Colonel Sheffield with a reference to one of Audie Murphy's movies, To Hell and Back.
“Dr. Orlovic is waiting at the Gladstone Hotel as we speak.
Indeed. She has serious doubts. And she’s wholly committed to do all she can to
find her husband. Or at least find out what really happened to him.” Wise
finished his brew. “The logistics are in place. I’ve hired other agents. They
know only what they need to know. But you’re a critical piece, Colonel. An
experienced soldier I can trust to lead this mission to hell and back.”
“Why should I meddle in this American affair? What’s in it
for me?”
“First of all, we gambled that you’d take this job.” Then
Wise showed a page on his mobile display. “But I’m counting on my client’s
offer being one you cannot refuse.” Jack’s blue eyes opened as wide as the Atlantic Ocean when he saw the seven-figure offer. “I’m in!” And they shook on it.
After the war, Audie Murphy went to Hollywood. It took him a while to break into show business, but from 1948 to 1969 he made 44 films, a TV series, and other appearances. [reference: Audie Murphy - IMDb] He was also a successful songwriter (1962 - 1970). [reference: Songs by Audie]
This snippet from 1955 on What's My Line, before the movie To Hell and Back was released, tells what a big movie star he was in his day: Audie Murphy What's My Line on 3 July, 1955
But his life was not a bed of roses after the war ... Audie Murphy and PTSD
Audie Murphy suffered from what we call post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with symptoms of insomnia, nightmares, depression. He battled addictions and suffered a tumultuous first marriage, which ended in divorce. But later he championed the returning Vietnam veterans and lobbied the government to extend health care to treat their PSTD and mental health problems. [reference: Audie Murphy and PTSD] No Fairy Tale Ending
Gambling, womanizing, bad investments, bad publicity took their toll on this hero. In the late 1960s, Audie Murphy was bankrupt and his reckless actions had tarnished his public image. [reference: Audie Murphy Facts]
My favorite site, The Audie Murphy Story: oldbluejacket.com/AudieMurphy One final thought of bravery: "Loyalty to your comrades, when you come right down to it, has more to do with bravery in battle than even patriotism does. You may want to be brave, but your spirit can desert you when things really get rough. Only you find you can't let your comrades down and in the pinch they can't let you down either." Audie Murphy
And in the spirit of honoring those in World War Two, we are grateful for all veterans who have served and for those who still serve to keep us safe, home and abroad.
August 14, 1945 was the dawn, ending those dark days from 1939 - 1945 which were marked by a horrific world war. World War II left no continent untouched and a devastating body count. With causalities approaching 70 million, it may have been the worst war in recorded human history, such seen in this interactive video: The Fallen of World War II on Vimeo
But as the Psalmist wrote:
"... weeping may endure for a night,
but joy cometh in the morning."
Psalm 30:5 (KJV)
Finally the night of weeping ended and joy came with the unconditional surrender of Japan bringing with it a promise of peace. This iconic kisswas a snapshot of that day - capturing the spirit of VJ Day - Victory over Japan. And I wrote about it five years ago in this blog: A kiss immortalized in August 14, 1945
And 70 years ago was a different time. During World War Two, America was united. We were bold and committed to what FDR said in his Pearl Harbor speech -
"No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory. ...
With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph -- so help us God." from: FDR: Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation
Yet, FDR would not live to see the end of the war, but died in office on April 12, 1945. [reference: FDR Dies]
But he inspired us to never give up and overcome in the face of overwhelming odds, like he never gave up when faced with a crippling handicap, as dramatized in this scene: The best part of the movie "Pearl Harbor"
And though I wasn't born yet, my parents had not met yet, it does make me feel nostalgic for a time when all Americans are united, again, and determined to fight for the right. And in the end experience ...
