PATRIOTIC MUSIC IN WAR AND PEACE
Soldier voices were heard singing in the crypt of St. Paul's Cathedral
on July 4, 1941. Strangely, as though protected by Divine Providence,
this historic building was still standing though surrounding London had
been destructively bombed and was mostly in ruins. But on that memorable
day there was unveiled a memorial tablet to Billy Fiske, the first
American to give his life in World War II. Fliers from his own squadron
and some other American volunteers were the singers. "Standing together
in the candle-lit dusk," said Alexander Woolcott, "this symbolic group
of Anglo-American courage sang Billy Fiske to his rest with the words:
"'Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.'"
A surprise awaited Mrs. F. D. Roosevelt on a September day, in 1943,
according to a report of the Associated Press, when she walked into a
room for youthful sufferers from infantile paralysis in the Melbourne
Child's Hospital. Mrs. Roosevelt was in Australia at that time visiting
the American troops, but she was also interested in these youthful
patients.
There she saw, as she entered, "Thirteen-year-old Briar Dean holding a
harmonica in his one usable hand, and playing America's national
anthem." When he halted his music, Mrs. Roosevelt, attracted by the
unusual scene, walked directly to the youngster and asked him to play
for her. So he started over, and played through a verse, and the chorus.
"Four generals, one admiral, and numerous other gold-braided men, stood
at attention," according to the correspondent who narrated the memorable
event for his American readers.
Surprise for American Soldiers
"It was the Fourth of July in this joint British and American Officers'
training camp," said an Associated Press report from "an officers'
training camp" in North Africa on July 5, 1943. No announcement,
however, was posted concerning a Fourth of July celebration. "The camp
was to follow its regular routine. There would be a route march at five
o'clock."
The hour of five came and the men fell in on the parade ground, and
started up the trail. It was observed that the American general was
making the march, but no British officers were seen. "It's our holiday,
and they get the day off. Can you beat it?" Thus murmured the Americans.
"The trail led through a grove winding up and down the slopes of the
mountain," said the correspondent. "The sun was nearly down when they
emerged into a clearing.
"Just ahead, in an open space among the trees, the British officers were
lined up in two files. They were singing 'The Star-Spangled Banner.' An
American flag waved above their heads."
Such was the tersely vivid account of a dramatic moment in the lives of
British and American soldiers in North Africa during an important period
in the history of World War II.
"America the Beautiful" Heard at Arlington
"The Unknown Soldier and his legions of sleeping comrades were honored
anew in this national cemetery today--with fresh flowers and a solemn
promise," said an Associated Press report from the Arlington National
Cemetery on May 30, 1943. "The Memorial Day crowd," it added, "came from
every direction through the oak-shaded walks of the cemetery, sobered by
the sight of fresh graves among the sod-covered resting places of
earlier veterans."
Taps were sounded by a marine corps bugler, and all conversation ceased.
President F. D. Roosevelt's wreath was laid on the tomb of the Unknown
Soldier. Representatives of veterans' organizations and their
auxiliaries, dressed in vivid uniforms, then deposited wreath after
wreath at the base of the white monument.
The "solemn promise" mentioned was given by Lt.-Gen. Brehon B. Somervell
who made this declaration: "To the nameless soldier here before us in
this marble tomb and through him to all his comrades, wherever they may
lie, we make this promise:
"With them we enter into an earnest covenant that we will carry on the
fight, against whatever odds and however long it takes, until justice
and decency and human liberty are re-established throughout the earth."
"America the Beautiful" was distinctly heard as the people moved quietly
into the classic marble amphitheater, as the carillon at Fort Myer,
nearby, gave forth the music of the beloved patriotic song of Katharine
Lee Bates--
"O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved,
And mercy more than life!"
An American Home on Invasion Day
As a nation we had looked upon the war as a gigantic business
proposition which we could manage with our own resources: production,
government agencies, organization and training. Then came D-Day, and for
the first time we drew upon our reserve.
The first hour in the morning runs strictly to schedule in our household
since this is the only way to avoid confusion when the children are
getting ready for school as Dad leaves for the office. As soon as I go
downstairs, I turn the radio to the musical clock program in order to
check our progress.
Each morning a recording blares out, "O, What a Beautiful Morning!" But
on June 6 I heard an organ pealing forth "Finlandia"--"Be still, my
soul: The Lord is on thy side." And then I knew before seeing the paper
on the front porch that the headline would be "Invasion!"
Each minute of this day was so filled with destiny that it seemed of
little importance to note their individual passing: so, without the
customary pause for announcing the time, the melody changed to "Onward,
Christian Soldiers." Our boys were crossing the channel in the presence
of that other Son who had suffered and died, that those he loved might
live fully.
The muted organ almost whispered "Rock of Ages" as parents knelt at home
under the sheltering arms of that other Father, whose heart had bled
with each thrust of the spear. "Let me hide myself in Thee" was the
message. Those parents do not care that it is a beautiful morning. It
makes no difference that the hands on the clock say that it is
seven-fifteen. "Simply to Thy cross I cling" was their solace.
And then the organ led in prayer, the prayer that filled the hearts of
the sons approaching the beachheads, and the parents in their
Gethsemane:
"O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Be thou our guide while life shall last,
And our eternal home!"
For the first time voices joined the melody of the organ. Strong,
confident, courageous voices ringing forth the affirmation, "A Mighty
Fortress Is Our God." And then the triumphant, trumpet-like tones of the
organ, sounding their notes of gratitude to the "God of our Fathers,"
whose strong arm is "our ever sure defense ... from war's alarms, from
deadly pestilence."
In that moment, I murmured a prayer of gratitude that my parents had
taught me the words of these hymns so that my thoughts had been led by
the organ melodies to my personal unlimited reserves, that represent the
rightful heritage of a child of God.
For my two children June 6, 1944, will soon have become another date to
learn from the pages of a history book. I cannot know when their H-Hour
will come. But I do know their reserves will make them more than
victorious because theirs is the greatest inheritance in the
universe--the "Faith of our Fathers."
--_Charlotte A. Young in "The Christian Advocate," June 29, 1944. Used
by permission._
"Our God is Marching On!"
"The most solemn day in American history," was June 6, 1944, according
to one editor. This was known as "D day," and was the day of the
invasion of the coast of Normandy by the Allied nations engaged in a
mighty and deadly struggle with Germany.
This day was anticipated for many weeks. It was known that the United
States and Great Britain would unite in striking the enemy at a season
and a place when and where the blow would be considered to be most
effective. Only a few statesmen and high-ranking military authorities,
however, knew in advance just when that day would come. One outstanding
aim, of course, was to surprise the enemy. A mighty military machine had
been built for the purpose; and, on the other hand, the enemy, in
ignorance of the secret of time and place, had done its utmost to mass
its forces and arrange its protective material where it was hoped that
they would be most effective.
Churches and communities arranged to ring their church bells and give
other signals as soon as the news of the invasion was received, so that
the people might learn of the fateful hour and join in prayer. Churches
also arranged to open their buildings, and ministers planned for
gatherings for prayer. These features were generally observed. Then at
ten o'clock at night, President F. D. Roosevelt, who the previous
evening addressed the nation on the fall of Rome, led the nation in
prayer. Probably never so many people in the United States listened to
the President at the same time as on that occasion. "In this poignant
hour, I ask you to join with me in prayer," said he to those, who, all
over the nation, were listening. Then he began:
"Almighty God: Our sons, pride of our nation, this day have set upon a
mighty endeavor, a struggle to preserve our republic, our religion and
our civilization, and to set free a suffering humanity.
"Lead them straight and true; give strength to their arms, stoutness to
their hearts, steadfastness in their faith."
The prayer was inclusive, and men and women mostly listened to it as
they sat in their own homes--homes from which their loved ones had gone
forth to fight for freedom. Then came the closing words:
"Thy will be done, Almighty God. Amen."
Millions of eyes were moistened by tears at that hushed moment. The
pause was brief. Then from the radio came voices reverently singing:
"Onward, Christian soldiers,
Marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus
Going on before!"
Another selection was rendered, and then, most appropriately, came the
song of the beloved Julia Ward Howe:
"Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord," concerning
which said one newspaper columnist the next day, "more than any other
song of any time this strikes deeply home at this hour." How impressive
was that refrain toward the close of this historic day:
"Glory, glory, Hallelujah! Glory, glory, Hallelujah!
Glory, glory, Hallelujah! His truth is marching on!"
The second verse was rendered as a solo:
"I have seen him in the watch-fires of a hundred circling camps;
They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps;
I have read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps;
His truth is marching on."
A male voice rendered one verse and a woman's voice another. The chorus
refrain was each time sung by the entire chorus. Also, they all united
in the closing verse. How unforgettably impressive was this!
"In the beauty of the lilies, Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me:
As He died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,
While God is marching on."
"The Star-Spangled Banner" at War's End
"It's going to be a long war, and it is going to be a tough war," said
Franklin D. Roosevelt, when he appeared before Congress on December 8,
1941, to ask for a declaration of war with Japan after that nation had
attacked the United States. The President was speaking that day in a
prophetic strain. He was right. The war was both "long" and "tough." The
wartime generation, of World War II, will long remember the anxiety and
sacrifice of those days, as with grim determination our youth fought and
our people labored unitedly to win a priceless victory. Not until
September, 1945, did peace return to our land.
"The Stars and Stripes were raised over ancient Tokio today as General
MacArthur formally established authority over Japan's battered capital
in the name of the United States," were the words which appeared on the
front page of some of our newspapers on September 8, 1945. This account
of what happened was printed in _The New York Times_. It was written by
Frank L. Kluckhorn: "Standing alone before Lt.-Gen. Robert Eichelberger,
commander of the 8th army, which is garrisoning Tokio, MacArthur said:
'Gen. Eichelberger, have our country's flag unfurled, and in Tokio's sun
let it wave in its full glory as a symbol of hope for the oppressed and
as a harbinger of victory for the right.'
"Eichelberger saluted, repeated the order, and the band played the
national anthem. As the guard of honor and the others present saluted,
the flag was raised on the pole where it can be seen from much of Tokio.
The chaplain of the First Cavalry Division gave the benediction, and the
ceremony was over." But how thrilling and unforgettable must it have
been to have listened to the strains of "The Star-Spangled Banner" in
that momentous hour!
A news item observed that the American flag unfurled on this occasion
was the very flag that floated over the Capitol in Washington on
December 7, 1941. This was the day when we were attacked by the
Japanese.
Vauntingly the Japanese had declared, it was reported, that peace terms
would be signed in the White House in Washington. Far different,
however, was the reality. The terms of the "unconditional surrender" of
Japan were made known, and the ceremonies relating to the signing of the
same were observed on board the battleship Missouri in Tokio Bay. These
were reported in the morning papers of September 3, 1945, though
millions of citizens in the United States heard them over the radio the
previous night. We were told that the "Missouri's band outdid itself
providing music, playing 'Anchors Aweigh' ... and 'The Stars and Stripes
Forever.' A bugler sounded 'Taps' in memory of the gallant band of men
and women who had gone into the great conflict with mighty forces with
the hopeful feeling that
"... conquer we must when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto, 'In God is our trust.'"
Thus the national anthem was played at the hour of the formal surrender
of Japan on the Missouri and also when General MacArthur set up power in
Tokio, "and the same historic flag was flown on both occasions." _The
Star-Spangled Banner_ always has a special appeal when it is rendered in
the presence of the Stars and Stripes. Our national anthem had gone with
the nation from peace to war and from war to peace.
Kipling's "Recessional"
"Perhaps the greatest single production of Rudyard Kipling's pen,"
remarked Nutter and Tillett concerning "The Recessional." It is a hymn
of majestic greatness, and one can easily imagine the deep impression it
must have made when heard in Westminster Abbey on the day when the body
of the brilliant author was placed in that historic shrine. The honor of
being buried there, with the great of the nation, was well deserved.
"The Recessional" was published in the _London Times_, July 17, 1897;
and it was written in celebration of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen
Victoria. The very next year it appeared in a hymnal published by the
American Baptist Publication Society. Since then it has appeared in many
hymnals, and has frequently been sung on great patriotic occasions.
Fortunately the author has told us how the hymn came to be written. Said
he: "That poem gave me more trouble than anything I ever wrote. I had
promised the _Times_ a poem on the Jubilee; and when it became due, I
had written nothing that had satisfied me. The _Times_ began to want
that poem badly and sent letter after letter asking for it. I made many
more attempts but no further progress. Finally the _Times_ began sending
telegrams. So I shut myself in a room with the determination to stay
there until I had written a Jubilee poem. Sitting down with all my
previous attempts before me, I searched through those dozens of sketches
till at last I found one line I liked. That was 'Lest We Forget.' Round
these words 'the Recessional' was written."
A majestic strain pervades the hymn. Its deep solemnity reminds one of
some of the language of the Old Testament prophet. One thrills when he
hears the lines:
"God of our fathers, known of old,
Lord of our far-flung battle line,
Beneath whose awful hand we hold
Dominion over palm and pine:
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget, lest we forget!
"The tumult and the shouting dies;
The captains and the kings depart;
Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice,
A broken and a contrite heart:
Lord God of hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget, lest we forget."
It is interesting to read what Kipling's cousin, Miss Florence
Macdonald, wrote for _The Methodist Recorder_, London, following
Kipling's death. She said that she had a letter that Kipling wrote to
her father after "The Recessional" was published. He there said:
"Yes, when one has three generations of Methody (Methodist) ministers
behind one, the pulpit streak is bound to show. It's very funny to hear
folk wondering where I got it." Then Miss Macdonald made this
observation:
"It is not generally known, perhaps, that he (Kipling) was a grandson of
the manse on both sides, his maternal grandfather being the Rev. George
B. Macdonald, and his paternal grandfather being the Rev. Joseph
Kipling, both Wesleyan ministers."
This side-light on Kipling's method of composition was also given by
Miss Macdonald: "When composing verse he would set it to a tune, often a
hymn tune, and I have heard him walking up and down the room singing a
verse over and over again to get the lilt and the swing of it."
Kipling, by the way, was awarded the Nobel prize for literature in 1907.
And when the author was laid to rest in Westminster Abbey, June 23,
1936, the choir sang his own "Recessional," and through the venerable
temple there rang the words:
"Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget, lest we forget!"