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I'm your host till high noon Central Time.
Lou Vergani and you, you're the best audience anywhere because you get it.
This is the federal holiday.
Veterans Day, honoring all the military veterans.
And not just the men, let's be honest, that Rosie the Riveter and
Well, you know what I mean.
All the ladies... set it out as armistice days, the end of World War I. That's why the 11th, 11th hour, the 11th day, the 11th month, 1918.
photograph daddy in a box up in the attic today a young man in a uniform smiling with a faraway look in his eyes there were medals and ribbons beside it and a letter you'd
carefully saved so I asked you a question that Sunday what did you do in the
Did you do in the war, daddy?
Were you frightened?
Were you brave?
Did you march beneath the foreign sky?
Did you stand beside the grave?
Did you dream of
You said you remembered the ocean And the troopships that carried you far The thunder of guns in the darkness And the loneliness under the stars You remembered the boys who were with you And the laughter they somehow could find But you stopped when you
spoke of the fallen
And
the memories you left
You said, son, we were somebody's children.
We were young and we wanted to live.
We were fighting for all we believed in with whatever we had left to give.
Some came home to the arms of their loved ones.
Some are sleeping in places unknown.
And I
carry their names
in my...
Looked at your hands as you told me At the years that it silvered your hair At the quiet that sometimes would find you And the weight of the things you still bore
Then I understood why you seldom Spoke of battles or glory or fame
For the bravest men don't need to tell us Of the price that they paid
now the photograph rests on the mantle and your medals are polished with care and i wish i had asked you much sooner of the places and people you shared for the boy in that old photograph daddy was a hero i never quite knew
You stood for the things we believed in Far away from your own native land You gave years of your youth to the future And you carried the memories alone What did you do in the war, daddy?
You helped keep our country strong
And someday when my children ask me
About the man whose picture I keep I'll tell them of their grandfather And the promises he made to keep For the greatest thing you did in the war, daddy Was to come home And teach us to live
Yes, it's easier to win it when you know you'd never play it quite the same.
But then this Monday morning quarterback never
Again
anniversary.
of the armistice that ended World War I. The armistice that began on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.
And I wonder, in fact, if all Americans' prayers aren't the same as those I mentioned a moment ago.
The timing of this holiday is quite deliberate in terms of historical fact.
But somehow it always seems quite fitting to me that this day comes deep in autumn when the colors are muted and the days seem to
invite contemplation.
Radio Network.
promises made the dreams we swore your hand in
Every secret...
And the farms of the south The cold wind is singing It's November song In Portage and Baraboo The hills stand tall While the last golden leaves Make their file fall From Sheboygan shore
To Manitowox Pier The lake winds remind us that winter is near And wherever Wisconsin's winding roads go The winds of November bring memories to know
So blow it
conversation, but anyone
walk away or I could never ever say goodbye goodbye soon
Through Jamesville, Beloit and the farms of the South The cold wind is singing its November song In Portage and Baraboo the hills stand tall While the last golden leaves make their final fall From Sheboygan shoreline to Manitowox pier
Just that winter is near And wherever Wisconsin's winding roads go The winds of November bring memories to know
the place that.
The
Vergani.
Thank you for being here.
and answered gravely one
and all.
From Milwaukee streets to racing shore, from Kenosha's gates and valleys, though they march beneath the stars and strikes through battlefields and darkest nights,
their names
are woven, proud and true.
stretch deep and long.
A civil war hero, Wisconsin war.
His deeds remembered, his ribbons worn.
And Douglas MacArthur, his famous son, a soldier whose battles were never done.
From Pacific Islands to victory's flame, the nation will forever remember his name.
Billy Mitchell, Wisconsin's home, saw skies where future wars were sown.
A pioneer who dared to see the power of air supremacy.
And Alvin York, though Tennessee was home, his courage in battle would widely be known.
Yet Wisconsin's sons in every war Answer the call from shore to shore
From Civil War days to World War's might Through Korea's cold and Vietnam's fight In desert sands and distant lands Wisconsin's sons all took their
steps Some wore the blue, some cocky brown Some never made
it
back to town
Some came home with metals bright Some carried memories through the night Remember those from Wisconsin's towns The farm boys, workers, men of renown The quiet heroes whose names we know And those whose names we'll never know For Valor wears no single face Nor does it belong to time or
lives in hearts that answered when their country called.
And Wisconsin shall forever be a home of courage and liberty.
God bless the veterans, the daughters' fathers,
their
sacrifice shall never cease.
noon.
You stood your ground and faced the night.
You left your homes your families to guard the land of liberty.
With hearts of courage strong and true you gave us more than ever we knew.
And though the years may come and go.
Your gifts of things we'll always
know.
Thank you veterans for all you've given for
the hope of peace and the dream of heaven for the freedom to speak for the right to stand for the blessings we share in this precious land your courage lives in the things we do
And America owes its heart to you We'll never forget We'll always remember The gifts you gave us forever and ever You gave us mornings filled with song A chance to choose where we belong You gave us
Let the seeds of freedom soar.
You
give us stars upon
our flag.
A symbol
no one
has the right to drag.
And in each heart that beats today, you're sacrificed.
every generation see the price paid for our liberty a simple thank you may seem small but from
For the courage to be free For the love of this great country Veterans, we thank you From sea to shining sea
The Hidden Army drew fresh recruits.
Its ranks grew to nearly 18 million.
Many of these women came from walks of life not previously considered.
The mothers, the young, the aged.
When they were asked why they had joined the ranks of the Hidden Army, these women gave a variety of reasons.
I have a daughter in the waves and I had a son on the Arizona.
That's a good enough reason for anyone.
I'm an old maid, and I didn't have anyone until I took this defense job.
Now, I have a family of 10 million to look after.
I send them cases of these every week.
They help them to get home soon.
I go to college, but I arrange my classes so that I could help out in the war effort.
This way I'll get my diploma and war bonds.
I was too heavy for the wife.
So I joined
up in defense work.
The Riveter.
Rosie's got a boyfriend, Charlie.
Charlie, he's a marine.
Rosie is protecting Charlie.
Working overtime on the riveting machine when they gave her a production knee.
She was as proud as a girl could be.
There's something true about red, white and blue about Rosie.
The
Riveter.
My husband's
a
prisoner of the Japs in the Philippines.
If he'd had a few more of these shells out in the tent, maybe he'd still be fighting.
Whenever I get a bit tired, I... I think of him on that death march.
The special needs of women workers were more widely recognized in many vital defense areas.
For mothers, childcare nurseries.
For housekeepers, stores and markets were persuaded to stay open evenings.
Hairdressers, dances, movies, sports.
were more and more made available at the unaccustomed hours required by the hidden army.
Indeed, in some plants, much of the routine of contemporary living was made easier for the woman war worker than for her stay-at-home
sister.
face of evil and will not lose hope or faith.
America, the land of freedom is still the
During World War II, American women made enormous contributions to the war effort.
Yet, much of their fighting wasn't on the battlefront, but on the home front.
Their home front activities offered challenges and opportunities never available before to women.
Even everyday tasks took on greater meaning and depth.
The contributions of millions of American women on the home front were vital.
they helped win World War II.
During World War II, millions of Americans answered the call to serve, including some of Hollywood's already established and summarizing stars.
Back then, patriotism wasn't performative.
It was personal.
Fame could wait.
The country came first.
One of those men was Charles Durning.
Before he was a Hollywood legend, Durning was just a terrified young man leaping off a boat into a hillstorm of bullets on Omaha Beach.
He survived the bloodbath at Normandy, took shrapnel across his body, and may have escaped one of the worst massacres of a war.
When the war ended, his heroism was buried, lost in bureaucratic red tape and half-missing records.
Hollywood would give him fame, but it nearly cost him his legacy.
Who was Charles Durning?
What did he do in World War II?
Why did he endure during the war that nearly killed him twice?
How did America almost forget one of its greatest unsung heroes?
What is his legacy in Hollywood?
Hello, I'm Colin Heaton, former history professor, Army and Marine Corps veteran, and welcome to this episode of Forgotten History.
The national news cycle never stops, but it can be hard to find news about your local community.
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John James Stewart is now a captain in the Air Force.
Interviewed in Britain, he had this to say about his wartime job.
I'm afraid I'm a little out of practice at this appalling before the camera.
About three years ago, the first day I got into the Army, I was asked to make a statement.
Many of the great stars of Hollywood and European films were veterans of World War II.
I'm
drafted.
One
snap that letter is forgotten.
Sir, don't I have the right to serve my country just like anyone else does?
Something
to remember is all I have.
Come on, save James.
Good evening, sir.
Dave.
Star.
Captain Star.
I saw that in a movie.
I mean, gosh, Donna really works.
I've seen
all sounds.
Same.
I'd like to know.
Is the man on screen the same man here with me?
I've done that scene in so many movies, but this isn't a movie.
This is my life.
Even those who've been behind, it's
Do you think I'm a good man?
That's a long drop, Mr.
Say, ain't you Jimmy Stewart the actor?
I used to be.
How'd you like to be him again?
That's a wonderful lie.
I don't
think I can do it.
Mr. Cupid just winked his eye, and you...
It's a wonderful life.
I don't think I can do it.
Who else, Jim?
Who else can do that but you?
Someone once told me that being famous is like being a god.
I don't want to be a god.
I'd like to
be able to look at myself in the mirror.
They get steak, caviar, and whipped cream cake.
They have fancy cooks who know what cooking means.
In the army, we get mess, and it really is a mess.
Oh, the navy gets the gravy, but the army gets the beans.
Send
the salamis to your boy in the
army.
Yes, the navy gets the gravy, but the army gets the
beans.
This is ideal.
Printed menus every meal.
And they decorate your plate with parsley green.
In the army we get chow that
you
wouldn't feed a child.
Oh, the navy gets the gravy, but the army gets
the beans.
Beautiful beans, gorgeous beans, succulent beans.
Baby gets the
gravy, but the army gets the...
BING BING BING
BING BING BING BING BING BING
BING
BING BING BING
BING BING BING BING BING BING BING BING BING
BING BING BING
It
seems the bottom pants are conducive to romance.
They all wind and dine in love by movie queen.
But you wear a khaki frame and you get a wacky dame.
Oh, the Navy gets the, the Army gets
the.
Did you know
that
the Navy gets all of the gravy?
Did you know that
the
Army gets all of the bean?
Oh, a soldier's a coward if he doesn't lick the platter clean.
Oh, a soldier's a coward if he leaves the solitary beam.
Oh, it isn't the fighting that will make a soldier crossing me.
So you grab a civilian, a one and a million can identify.
So I say to you, why do we gotta have beans?
Multiple beans, product and beans,
sub-bulant beans, nothing but beans, beans!
Nothing
but beans.
In 1941, it was clear to most that America's involvement in World War II was inevitable.
The military draft had been reinstated a few months earlier, and the U.S.
was building planes and ships for England under the Lend-Lease Act.
Up next, a movie that captured the spirit of a country gearing up for war.
It became one of the year's biggest money makers.
From Universal in 1941, it's Buck Privates.
Buck Privates marked the second film appearance of Bud Avid and Lucas Dello.
He had formed a team in burlesque, and then...
hit it big on the radio before making movies.
Radio helped them sharpen their style.
At first, their voices were too similar, so Lou Costello adopted the whiny falsetto that would become his trademark.
Buck Privots is, at its heart, a light comedy about two men who accidentally joined the army.
But it has a heavy dose of Abbott and Costello's knockabout routines, plus it has the Andrews sisters singing, among other songs, Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy.
There's also a tribute to the draft called, You're a Lucky Fellow, Mr. Smith.
The combination of comedy, music, and patriotic flavor made this Universal's top-grossing movie of 1941.
Released in January of 41, the same year as Citizen Kane and Sergeant York, also movies about great Americans.
Also with Lee Bowman, Jane Fraze, and Nat Pendleton, here's Buck Privates.
The drill sequence in...
Where's the sergeant?
He's probably at the mess, so chowing down.
He's always eating that.
I don't know why they keep him in the service.
Hey, check this is the sergeant!
It's a movie called Buck Privates from Universal Pictures in 1941, one year after the team had signed their initial contract with that studio.
With that point, Bud and Lou had only been a comedy duo for four years, first making their names in Burlesque and Vaudeville.
Soon after signing with Universal, Evan Gustella became a sensational money machine for that studio, one of the top box office draws in the whole country, in fact.
And it was this next film, Buck Privates, that
really turned them into bona fide sensations.
Now, it was actually the second film for Bud and Lou.
Just a few months earlier, they've been seen in supporting roles in a universal movie called One Night in the Tropics.
By contrast, our film was designed specifically for the two of them, the whole enchilada.
And much of the film's success and the way Evan Costello received was because of its timing.
It was the right film at the right time.
It was 1941.
World War II had erupted in Europe and everybody knew the U.S.
would soon be engulfed in it.
Never was there a time audiences needed to laugh more and along came this new comedy team to make them do just that.
Well every movie studio in Hollywood began making comedies revolving around the military and the recent establishment of the draft.
Bob Hope made a comedy at Paramount title caught in the draft.
Warner Brothers made You're in the Army Now with Phil Silver's and Jimmy Duranty.
Well, it was Buck Private's, which was the runaway hit of them all, and went on to become the biggest moneymaker Universal Studios had made up to that time.
So here it is also with Lee Bowman, Jane Frazee, Alan Curtis, and, most famously, the three Andrew sisters.
from all Chicago way.
He had a boogey style that no one else could play.
He was the top man at his craft.
But then his number came up and he was gone with the draft.
He's in the army now, a blow and revelry.
He's the boogey-woogie bugle boy of Company B. They made him blow a bugle for his uncle Sam.
It really brought him down because he couldn't jam.
The captain seemed to understand.
Because the next day the cap went out and drafted a band and now the company jumps.
When he plays Reveley, he's the Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B. A toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot, a toot
He plays, he makes the company jump into the bar.
He's a boogie, boogie, beautiful boy of company B.
a luscious colonel's daughter on a movie set.
More blood, make me braver.
Then Dorothy Lamour becomes the cookie of a rookie when Bob joins the army to be near his girl, caught in the draft, crammed with all the hilarious experiences of the nation's army of draftee.
Right dress!
Right dress!
Right dress!
Isn't this the right dress?
I'll smell them.
so many was fired in caviar we're in the army now they march us here and there our feet go everywhere the twisted and turned they're blistered and burned we're in the army now a sporty Chevrolet I used to drive each day but I won't sway
They'll torpedo your troubles and blitz your blues.
Aided by this grand cast of fun and music makers, Dick Powell, those song-sational boogie-woogie singers, the Andrew Sisters, lovely Claire Dodd, Dick Ferrand, Butch and Buddy, Shemp Howard, the Condos Brothers, in the merriest navy musical that ever hit the screen.
What do I care about the petty officer?
I've got no use for a petty officer.
So I see.
Could this possibly belong to you, sailor?
Thanks, buddy.
Attention to bridge.
Men battle ships.
Close aircraft.
Men?
You men?
The enlisted personnel?
Remember what you stand for.
Good luck, good voyage, and keep your ship afloat.
Yvonne DeCarlo, oh, flock of others.
For most of them, this was their first time in a flat top, and they were like a small town gang taking their first look at the big city.
The commander shows them around, including a gander at our scoreboard that proved that we hadn't been out trolling for barracuda.
Then below on the hangar deck, while the flight deck was still crawling with welders, riveters, and repairmen, we got a welcome home show that did more for us than a double dose of vitamins.
Here's some samples of what went on.
I'll open the show.
I've got a little medley of some old songs I've done in pictures.
I've been doing them for so many years.
I see so many fellas down here, really.
They look so young, 70 or 80 years old.
I know that if you remember these songs, your mother must have carried you to see the show.
And I only hope you'll remember the boys.
aboard.
What did you do in the war daddy?
What did you do in the war daddy?
Were you frightened?
Were you brave?
Did you march beneath the foreign sky?
Did you stand beside the grave?
Did you dream of
Did you do in the war, daddy?
And what made you so strong?
You said you remembered the ocean And the troopships that carried you far The thunder of guns in the darkness And the loneliness under the stars You remembered the boys who were with you And the laughter they somehow could find
But you stopped when you spoke of the fallen And the memories you left
You said, son, we were somebody's children.
We were young and we wanted to live.
We were fighting for all we believed in with whatever we had left to give.
Some came home to the arms of their loved ones.
Some are sleeping in places unknown.
And I carry their names in my...
Looked at your hands as you told me At the years that it silvered your hair At the quiet that sometimes would find you And the weight of the things you still bore Then I understood why you seldom Spoke of battles or glory or fame For the bravest men don't need to tell us
Now the photograph rests on the mantle And your medals are polished with care And I wish I had asked you much sooner Of the places and people you shared For the boy in that old photograph daddy Was a hero I never quite knew And the freedom I take for granted
You stood for the things we believed in Far away from your own native land You gave years of your youth to the future And you carried the memories alone What did you do in the war, daddy?
You helped keep our country
strong And someday when my children ask me
About the man whose picture I keep I'll tell them of their grandfather And the promises he made to keep For the greatest thing you did in the war, daddy Was to come home And teach us to live
The national news cycle never stops, but it can be hard to find news about your local community.
Civic Media is dedicated to providing quality local and state news coverage across Wisconsin.
With the Civic Media app, you can get notifications about local stories that matter to you and your community.
Find the free Civic Media app in your phone's app store and choose notifications from the menu to tell us what kind of news you want to hear about.
You're listening to Civic Media.
You can tune into any of our live shows on any radio station across the state with the Civic Media app.
Find us in your phone's app store and listen anytime,
Wisconsin's fields of amber grain Where northern winds sweep over the plain From lakeside towns and forest green Came men of courage proud and keen They heard their country's distant
And answered bravely
From Milwaukee streets to racing shore.
From Kenosha's gates and valleys more.
They march beneath the stars and stripes.
Through battlefields and darkest nights.
Their names are woven, proud and true.
Into the red and white hands.
stretch deep and long.
A civil war hero, Wisconsin born.
His deeds remembered his ribbon's war.
And
Douglas MacArthur,
his famous son, a soldier whose battles were never done.
From Pacific Islands to victory's flame, the nation will forever remember his name.
Wisconsin's own Saw skies where future wars were sown A pioneer who dared to see The power of air, supremacy And Alvin York, though Tennessee was home
His courage in battle would widely be known Yet Wisconsin's sons in every war Answered the call from shore to shore From Civil War
In desert sands and distant lands Wisconsin's sons all took their stance Some wore the blue Some cocky brown Some never made it back to town Some came home with medals brought Some carried memory
those from Wisconsin's towns the farm boys workers men over now the quiet heroes whose names we know and those whose names we'll never know for
Valor wears no
single face nor does it belong to time or
place
it lives in hearts that answered when their country called
And when old glory waves on high, remember those who dare to try.
From Lake Michigan to the northern pine, their service stands through every time.
And Wisconsin shall forever...
Their sacrifice shall never cease to live.
Walter Brennan.
I seen a farmer in a mule of plowing over on the mountainside.
The farmer was a mumbling and a grumbling as he plowed them furs deep and wide.
Well, as he went along a plowing, he was swearing and snorting all the way.
I overheard his conversation with his mule, and this is what I hear him saying.
Oh, mule, you're the son of a jackass, and I'm the image of God.
Yet here we work kitsch together, a toiling and a till in the sod.
I wonder if you work for me or I work for you, old mule.
In times I think it's a partnership between a mule and a dog gone fool.
When plowing we go the same distance, but I work harder in you.
You skim the ground on four good legs.
I hobble along on two.
So mule mathematically speaking, your four legs against my two
I do just twice to work per leg.
Just twice as much as you.
Soon we'll be making a corn crop.
That crop will be split three ways.
A third for you, a third for me, and a third for the landlord's pay.
You take your third, need it.
You're getting the best, and how?
I split my third amongst eight kids, a banker, six hands and a cow.
Right here, Mule, I might mention.
You only plow the ground.
I shut the corn husket when you're hewing around.
All fall and part of winter.
Well, Mule, you know that's true.
I break my back with a cotton sack, paying off the mortgage on you.
So, Mule, confidentially speaking, would you change places with me?
Would you take up all my worries and still contend it be?
Would you swap places I'm asking?
Of course you know you couldn't.
Would you if you could?
Now tell the truth.
Your dog gone right, you wouldn't.
I
am the red clay canyons of the Colorado River.
I'm the old dominion in the rain.
I'm a windswept battlefield at Vicksburg.
I'm the last two minutes of the game.
I'm an Indiana cornfield on a hot summer's day.
I'm a popsicle and I'm the popcorn at the park.
I'm suburban.
I'm a slum.
A forgotten fife and drum.
I am underground Atlanta.
After dark.
I'm a street fight and a crap game up in Harlem.
I'm the Rams.
And I'm your old Kentucky home.
I'm a politician's cheater.
I'm a two cheeseburger eater.
I'm a couple.
I'm a crowd.
And I am alone.
I am Jack.
And I am Bobby.
And I am Martin Luther King.
And with sorrow I have watched these young men die.
From riches and from rags I have buried them in flags.
And I've loved them for they cared enough to try.
I have had my brothers beaten in the jungles of the cities.
I have seen them raped and pillaged on the plains.
I've made mistakes.
But that's the brakes.
So did Jesus for Christ's sake.
And I'm willing to accept my share of blame.
I'm Abe Lincoln.
I'm a slave.
I'm a coward.
And I am brave.
I'm a whinoe.
I'm a lid.
I'm the Coca-Cola kid.
I'm a two cent lemonade.
I'm the fireman's parade.
I am country.
I am soul.
I'm the blues.
And rock and roll.
And I don't stand for everything my country is about.
But I am willing to stand for my country.
I guess there was a time I could have left this old place.
As a young man, I longed to see more than fields of corn.
I remember once I had a hundred dollars saved, but dad needed it to hold on to this old farm.
He used to say, son, you got to put down roots like I done in the Kellys before me.
He'd pick up a handful of them that wore our dirt.
And I know I was in for this familiar old story.
You know that 40 acres we got in corn this year?
Your great-granddaddy cleared that land with two big mules and sweat tears and a good woman who lent him a hand.
And when he give out before his time, them boys of his had landed their own.
So you see all of this that I call mine is more in the neighborhood of just alone.
telling that story.
He thought it kept me a lingering on.
While all my younger brothers drifted away one by one, but I couldn't leave Malone.
And today when that oldest son of mine got to talking about places he longed to see, I told him once again that all familiar story.
just the way it was told to me.
From father to son, through a hundred years, with generations still unknown, every Kelly passing through this way will know this place as home.
Jamesville Billoys And the farms of the South The cold wind is singing It's November song In Portage and Baraboo The hills stand tall While the last golden leaves Make their file fall
From Sheboygan shoreline to Manitowox pier The lake winds remind us that winter is near And wherever Wisconsin's winding roads go The winds of November bring memories to know
is the place.
Bad kid.
But I sit beneath the foreign sky Where strange winds blow and eagles fly A thousand miles from the life I knew I'm dreaming of home and the girl I knew Her photograph is worn around the scene
But I still see her smiling in my dreams I hear her whisper as the night winds start I'm waiting for you darling with all my heart I left her standing at the railway line A trembling hand
was holding mine she tried to smile but her eyes were red so many words were left unsaid I promise her beneath that morning sun I'll come back home when this war is done
But as the train pulled out of sight I watched her disappear into the...
Inside my heart
The desert moon is cold and pale The distant thunder rides the gale My fellow soldiers talk of home Of streets and fields where they once roamed I wonder if she walks alone Past the little church in our old home Does she still watch the evening skies?
And wonder where her soldier lies I've seen the sorrow walk and bring Heard lonely mothers softly sing I'd watch brave men who faced the night And prayed we'd all survive the fight But when the silence fills the air I find myself wishing she were there For metal's glory And marching bands mean little compared to her two hands
a thousand
She'll always be here inside my heart
If I could ride the midnight train I'd cross the mountains, fields and rain I'd find her waiting by our door And never leave her anymore
But until that day I'll kill her
Somewhere there beneath the same moonlight She's holding on to me tonight So keep a candle in the window, dear And know your soldier wishes
I'll count the days until I see
The sweetest face that waits for me
And if tomorrow brings me
I'll spend my life making dreams come true
For when this war has finally passed I'll hold you close
I'm still a thousand miles from her heart But distance cannot tear true love
apart Every star that shines above Carries a message
to the girl
And hear her voices if she's near The foreign winds may call my name My love for her will stay the same
No
This morning the British ambassador in Berlin handed the German government a final note stating that unless we heard from them by 11 o'clock that they were prepared at once to withdraw their troops from Poland a state of war would exist between us.
I have to tell you now that no such undertaking has been received.
and that consequently, this country is at war with Germany.
faces saying welcome home let me lie there underneath the sky there never more
And this don't worry, please go.
Yes, yes, please go.
Ever homeward, ever homeward, yearns the where you're over.
Ever homeward.
Before the dawn, before the light, you stood your ground face the light.
You left your homes, your family,
To guard the land of liberty With hearts of courage strong and true You gave us more than ever we knew And though the years may come and go Your gifts of things we'll always know
We share in this precious land Your courage lives in the things we do And America owes its heart to you We'll never forget We'll always remember The gifts you gave us Forever and ever You gave us mornings filled with song
The chance to choose where we belong You gave our children room to grow And let the seeds of freedom soar You gave us stars upon our flag A symbol no one has the right to drag And in each heart that beats today Your sacrifice
The price paid for our liberty A simple thank you may seem small But from our heart
gifts of freedom for the courage to be free for the love of this great country
veterans we thank you from sea to
shining sea
What's he that wishes so?
My cousin, Westmoreland?
No, my fair cousin.
If we are marked to die, we are enough to do our country loss.
And if to live, the fewer men, the greater share of honor, God's will, I pray, they wish not one...
to this fight.
Let him depart.
His passport shall be made and grounds for convoy put into his purse.
We would not die in that man's company that fears his fellowship to die with us.
This day is called the Feast of Crispian.
shall see this day and live old age will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbors and say tomorrow is Saint Crispin's they will he strip his sleeve and show his scars and say these wounds I had on Crispin's
day
I had first seen old rivers.
I can't remember when he wandered around.
Well, that old fella did the heap of work.
Spent his whole life walking plowed ground.
He had a one-room shack not far from us, and, well, we was about as poor as him.
He had one old mule he called midnight, and I'd trailed along after them.
He used to plow them rows straight and deep.
And I'd come along the day behind, busting up clods with my own bare feet.
Old Rivers was a friend of mine.
The sun would get high and that mule would work.
And Old Rivers would finally say, whoa.
He'd wipe his brow and lean back on the reins.
Talk about a place he's gonna go.
Say, one of these days, I'm gonna climb that mountain.
Walk up there among them clouds where the cotton's high and the corn's a grower.
And there ain't no fields to plow.
Folks back home and they all find crops is dry Down near them in mom said son You know old rivers died Set in here now in this new cloud kind of find me a little shade With a sun beating down across the fields I see that mule all rivers me
On one of these gates, I'm gonna climb that mountain, walk up there, among them clouds, with the cotton sky and the crones that grow, and there ain't no fields to plow.
With the sun beating down across the fields I see, that mule, all rivers, and me.
Richard Overton was born in Bastrop County just after the turn of the century in 1906.
He joined the army in 1940 before the U.S.
entered World War II.
Overton was part of an all-black unit stationed at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked.
His unit fought in some of the toughest battles of the war, including fights in Iwo Jima and Okinawa.
The president wanted me to come with him, but I'm surprised he called
me.
In 2013, Overton traveled to Washington, D.C.
where he got to chat with then President Barack Obama.
On his return to Austin, people packed ABIA to cheer for him and show their support.
Overton told us that welcome was a great ending to one of his best Veterans Day celebrations ever.
That same year, Mayor Lee Leffingwell presented Richard Overton with a birthday proclamation at City Hall.
In 2014,
Austin Community College gave the veteran an honorary degree.
Overton told us, despite what he accomplished over the span of more than a century, he doesn't think he's exceptional.
In 2016,
he became the subject of a documentary called Mr. Overton.
And in 2017, the honors started piling up.
The Austin City Council approved a resolution giving Hamilton Avenue the honorary name Richard Overton Avenue.
A healing garden at the VA Austin outpatient clinic was renamed for him as well.
The community also rallied around Overton holding multiple fundraisers to help him with the costs of home health care.
Meals on wheels Central Texas and the Home Depot Foundation even teamed up to renovate his home.
That's the same home he built in 1948 after returning home from World War II.
At a birthday party, he shared with us his secret to longevity.
I used to drink whiskey a long time ago.
I'd always drink a little bit.
That kept me alive.
I've been living so long.
Whiskey help you.
The same as medicine.
You take it right.
Despite his age, Overton also smoked 12 cigars a day.
In 2014, Overton shared with us a message for other veterans that summed up his outlook on life.
Keep on living their life and be a good man.
on his planned paradise and said, I need a protector.
So God made a service member.
God said I need somebody willing to get up before dawn, humpback, work all day performing duties, humpback again, eat chow, then go to foreign lands and stay through countless holidays, birthdays, weddings, graduations, and funerals.
So God made a service member.
God said I need somebody willing to set up all night with a wounded brother or sister and watch them die.
Then dry their eyes and say,
to stay focused.
I need somebody who can put aside their own needs, get the ultimate sacrifice when duty calls who can go a solid week without sleep and eat only once a day.
Food during wartime and heated battle will selfishly fight countless hours for their country's freedom and then... painting from battle fatigue.
Do it all over again.
So God made a service member.
God said I need somebody strong enough to watch their fellow service member fall But yet gentle enough to share what little rations they have with victims of war who will put aside their own safety for however long it takes to get civilians out
of harm's
way So God made a service member It had to be somebody strong stable and fierce and when it came to their duty would not sway somebody to sweat hunger not sleep ignore pain
I close my eyes
Ghostly forms of blue and gray And I can almost hear the cannons blast Standing in the presence of the past The first few waves came cheering Fear and hatred running through their blood
The national news cycle never stops, but it can be hard to find news about your local community.
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The face of evil and will not lose hope or faith America, the land of freedom is still the home of the brave.
I'm a Black Wavin' patriotic nephew of my Uncle Sam, a rough ride and fightin' Yankee Man.
I love Mom and Apple Pie and the freedoms that we all enjoy across this beautiful land.
I work hard and I fight hard for the old red, white, and blue, and I'll die
If it comes to where I have to, I'm a flag-waving patriotic nephew of my uncle Sam, a running ride and fighting Yankee man.
And when
I
see old glory waving, I think of all the brave men who have fought and died for what is right and wrong.
And when I see old glory burn, my blood begins to churn and I could do
I don't believe in violence.
I'm a God-fearing man.
But I'd stand up for my country just as long as I could stand.
Because I'm a flag waving patriotic.
If you were my Uncle Sam, a rough-riding, fighting, yanky man.
pack a big stick, but never walk away.
And I'm a black-waven patriotic nephew of my Uncle Sam.
And if you're my Uncle Sam or a
was cloudy and damp your package arrived but was missing a stamp
But I miss my old babe And oh how I wish they'd make this army coin Still I-
Thank you
Two hours of time until I have to play again.
How did you like it?
Oh,
it was very nice.
The music.
Well, it's nothing
special.
You
don't play, do you?
advance.
How old was I when I first seen old Rivers?
I can't remember when he wandered around.
Well, that old fella did the heap of work, spent his whole life walking plowed ground.
He had a one-room shack not far from us, and well, we was about as poor as him.
He had one old mule he called.
Midnight.
And I'd trailed along after them.
I used to plow them rows straight and deep.
And I'd come along the day behind, busting up clods with my own bare feet.
Old Rivers was a friend of mine.
The sun would get high and that mule would work.
And Old Rivers would finally say,
He'd wipe his brow and lean back in the range and talk about a place he's gonna go.
If the World War II veteran and his voice, America strong.
It was the incredible and very moving moment of the Milwaukee Brewers game.
102-year-old World War II veteran, Severi Vinci, on the baseball field, holding the microphone in front of some 40,000 fans.
He was about to sing God Bless America during the seventh inning stretch.
Just listen.
his fellow World War Two veterans right there too from the nonprofit Vets Roll.
The whole stadium was moved and then joining him.
for that World War II Navy bit, which was formed on September 11th.
And right here tonight, Miss Kate Smith.
Hello, everybody.
It is my happy privilege to introduce a new song, God Bless America.
do that song out of yip yip yip yip, 22 years.
By 1917, Irving Berlin was an established songwriter and an international celebrity.
That was also the year he was drafted into the United States Army as an infantry private.
He was stationed at Camp Upton Long Island, which was an embarkation point for troops leaving for Yorah.
But even as Irving reflected on the reality of war, his mind was still preoccupied with music.
And after a few months in the service, he was presented with a creative outlet.
He was commissioned to write the songs for an all-soldier stage production.
It was opened at the Century Theatre in New York.
It was intended to be an upbeat show described as, quote, a musical mess cooked up by the boys of Camp Upton.
The title, Yip, Yip, Yipank, referred to Camp Yipank.
So, it's 1918.
Irving is working hard on the production.
He has everything but the closing number, and he realizes the finish has got to be strong.
So, with a touch of heart-string gimmickry, Irving will have the soldiers march down the aisle, out of the theater, and presumably off to war.
But the first song he sketches for them to sing is just too pretentious.
A second sketch he entitles, We're on our way to France.
Oh, that's the one.
So the show opens at the century runs for 32 performances grosses $150,000 which will be used to build a new service center at Camp Upton But wait a minute remember that song Irving had originally intended for the big finish the one he rejected Okay, we'll keep that in mind It's 20 years later 1938 the clouds of war are looming once again over Eora and Irving Berlin is talking with a lady vocalist from Greenville, Virginia
The singer is saying, oh, this is probably going to be the last peacetime Armistice Day celebration for some while, and Irving respectfully agrees, and then she asks Irving if he would please write a song for her to sing on that occasion.
Well, Irving says he'd be happy to, but as he begins to compose, he runs into difficulty.
No matter what he writes, it sounds awful, maybe...
Maybe his own emotions are interfering with his artistic objectivity.
I mean, he just returned from Europe where he'd witnessed the worsening situation firsthand.
Suddenly all the wartime memories are coming back.
In any case, after several days of wasted labor, Irving gives up.
But the November 10 Armistice Day radio broadcast is imminent, so what's he supposed to do now?
And it was then that Irving Berlin remembered the song he'd written and rejected two decades previous, a prospective closing number for that all-soldier show.
And he fumbled through his files, and he found it.
Good or not, at least it was finished, so it would have to do.
And you know what?
The lady singer liked it, and she sang it over the air.
And so successful did that long-neglected melody become that, eventually, it would rival the national anthem itself.
The lady vocalist from Greenville, to whom Irving Berlin gave exclusive performing rights without remuneration.
Of course, she was Kate Smith, because the song with which she would forever be identified
The cast-off tune buried in Irving Berlin's files for 20 years.
That's right.
God bless America.
Only now you know the rest of the
story.
Through the night with a light from above, from the mountains,
to
the preys,
to the oceans, white with foam.
And a great man like Irving Berlin dies, as he did today at the age of 101.
It's appropriate that we give him a fitting send-off.
We prepared, as I mentioned to you a few minutes ago, a sort of collage, a collection of some of his most memorable songs about a year and a half ago on the occasion of his 100th birthday.
We tried to show that to you a few moments ago.
I'd like to warn our affiliates that in order for us to present this to you completely now, and I think that's the only way to give it to you, we are going to run a little bit over.
So get a listen to this memory of Irving Berlin.
of songs that seemed so
natural.
As
if he just sat down and went boom and they came
out.
His songs touch on the most basic human and American emotion, most everybody can relate to the lyrics.
White Christmas, he thought, was not going to be that big a hit.
It was in the movie Holiday Inn starring Bing Crosby, and it particularly struck a note with soldiers who were overseas who were dreaming of a white Christmas.
It's now considered to be the most valuable
copyright in
music.
Easter Parade was written 20 years before it appeared.
It was first performed with different lyrics, which went, smile and show your
dimple.
And then he saved that and used it later in Easter parade.
I think the highlight of his career was the musical review.
This is the army which he wrote during World War
II.
It
earned ten million dollars.
Berlin did not keep one thing.
Before the dawn, before the light You stood your ground and faced the light You left your homes, your families To guard the land of liberty With hearts of courage, strong and true You gave us more than ever removed And though the years may come and go Your gifts of things we'll always know
We share in this
precious land Your courage lives in the things we do And America holds its heart to you We'll never forget
We'll always remember
The
gifts you gave us Forever
and ever You
gave
us mornings filled with song
The chance to choose where we belong You gave our children room to grow And let the seeds of freedom soar You gave us stars upon our flag A symbol no one has the right to drag
And in each heart that beats today You're sacrificed
The price paid for our liberty.
A simple thank you may seem small, but from our...
veterans we thank you from sea to shining sea
Billy Yankee Doodle Dandy.
A sharp shooting flag salute and guide.
I never think to fight, but when I'm in the right, just stick around and watch the feathers fly.
Since Uncle Sammy dressed me up in khaki, I figure I must be in his employ.
So instead of herding sheep, I'm a cowboy on a jeep.
I'm a
hillbilly Yankee Doodle Boy.
For Uncle Sam I'd glad to do or die Since folks around the hills all quit their cutin' A good ol' strap is somethin' I'll enjoy We're a hundred million strong It ain't gonna take us long I'm a hillbilly
Yankee dude
Stars.
In a box up in the attic today A young man in a uniform smiling With a far away look in his eyes There were medals and ribbons beside it And the letter you'd carefully saved
So I asked you a question that Sunday What did you do in the war?
What did you do in the war, daddy?
Were you frightened?
Were you brave?
Did you march beneath the foreign sky?
Did you stand beside the grave?
Did you dream of hope?
You said you remembered the ocean And the troopships that carried you far The thunder of guns in the darkness And the loneliness under the stars You remembered the boys who were with you And the laughter they somehow could find But you stopped when you spoke of the fallen And the memories you left
Did you dream of home and family when the nights were cold and long?
What did you do in the war, daddy?
And what made you so strong?
You said, son, we were somebody's children.
We were young and we wanted to live.
We were fighting for all we believed.
With whatever we had left to give Some came home to the arms of their loved ones Some are sleeping in places unknown
And
I carry their names in
my memory For their families never came home And I looked at your hands as you told me
At
the years that it silvered your hair
At the quiet that sometimes would find you And the weight of
the things you still
bore
Then I understood why you seldom Spoke of battles or glory or fame
For the
bravest
men don't need to tell us
Now the photograph rests on the mantle And your medals are polished with care And I wish I had asked you much sooner Of the places and
people you shared For the boy in that old photograph daddy Was a hero I never
quite knew And the freedom I take for granted
What did you do in the war, daddy?
You helped keep our country strong
And someday when my children ask me About the man whose picture I keep
I'll tell them of their grandfather And the promises he made to keep For the greatest thing you did in the war
and teach us.
Enter Army Staff Sergeant Rob Cesternino, fresh off a ten-month deployment.
Silently, he faced his son.
Luca, a determined nine-year-old, faced his blindfolded Taekwondo... drill with focus, unaware that this practice session was about to change his life, absorbing playful jabs and moving with ease.
Come on, ship.
Keep it going.
He teased.
His voice brimming with warmth.
The familiar tone made Luca pause.
Sergeant Cesternino's challenge stopped Luca in his tracks.
The blindfold came off in a flash, revealing his dad in military fatigues, standing right there.
Without hesitation, Luca threw himself into his father's arms, a hug that spoke louder than words.
The crowd erupted and tears flowed freely.
In that moment, the hardships of deployment melted away, replaced by the pure joy of reunion.
I
love you.
I'm so proud of you.
Thank
you.
Thank you very much.
This military woman strides confidently towards the gym, where her sister dances with joy, unaware that the most unforgettable reunion is just moments away.
I stood outside the classroom door, my heart racing.
It had been nearly a year since I last held my son, and now I was about to surprise him.
The giggles and chatter of the kids filled the air as the teacher announced a mystery guest.
As I stepped through the door, his little face went from confused to wide-eyed in an instant.
Before I could say a word, he was running toward me, arms wide open.
When we finally embraced, it felt like the world melted away.
His little hands clung to my uniform, and I could hear him whisper, I missed you so much.
I didn't want to let go.
The room erupted in applause, but in that moment, it was just me and my
forever.
promises made the dreams we swore your hand in
Cycle never stops, but it can be hard to find news about your local community.
Civic Media is dedicated to providing quality local and state news coverage across Wisconsin.
With the Civic Media app, you can get notifications about local stories that matter to you and your community.
Find the free Civic Media app in your phone's app store and choose notifications from the menu to tell us what kind of news you want to hear about.
You're listening to Civic Media.
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I think what happened was
Hey, that's Andre Kostalonis.
And I love Andre Kostalonis's orchestra with his Wonderland of sound.
Star Spangled Marches.
Nobody plays them better.
See what else we got.
I want to get.
This is from a Michael Douglas picture.
And Michael Douglas plays a guy who looks suspiciously like Bill Clinton.
It's called the American President.
A few moments ago, I placed a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier.
And as I stepped back and stood during the moment of silence that followed, I said a small prayer.
And it occurred to me that each of my predecessors has had a similar moment.
And I wondered if our prayers weren't very much the same, if not identical.
We celebrate Veterans Day on the anniversary.
of the armistice that ended World War I. The armistice that began on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.
And I wonder, in fact, if all Americans' prayers aren't the same as those I mentioned a moment ago.
For all we can ever do for our heroes is remember them and remember what they did.
And memories are transmitted through words.
We see these soldiers in our mind as
Old and wise, we see them as something like the founding fathers, grave and gray haired.
But most of them were boys when they died, and they gave up two lives, the one they were living and the one they would have lived.
When they died, they gave up their chance to be husbands and fathers and grandfathers.
They gave up their chance to be revered old men.
They gave up everything.
for our country, for us.
And all we can do is remember.
There's always someone who is remembering for us.
No matter what time of year it is or what time of day, there are always people who come to this cemetery, leave a flag or a flower or a little rock on a headstone.
And they stop and bow their heads and communicate what they wished to communicate.
I think sometimes of General Matthew Ridgway, who, the night before D-Day, tossed sleepless on his cot and talked to the Lord and listened for the promise that God made to Joshua, I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
We are surrounded today by the dead of our wars.
We owe them a debt we can never repay.
All we can do is remember them and what they did and
why they had to be brave for us.
All we can do is try to see that other young men never have to join them.
Today is never before.
We must pledge to remember the things that will continue the peace.
Today is never before.
We must pray for God's help in broadening and deepening the peace we enjoy.
Let us pray for freedom and justice in a more stable world.
and let us make a compact today with the dead.
A promise in the words for which General Ridgway listened, I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
To show what
I've never seen those glories wave above But still I know she's there for me to love I'll get along somehow If my country needs him now I'd like to give
This is the Army, Mr. Jones.
No private rooms or telephone.
You had your breakfast in bed before but you won't have it there anymore.
This is the Army, Mr. Green.
We like the barracks nice and clean.
the the
you stood your ground and faced the night you left your homes your families to guard the land of liberty with hearts of courage strong and true you gave us more than ever we knew and though the years may come and go your gifts of things will all
We share in this precious land.
Your courage lives in the things we do.
And America owes its heart to you.
We'll never forget.
We'll always remember the gifts you gave us forever.
The chance to choose where we belong You give our children room to grow And let the seeds of freedom sow You
give us star
Simple thank you may seem
Vergoni.
From lakeside towns and forest screen came men of courage, proud and keen.
They heard
their
country's distant call and answered bravely, one and all.
From Milwaukee streets to racing shore, from Kenosha's gates
There
was Arthur MacArthur, bold and strong, Whose military career stretched deep,
A civil war hero, Wisconsin war.
His deeds remembered, his ribbons worn.
And Douglas MacArthur explained a son, a soldier whose battles were never done.
From Pacific Islands to victories claimed the nation will forever remember his name.
Mitchell, Wisconsin's own, saw skies where future wars were sown.
A pioneer who dared to see the power of air supremacy.
And Alvin York, though Tennessee was home, his courage in battle would widely be known.
Yet Wisconsin's sons in every war answered the call from shore to shore.
Wisconsin's sons all took their
steps.
Some wore the blue, some khaki brown, some never made it back to town.
Some came home with medals bright, some carried memories through the night.
Remember those from Wisconsin's towns, the farm boys, workers, men of renown, the quiet heroes whose names we know.
And those whose names we'll never know For Valor wears no single face Nor does it belong to time or place It lives in hearts that answered when their country calls
Make Michigan to the northern pine Their service stands through every time And Wisconsin shall forever be A home of courage and liberty God bless the veterans The daughters' fathers Their sacrifice shall never cease
Network.
It carries a whisper from long ago Of a love I once cherished A love I let go It drifts through the curtains It sighs through the trees And brings back your laughter
But it's all the same
promises made the dreams we swore
I'll walk alone because to tell you the truth
has flown.
And through the lonely night, I'm not alone.
When two sweet hearts carries you and I.
So sad
The national news cycle never stops, but it can be hard to find news about your local community.
Civic Media is dedicated to providing quality local and state news coverage across Wisconsin.
With the Civic Media app, you can get notifications about local stories that matter to you and your community.
Find the free Civic Media app in your phone's app store and choose notifications from the menu to tell us what kind of news you want to hear about.