Home is Wherever I am with YOU

... A youtube sensation. No wonder.

God Bless America - Kate Smith

Irving Berlin wrote this song in 1917 for use during WWI.
Does anyone know why he did not release it then?.
He thought it "too sentimental even for the horrific inferno that was WWI.

But, before you watch, you should also know the story of the song.The time was 1940.America was still in a terrible economic depression. Hitler was taking over Europe and Americans were afraid we’d have to go to war. It was a time of hardship and worry for most Americans.
  

This was the era just before TV, when radio shows were HUGE, and American families sat around their radios in the evenings,listening to their favorite entertainers.  And no entertainer of that era was bigger than Kate Smith. Kate was also large in size, and the popular phrase still used today is in deference to her, “It Ain’tover till the fat lady sings.”  Kate Smith, with her voice coming over

 the radio, was the biggest star of her time.

Kate was also very patriotic. It hurt her to see Americans so depressed and afraid of what the next day would bring. She had hope for America, and faith in her fellow Americans.

She wanted to do something to cheer them up, so she went to thefamous American song-writer, Irving Berlin (also wrote “White Christmas”)and asked him to write a song that would make Americans feel good again about their country. When she described what she was looking for, he said he had just the song for her. He went to his files and found a song that he had written, but never published, 22 years before -way back in 1917. He gave it to Kate Smith and she workedon it with her studio orchestra. She and Berlin were not sure how the song would be received by the public, but both agreed they would not take any profits from “God Bless America”–Any profits would go to the Boy Scouts of America. Over the years, the Scouts have received millions of dollars in royalties from this song.

This video starts out with Kate Smith coming into the radio studio with the orchestra and an audience. She introduces the new song for the very first time, and starts singing. After the first couple verses, with her voice in the background still singing,scenes are shown from the 1940 movie, “You’re In The Army Now.” At the 4:20 mark of the video you see a young actor in the movie, sitting in an office, reading a paper -it’s Ronald Reagan.

To this day, “God Bless America” stirs our patriotic feelings and pride in our country. Back in 1940,When Kate Smith went looking for a song to raise the spirits of her fellow Americans, I doubt she realized just how successful the results would be – for her fellow Americans during those years of hardship and worry, and for many generations of Americans to follow.

Now that you know the story of the song, I hope you will enjoy it and treasure it even more.
NOW HERE IS HOW "GOD BLESS AMERICA" SHOULD BE SUNG!

The Wise Guide : Subject to Change - StumbleUpon

The Wise Guide : Subject to Change - StumbleUpon
Library of Congress notes

When Insults Had Class | Maryannaville™ - StumbleUpon

When Insults Had Class | Maryannaville™ - StumbleUpon
I wish I could think of stuff like this when I need to.

FLOYD - 1922

“Hey, Floyd. Good to see you cuz.  Boy its hot out here. Let’s get inside”.

“Floyd, what is that USS Newport News  (CA 148) cap doing on your head? I thought you served in USS Philadelphia (CL-41).  Mama’s got to go to the bathroom right away.”  She’s pushing her walker through the door and headed left to the room with the ADA (Americans with Disabilities) certified toilet. Mom’s bladder is shot full of holes so it leaks out on schedule about every 110 minutes which ruins a two hour alarm schedule and there goes another adult depends diaper to consumable heaven.

“So” says, Floyd.  “I did serve in the Newport News but that was after the war.”  

And then I say hello to Gloria (Floyd’s wife of 65 years)  as she charges past to help mom into the toilet.  Gloria says there is a better way with disposable Depends to include  disposable inserts. Those are called Depend Boost inserts , and I took note of it.  These are Kimberly-Clark products and I think I have just suggested a stock to put in your portfolio for retirement. After the market wreck in early June it is probably a good time to buy KMB. (disclaimer - ALWAYS talk with your local village idiot before investing in the stock market).

“Floyd”, says I. “ My sister-in-law, Lynne’s brother, was on the Newport News in Vietnam when it  blew up. He was nearly blown to smithereens when the number 2 eight inch turret blew up.” Twenty sailors were killed and 36 injured.  Lee Mock, who lives in Pennsylvania was lucky. He is haunted to this day by the explosion. That was in October of 1972 only a week or so before me and my little gunboat the Destroyer Escort (Fast Frigate) - USS O’Callahan arrived off the coast of Vietnam.

I can’t say we ever had any accidental explosions on my ship and I am pleased that was the case.  We did at some point, however, have a couple of compartmental fires that smoked up some passageways. One was a serious electrical fire that took us out of action a couple of days. Another was a sailor’s stash of rolling papers for the cannabis he traded from some Army 1st Cav when they helicoptered aboard so their officers could work out spotting missions to support South Vietnamese Marines on the beach. The papers were stashed near a steam pipe that eventually heated up the “paraphernalia” and set it to smoking.  Anyway, my ship did not blow up. A little smoke puffed around though.

Floyd explained he served in that ship (Newport News) way before Vietnam but his primary war experience had been with the cruiser Philadelphia - spreading “brotherly love” in a special way. In a previous visit, Floyd told me about his first time under fire at the landings in North Africa. He was a gunner’s mate and looked out the ranging glass to see return fire splashing  nearby.  Said it scared the expletives out of him. He said his gun boss, a Chief, was just as scared as him, but they kept loading and firing.

Of all things, it was the French that were shooting at them as they landed troops. Students of WWII realize the Vichy French were on the side of Hitler. I’ve heard stories from people about that landing near Casablanca.  My uncle, E.W. Carswell was in the invasion boats.  A business man named Gene Spencer in Tampa told me about being ordered  to get in a different boat by his company commander. Sadly, but fortunate for him, the boat with his C.O. was destroyed with everyone in it.  And Floyd was loading 8 inch projectiles as fast as he could in the Philadelphia.

Where was I?

Gloria now had mom settled in the living room and Floyd began to talk about going to Chumuckla School around 1927 when he was about 4 ½ years old. His sister, Lillian (Coleman - of Flomaton) was 6 and he was her body guard on the trail through giant piney woods to the school from the Enfinger place a couple of miles away. Eventually, a teacher, Mrs Ruby Robinson, told the family that little Floyd was a bit of a challenge to keep up with all day. He would play out among the trees and occasionally run into the building and out and of course he would eventually be there when his sister was ready to go home. Mrs Robinson asked the family  to let little Floyd sit in on classes with the official students and she would do her best to provide a good result. Floyd said that is when the fun left town. At the age of 5 he was trapped.

Gloria pointed among the many photos in the house of family to one black and white photo of a soldier.  She explained it was Floyd’s younger brother, Adrian.  Floyd explained how, in 1945, Adrian was killed in house-to-house fighting by a hidden German machine-gunner in the town of Weisbaden, Germany. Floyd as in port on the East Coast at the time.  His commanding officers made it easy for him to take a leave of absence to be with the family down home and to put Adrian to rest at the Coon Hill Cemetery.  Coon Hill is the cemetery that is vandalized by idiots every year. I wish they would have some respect for the dead who rest there. Adrian is just one of many of our family in that place.

“Do you have any squash?” Gloria wanted to know if we’d take some of their squash home with us. She had a five gallon bucket full of summer yellow crookneck squash.  And, she had some good frying okra (not boiling okra that would be small pods - but the bigger pods) to give us as well.  Floyd went out back and came back with an armload of sweet corn.  Before mom and I left, we agreed that we would share the vegetables with family and friends and  I would not tell them that I grew them. Instead, I would tell them they came by away of Floyd and Gloria, with much hope that God’s  blessings would be upon them.

Notes:  Vic Campbell and his wife Karen recently retired out of New Jersey and returned to their roots in Santa Rosa County.  “Mom” is Mrs. J. Lee Campbell (Myrtle) .  Elderly parents and other kin are part of the landscape and a good deal of elder care is part of almost every day.  It works out well when a few visits can be put into the mix.

What I did not include in the story is that Floyd and I went out to his garden and found what we hoped was a ripe sugar baby watermelon.  I thumped it.  It had a bright yellow belly from its resting on the earth. It should have been ripe.  Well, it was not ripe. But we all ate it anyway since the meaty part was almost ripe and it was pretty sweet because a ripe sugar baby is really extra sugary. Still, it is a bit embarrassing that neither Floyd nor myself, a former watermelon picker, were able to discern the melon was not ripe when we picked it.  

I used my android app to make an audio recording of  Floyd’s (and Gloria’s) superb recollections of history.  I’ll make copies of the recording for their children.

VIc Campbell - June 14- 2011  copyright

Do You Want to Sell Your House — Or NOT? | Quazen

Do You Want to Sell Your House — Or NOT? | Quazen

BOOMER NATION

BOOMER NATION
A SURVEY OF MEDIA USE among various demographics.
Worth a click.

Amazing Grace

Australians

Air - La Femme D'Argent

It was the first 35 mm film ever that has come to light.It was taken by a camera mounted on the front of a cable car as it`s travelling down the street.You feel as if you're really there, standing at the front looking down the street, an amazing piece of historic film.

The number of automobiles is staggering for 1906. Look at the hats the ladies were wearing and the long dresses. The clock tower at the end of Market Street at the Embarcadero wharf is still there. Great historical film!

This film, originally thought to be from 1905 until David Kiehn with the Niles Essanay Silent Film Museum figured out exactly when it was shot.

From New York trade papers announcing the film showing, to the wet streets and recent heavy rainfall, and shadows indicating time of year and actual weather and conditions on historical record; even when
the cars were registered (he even knows who owned them and when the plates were issued!)..
It was filmed only four days before the Great California Earthquake of April 18th 1906 and shipped by train to NY for processing. Amazing, but true!

Centennial of Naval Aviation

History Of The PT Boat

PT Boat 658

Hey Jude

Our Kindergarten Teacher

Sick Note

Oskosh -Greatest Airshow

Local Korean War Veteran Honored

Local Korean War Veteran Honored

Beer Bottle Symphony Orchestra

Air Traffic Over the United States

Ford Built B-24 Bomber Plane

Blind Quilter

Karen's Uncle Jack sent this link.

Major POW interview YouTube

Tet 1968

Navy TV film - TET 1968

In a couple years it will be a 40 year anniversary of the end of that war. Too bad they just keep happening.

The Finest Funeral Recipes

I am seriously beginning a book "The Finest Funeral Recipes" (working title) to include some of the best Church member recipes from Church dinners and Funerals in the area. The book will develop over time in an online blog - www.me3tv.org.


With respect of course. So often you can imagine the departed would enjoy the meals and the fellowship. Got a good recipe? Send them to me at vic@buzzcreek.com. Naturally they will be tested. The recipe provider and the church will receive credit of course. Other "rules" will be forthcoming.

Town Without Pity (Larry Cutrone)

My friend, Larry is quite the singer.

Women in Art

Leslie's Artgallery : Women in Art by Eggman913

...

An impressive collection of women's faces in art - turned into a video with digital effects.

Amazing choir (Perpetuum Jazzile)

Relax and enjoy ! RAIN by a choir.