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Show 30 HILL TOP TIMES Friday, April 19, 1985 Miller (Sdd leirDin) musical group, in many ways the best organization of its kind anywhere. He used the military personOffice of History Project Warrior. nel system to acquire some of the top musicians and The Falconaires, the official big band of the U.S. singers available. Since the talented band members Air Force Academy, recently visited Hill AFB and were in the military service, for the duration of the Weber State College, rekindling recollections of the war at least, Miller had a very stable group. He was not interested solely in playing military prototype Air Force band established more than 40 marches and performing in traditional settings. He years ago by Glenn Miller." In 1942 Miller and his orchestra were at the arranged many of the era's popular tunes, particuheight of their popularity. Without question his larly the swing classics, for marching, the most sucband was the premier musical entertainment avail- cessful being St. Louis Blues. He also did the same ' able anywhere in the United States, making with wartime favorites Over There and Fly in hundreds of live radio broadcasts. The band's Home. Miller was delighted with the new arrangements, records were snatched up by adoring fans, thousands flocked to see their two movies and the group unveiling them at unusual times in formations and entertained at such chic nightclubs as the Glen Is- military parades. Some of the older Army officers were not so pleased with the new music the Army land Casino in New Rochelle, N.Y. Miller and his band were at the pinnacle of Air Force band played. One of them, a major instardom, having vied for the honor with other great volved in cadets' training at Yale University, had musical groups led by Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman", a showdown with Miller about the music selection. Tommy Dorsey, Count Basie and Duke Ellington. The major argued that "our men marched to Sou-s- a marches just as they were written in the last war In 1942 when the U.S. was at war and thousands were entering military service, Miller was well beand they did all right." Miller calmly replied, "And tell the draft he was me, Major, are you also still flying the same yond age. But, extremely patriotic and eager to serve his country even if it meant planes you flew in the last war?" End of argument; Miller continued playing his new arrangements. giving up his number one civilian band. While Miller's Army Air Force Band was a big summer the of 1942 Miller a for During applied commission in the Navy, but was turned down. He hit in the U.S. its radio broadcasts were recorded then applied for entrance into the Army and was and released as records and thousands turned out accepted. On Sept. 24, 1942 his civilian band played to hear the band's concerts the maestro wanted its last engagement and a short time later Mr. to contribute more directly to the war effort. In June of 1944 Miller succeeded in gaining perMiller became Captain Miller assigned to the Army mission to take his band to Europe to entertain the Air Force. Miller took charge of a diverse collection of mutroops there. The band crossed on a troop ship, the sicians at Yale University, New Haven, Conn, dur- Queen Elizabeth, pressed into duty to serve the Aland began creating a lied cause, playing seven to eight shows a day for ing the winter of 1942-194- 3 cruise. When unique military band. At first his band played only personnel aboard during the six-da-y for Air Force cadets at the university and for offithey reached Great Britain, they were initially cial ceremonies, but soon it traveled for war bond housed in the center of London, but soon sent to 50 miles north. rallies assisting in raising millions of pledge dollars. Bedford, ' Working out of Bedford, Miller's Army Air Force Beginning on July 7, 1943 and running for 11 consecutive months, Miller's Army Air Force Band was Band began an ambitious round of concerts, radio featured every Saturday night on a nationwide rabroadcasts, and dance appearances for servicemen, d dio broadcast on NBC titled, "I Sustain the Wings.". military hospitals, campaigns and government rallies. During this period Miller created a magnificent By Dr. Roger D. Launius ; - war-bon- This first Air Force Band was nothing if not active. In a little more than a year overseas, it participated in more than 800 separate musical shows; approximately 500 of these were radio broadcasts reaching millions of troops and about 300 concerts to a total audience of more than 600,000 service personnel. Miller was pleased with these activities. He wrote to a friend: "We came here to bring a much-neede- d touch of home to some lads who have been here a couple of years. These lads are doing a hell of a job they have been starved for real, live American music." Miller's band certainly filled the bill! Lt. Gen. James H. Doolittle, then Commander of the 15th Air Force, told Miller after one of his performances, "Next to a letter from home, Captain Miller, your organization is the greatest morale builder in the European Theater of Operations." Immediately after arriving in England, Miller began clamoring for permission to entertain the troops in Normandy. Finally, in December 1944 he was allowed to take the Army Air Force band to liberated Paris for a series of concerts. Impatient to get to Paris to finalize concert plans, Miller left England with two other officers in a small observation plane during the cold, stormy afternoon of Dec. 15. Most aircraft were grounded for weather that day. Two days later the band flew into Paris expecting to find Miller, only to learn that his plane had never landed on that side of the English Channel. No one knows exactly what happened to Glenn Miller. His plane apparently crashed without survivors, but whether it was attacked or lost because of weather is uncertain. The Air Force never recovered the aircraft or the bodies inside. For the rest of the war the magnificent Army Air Force band created by Miller continued to play in Europe under another conductor. Finally, with the war over and Europe rebuilding, on Aug. 12, 1945, the Army Air Force Band returned to New York City. Miller had created a legendary performing organization, one whose music captured so much of its era and passed a legacy of excellence on to all future Air Force bands. BBS auW-- 280 rp JZ .- 1 , 4X4 oqT I Veal economy-do- rir ps r ..IT .Lc n-t A969VOLKS , mns a 5 sp .rtfllP . & drives PS PB. i 1982 OATbur. extras- - Vooavetocom n984 CHEViw .! CI i H Like new j 3 economy DUUu jMttfWt CL WITH ANY ilttRft fAP IMSHJEBEI) 1983 DODGE 1982 DODGE ARIES 2 door. Auto., air. 1981 DODGE 1982 DODGE Wagon, low miles. ARIES Wagon. ARIES e'9'ass DUl 1983 . trom tross 19 ' ei. air 4 $500.00 JOHN SAMPLE 1234 MAIM STREET, ANYTOWN. USA 00000 1979 GMC OMNI 1981 BUICR Extra nice. 4x4 CENTURY 4 1980 CHEV 1982 TOYOTA CAMARO Auto., air, cruise. 1983 CHRYS. door. COROLLA Wagon. 1979 FORD 2 door, extra nice. LEBARON MUSTANG Ghia 1981 FORD 1984 DODGE MUSTANG Ghia 1983 CHEV CAVALIER 4 door, loaded. 1982 DODGE TON See this. 2810 WASH.-- BLVD. Turbo. 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