WWII Music and Songs -

Music and Memories

WWII SONGS,

I wrote a story about 10 years ago about my favorite songs of WWII. It’s a little too long to post, so I will just mention a few highlights.

1. King of Siam

In Infantry OCS, during the final weeks, my floor of the barracks had been winnowed down through washouts, from about 30 men to about 15. It looked as though we were going to “make it†and our enthusiasm knew no bounds! One of the survivors had a radio which he played in the morning as we were getting ready for the first formation. They always played “King of Siam†and we would all join in on the chorus: “Oh I’m the king of Siam, yes I am! Oh yes I am! Oh yes I am! For I’m the King of Siam, yes I am! And we all thought we were. Figuratively, at least. We might have been less exuberant if we had known that 50% of us would not survive the War!

2. I’ve Got Sixpence

We sang this loudly while marching in cadence to and from our training area each day.

“I’ve got sixpence,

Jolly, Jolly sixpence.

I’ve got sixpence to last me all my life.

I’ve got sixpence to spend.

And sixpence to lend,

And sixpence to send home to my wife, poor wife,

No cares have I to grieve me, No pretty little girls to deceive me.

Oh HAPPY IS THE DAY WHEN THE ARMY GETS ITS PAY

And we go rolling, rolling home.â€

Our song leader was always Jack Everett, a Rutgers ROTC classmate and a born leader. Jack was later KIA in France when he stood up to accept the surrender of a group of Krauts carrying a white flag. A concealed Kraut shot him dead.

3. Paper Doll

“I’d like to buy a paper doll that I could call my own,

A doll that other fellows could not stealâ€

My first assignment was to the 13th Airborne Division at Ft. Bragg. It was a cadre only, with fillers to come over the next year to undergo unit training before going overseas. That being the case, my fiancee and I married and found a room on a nearby cotton farm. Along with my fellow company officers, we would go to a nearby road house in the evening to dance to the juke box music of “Paper Dollâ€. Those were some of the happiest days of my life. The division did stay at Fort Bragg for a year of training and then never saw combat. But after only 8 weeks of marriage, I was sent to Anzio as an infantry replacement 2nd Lt. and didn’t come home for 2 years. I can’t remember the rest of the words to the song, but years later when I wrote this story, my wife read it and then sat down with paper and pencil and wrote these words from memory.

“Paper Doll - I’m gonna buy a paper doll, that I can call my own. A doll that other fellows cannot steal, and then those flirty, flirty guys with their flirty, flirty eyes will have to flirt with dollies that are real. When I come home at night she will be waiting, she’ll be the truest doll in all this world. I’d rather have a paper doll to call my own, than have a fickle-minded real live girl.â€

4. The fourth song is “Lili Marleneâ€, a sentimental ballad sung by the German Africa Corps in North Africa and then brought to Sicily and Italy where the American 5th and British 8th Armies adopted it as their own.

“Underneath the lamp post, by the barracks gate,

Standing all alone every night you’ll see her wait.

She waits for a boy who marched away,

And tho’ he’s gone, she hears him say;

Oh promise you’ll be true

Fare thee well Lili Marlene,

Til I return to you,

Fare thee well Lili Marleneâ€

5. The fifth song is “She wore a yellow ribbonâ€.

“Around her neck, she wore a yellow ribbon,

She wore it in the springtime and in the month of May, - Hey, Hey!

She wore it for her lover who was far, far away.

Far away, far away,

She wore it for her lover who was far, far away.â€

Have you had enough? I have and I am going to bed.

Russ Cloer - 3_7_I_Recon

UPCOMING EPISODES

MK-19 Grenade Launcher/PPSH-41/WWII Weasel/Vertijet: # 79.

Airs on Friday, September 16 at 10:00pm ET

R. Lee Ermey, is back at HQ for a new season of shows jam-packed with gear, gun and guts. First, the Gunny is pitching horseshoes and because "close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades," it's the perfect introduction to Lee's trip to Camp Pendleton where he gets some trigger time with the MK-19 grenade launcher. Next, the focus is on Russian tactics and weapons of WWII. Lee shows us the Russian sub machine gun of choice during the campaign, the PPSH-41. Then, it's time for a test drive when a WWII Weasel shows up at HQ. Finally, it's time to dip into the Gunny's Fabulous Flops file for a segment about the Vertijet, America's first vertical take-off jet aircraft.

TVPG L

M-1 Garand Rifle/First Assault Rifle/Jato/Golden Knights Parachute Team/Barrage Balloons

Airs on Friday, September 16 at 10:30pm ET

R. Lee Ermey answers viewer questions about the M-1 Garand, the rifle General Patton called "the greatest battle implement ever devised", and demonstrates the world's first assault rifle, the German MP-44. He takes to the sky to explain jet assisted take-off (JATO); offers an eye-popping look at the stunts performed by the Golden Knights, the Army's precision freefall parachute team; explains how barrage balloons protected London during the Blitz; and goes through the alphabet--military style! TVPG L

MK-19 Grenade Launcher/PPSH-41/WWII Weasel/Vertijet: # 79.

Airs on Saturday, September 17 at 2:00am ET

R. Lee Ermey, is back at HQ for a new season of shows jam-packed with gear, gun and guts. First, the Gunny is pitching horseshoes and because "close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades," it's the perfect introduction to Lee's trip to Camp Pendleton where he gets some trigger time with the MK-19 grenade launcher. Next, the focus is on Russian tactics and weapons of WWII. Lee shows us the Russian sub machine gun of choice during the campaign, the PPSH-41. Then, it's time for a test drive when a WWII Weasel shows up at HQ. Finally, it's time to dip into the Gunny's Fabulous Flops file for a segment about the Vertijet, America's first vertical take-off jet aircraft.

TVPG L

M-1 Garand Rifle/First Assault Rifle/Jato/Golden Knights Parachute Team/Barrage Balloons

Airs on Saturday, September 17 at 2:30am ET

R. Lee Ermey answers viewer questions about the M-1 Garand, the rifle General Patton called "the greatest battle implement ever devised", and demonstrates the world's first assault rifle, the German MP-44. He takes to the sky to explain jet assisted take-off (JATO); offers an eye-popping look at the stunts performed by the Golden Knights, the Army's precision freefall parachute team; explains how barrage balloons protected London during the Blitz; and goes through the alphabet--military style! TVPG L

Military Pilot Training/Flak/Doolittle Raid/One-Man Submarine/Military Radios: #36.

Airs on Saturday, September 17 at 12:00pm ET

How do we train our military pilots? What is flak and what is the origin of the word? How did the US pull off the daring Doolittle Raid against the Japanese during WWII? Did the OSS really use a 1-man submarine named Sleeping Beauty? What kind of radios are used in the field by today's military? Does a foxhole radio really work? Shot on location, R. Lee Ermey answers viewers' questions about military methods and technology with practical demonstrations by military experts in the field. TVPG L

WWII Half Track/Arctic Vehicles/Weird Weapons/Navy Hydrofoil/Combat Controller: #35.

Airs on Thursday, September 22 at 8:00am ET

Shot on location, R. Lee Ermey answers viewer questions about the military with practical demonstrations in the field. Lee tears around in a WWII M2A2 half track, with a combination of tracks and wheels; demonstrates Army vehicles designed for extreme arctic conditions, including the world's longest truck--the 572-foot Snow Train; strange weapons used by the Allies in WWII; and Navy hydrofoils. And he explains the function of Air Force combat controllers and Marine Corps gunnery sergeants. TVPG L

Grease Gun/Sten Gun/E-3 Sentry Awacs/J-Stars/Vietnam Fire Support Bases/"Charlie": #43.

Airs on Thursday, September 22 at 8:30am ET

R. Lee Ermey demonstrates the WWII American M3 submachine gun, a.k.a. the Grease Gun, and a similar British gun, the Sten Gun; takes viewers inside the E-3 Sentry early warning and control system--a high-tech aerial command and control center--and J-Stars, similar to AWACs, but linked to an Army command center housed in a Humvee; finds out how US fire support bases were constructed in Vietnam and their use, and how the slang term "Charlie" entered GI Jargon. TVPG L

506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division: #49.

Airs on Thursday, September 22 at 9:00am ET

Mail Call devotes an entire show to the gear and guys of "Easy Company"--the men depicted in Band of Brothers. Shot in a "You Are There" style, R. Lee Ermey hosts in a vintage jumpsuit, supported by a team of paratrooper reenactors using and demonstrating the real gear, weapons, and medical evac used during the Invasion of Normandy and through to the end of WWII. TVPG L

Krag-Jorgenson Rifle/Maine/Blackbird/Northern Warfare Training Center/Stalingrad: #53.

Airs on Thursday, September 22 at 9:30am ET

In this episode, R. Lee Ermey demonstrates the firepower of a Krag-Jorgenson rifle from the Spanish-American War, and explains what sank the USS Maine and why we're supposed to remember it. He catches up with history's fastest plane, the SR-71 Blackbird and finds out what went wrong with its predecessor, the U-2 spy plane. And he visits the Northern Warfare Training Center in Ft. Wainwright, Alaska, and answers a question about how extreme cold weather helped the WWII Allies in the Battle of Stalingrad. TVPG L

MP5/WWII Marine Corps Paratroopers/Pilot Headgear: #54.

Airs on Thursday, September 22 at 10:00am ET

With his bulldog Harley by his side, the Gunny demonstrates the firepower of the MP5--the gun of choice for Special Forces when they're in close-quarter battle. And we see the MP5 in action during a Navy SEALs live-fire training exercise. Next, R. Lee Ermey gives the often-overlooked Marine Corps paratroopers of WWII their due, and relates the story behind the photo of the Iwo Jima flag-raisers. Then, fighter pilots demonstrate the new state-of-the-art hands-free helmet system. TVPG L

Navy Marine Mammals/WC54 Ambulance/Desert Ducks: #55.

Airs on Thursday, September 22 at 10:30am ET

The Gunny proves that the Navy Marine Mammals program is no fish tale and discovers just how dolphins and sea lions help to win wars. Next, R. Lee Ermey discovers how we got our injured soldiers from the battlefield to field hospitals by the chain of evacuation in WWII, and takes a ride in the WC54 ambulance. Finally, we profile the Desert Ducks, the Navy unit in charge of delivering the mail to ships in the Persian Gulf. TVPG L

Musketeer/Hellcat & Zero/U.S. Army's High Altitude Rescue Team/XR-8 Syncopter: #56.

Airs on Thursday, September 22 at 11:00am ET

R. Lee Ermey does some fancy footwork, fencing his way through the gear of the French Musketeers. Next, the Gunny sizes up two of the greatest fighter planes of World War II--the US F6F Hellcat and the Japanese A6M Zero. Then, we find out what it takes to be a member of the US Army's High Altitude Rescue Team. Finally, Lee opens the "fabulous flops" file to spotlight the XR-8 Syncopter, a helo with blades that had a nasty tendency to intertwine. TVPG L

Marine Corps Marksmanship/The BAT/Maritime Safety & Security Teams: #57.

Airs on Thursday, September 22 at 11:30am ET

Marine Corps marksman, sharpshooter, expert? What's the difference? R. Lee Ermey aims to find out the difference, and handles some of the Corps' heralded Vietnam snipers' gear. Next, the Gunny reviews WWII coast artillery and examines one of WWII's most sophisticated missiles, the BAT. Finally, R. Lee checks out the Coast Guard's latest approach to the War on Terror, the Maritime Safety and Security Teams, and looks back at the first plane to cross the Atlantic, the Navy NC-4 flying boat. TVPG L

Silencers/Flashbang Grenade/WWII Japanese Gear/HITRON Teams: #58.

Airs on Thursday, September 22 at 12:00pm ET

The show opens with a "whisper" while the Gunny discovers why the military uses silencers in a live-fire demonstration, and he learns why silence isn't always golden in a demo of the flashbang grenade. Next, R. Lee Ermey checks out the weapons and gear of Japanese soldiers in WWII's Pacific Theater. And in Jacksonville, Florida, Lee catches up with the tough new Coast Guard HITRON teams, and profiles one of the military's premier heavy-lifting helos, the CH-54 Skycrane. TVPG L

Javelin Anti-Tank Missile/Tankgewehr 1918/P-3 Orion/SOG: #59.

Airs on Thursday, September 22 at 12:30pm ET

Gunnery Sergeant R. Lee Ermey learns how our troops stick it to enemy tanks with the Javelin anti-tank missile and looks back at the first anti-tank rifle, the massive bolt-action Tankgewehr 1918. Next, it's out to the open ocean for a little submarine hunting in the Navy's P-3 Orion aircraft and a look back at sub hunting planes of WWII. Finally, it's into the heart of the jungle to discover the weapons, gear, and tactics used by the Studies and Observations Group (SOG) during the Vietnam War.

Tonight's show is the season premier. Here's what's in store for you military history buffs...

UPCOMING EPISODES

MK-19 Grenade Launcher/PPSH-41/WWII Weasel/Vertijet: # 79.

Airs on Friday, September 16 at 10:00pm ET

R. Lee Ermey, is back at HQ for a new season of shows jam-packed with gear, gun and guts. First, the Gunny is pitching horseshoes and because "close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades," it's the perfect introduction to Lee's trip to Camp Pendleton where he gets some trigger time with the MK-19 grenade launcher. Next, the focus is on Russian tactics and weapons of WWII. Lee shows us the Russian sub machine gun of choice during the campaign, the PPSH-41. Then, it's time for a test drive when a WWII Weasel shows up at HQ. Finally, it's time to dip into the Gunny's Fabulous Flops file for a segment about the Vertijet, America's first vertical take-off jet aircraft.

M-1 Garand Rifle/First Assault Rifle/Jato/Golden Knights Parachute Team/Barrage Balloons Airs on Friday, September 16 at 10:30pm ET

R. Lee Ermey answers viewer questions about the M-1 Garand, the rifle General Patton called "the greatest battle implement ever devised", and demonstrates the world's first assault rifle, the German MP-44. He takes to the sky to explain jet assisted take-off (JATO); offers an eye-popping look at the stunts performed by the Golden Knights, the Army's precision freefall parachute team; explains how barrage balloons protected London during the Blitz; and goes through the alphabet--military style! TVPG L

Well my husband read it first and now I am almost done reading it. I have to say I am enjoying it very much, even though as my husband says, most of it is a re-hash of the Band of Brothers book (then movie), but obviously it does cover more regarding Dick Winters during the war and beforehand.

I did learn a lot and I can see why Dick Winters is such a well-respected man to this very day. It is sad to think that his health is so fragile as of late. I certainly hope that he will live the rest of his time is spent in peace and quiet.

There is one thing that did irk me though and I know that Joe and Russ from the 3rd Inf Div will get riled up too. Here's what is stated in the book on pages 193 and 194.

-----

Rolling south toward Austria, Winters and his battalion left Berchtesgaden behind, but sixty years after the war controversy still rages over who was first into that jewel of Nazism. In their history of the 101st Airborne, Rendevous with Destiny, authors Leonard Rappaport and Arthur Norwood Jr. substantiates a claim by veterans of the 7th Regiment of the 3rd Division that they first had the honor of taking the town. Winters has always contested that view, drawing on this own memories, a journal kept without his knowledge by Lieutenant Staplefeld, and Krochka's photographs.

"If they were the first ones there, where'd they go?" Winters said during an interview with this author. "It was a small town and, aside from service personnel at the hotel and few civilians, we didn't see anyone else."

If the old military adage is true that the British fight for King and Country, the Russians fight for Mother Russia, the Germans fight for the Fatherland and the Americans fight for souvenirs, then Winter's claim carries much validity, When they arrived, the posh Berchtesgaden Hof was unlooted, the German staff cars untouched and Goering's wine cellar was intact, a condition all but implausible had any American troops gotten there ahead of Winters and his men.

"As it stands in Rendevous with Destiny we were latecomers." Winters said. "But I assure you, members of the 2nd Battalion and the 506th have different memories and pictures to prove that we didn't do too badly in getting our share of the loot at Berchtesgaden during the last days of the war."

----------------

Now while I cannot personally fault Dick Winters, for what one man sees or what one battalion experiences, is only the story from their perspective, not the whole picture. He did not see the 3rd, so he assumed that they weren't there. That is all a part of the "fog of war". Most men only knew what went on in their battalions.

But, people do have to be careful about making assumptions. I could very well say, "I went to the dinner party last night and Sue was not there." It may have been true that she was not in attendance while I was there, but to say that she never showed up would be an assumption on my part. Sue could very well have arrived before or after my visit.

Someone once told me that a certain unit WAS NOT AT ANZIO. I told them that they were mistaken and that I knew men from this unit that were there. I also took quotes from books, etc. and showed him the evidence. He had based his conclusions from one book he read. That particular book did not mention this unit, therefore he assumed they weren't there. A very dangerous thing for an historian or writer to do.

Dont know if this is where this pic belongs, but. Came across this pic today on the web.

May have been by my French freind who has a French ww2 3rd Inf Div reenactment group. I am checking with him.

Attached Files

  FtFrere10thEng.M8XA.jpg (Size: 94 KB / Downloads: 0)