The King of Swing

Born March 1st 1904, Glenn Miller was not a young man when the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor brought America into the Second World War. Glenn Miller was well beyond draft age at 38 years old and was at the height of his musical career as a successful Big Band leader and musician. The Glenn Miller Orchestra was a household name and the most popular Big Bands of the Swing Era. He could have easily stayed at home and continue to rack up the hits, but he he had the desire to do something more. He had the desire to serve his country. He first approached the U.S. Navy, but they turned him down. He then turned to the U.S. Army and somehow convinced the powers that be that he had a part to play in this war. It was Glenn's desire to put a little swing into the step of the U.S. servicemen. In 1942 Glenn Miller at age 38 became a part of the United States Army Specialist Corps with the rank of Captain. Captain Miller built a 50 piece orchestra and proceeded to boost the morale of the American fighting men with his Big Band Swing music, through fund raisers, recruitment drives and a popular radio program, Capt. Miller and his orchestra raised millions in war bonds while recruiting and entertaining the troops. Eventually Capt. Glenn Miller and the Army Air Corps Band made their way to England in 1944. Glenn wrote, that in one months time the band had done concerts at 35 military bases and did 40 radio broadcasts for the troops! While in England, the band narrowly escaped death when a German Buzz Bomb destroyed their London quarters, killing a 100 people a day after the band had moved to Bedford, England. Glenn and his Army Air Corps Band were tireless performers and did a tremendous job maintaining the morale of the troops throughout England.
On night of December 15th 1944, Capt. Glenn Miller climbed on board a Canadian built C-64 Norsemen airplane bound for Paris and flew off into the night. He was never heard from again.
Glenn Miller made his mark in the history of American Jazz, but he took it to a higher level, his patriotism and his dedication to the troops went well above and beyond the call of duty.

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