To those of you who have served our country, I thank you for your service and I honor you. All of the veterans in my direct line have passed now, so I send my good wishes on the wind to all those who have bravely served in the Armed Forces of our country and their families. Thank you.
The best I can do is share music that has been written to honor this nation and the valiant men and women who have defended us through the years. I loved singing patriotic songs while a member of the Tabernacle Choir. We loved to see the men and women in the audience proudly stand when their specific song was sung ---
Army "Over hill, over dale we have hit the dusty trail"
Air Force "Off we go into the wild blue yonder"
Marines "From the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli"
Coast Guard "We're always ready for the call"
Navy "Anchors aweigh me boys, anchors aweigh."
My husband's father served in the Navy, and my husband spent 8 1/2 years working at a Naval Research Lab, so we as a family always got to stand when that "Anchors Aweigh" was played. I have uncles who served in the Army, and friends who have served as Marines. My dad in his work followed a lot of government contract jobs. He worked at many Air Force bases, so I felt like I could also stand for the Air Force. Maybe it was a good thing that most of the time, I was singing, so I could stand for all of the songs!
There is something so stirring about Patriotic songs! I have a soft spot in my heart for a military band playing John Phillip Sousa marches. I am glad that they are still popular and played by many High School bands. Many of my grandchildren are now in band programs, so I regularly get to hear stirring renditions of patriotic tunes! I love it!
Back in 1987, on September 17th, my extended family and some friends were able to do a Church video program commemorating the 200th anniversary of the signing of the U.S. Constitution. This was the "Constitution Ball" where a program was broadcast to every Stake Center in America, and then the individual areas were to have a dance. So, it was fun to see my uncles and brothers dressed up as our Founding Fathers, singing their hearts out. My aunt Janie Thompson arranged all of the music and trained the singers. It was quite a big deal.
Here is Janie's medley of patriotic songs from that show. She was one of the most patriotic people I ever knew. This is not the type of music suitable for a Church meeting, but, boy is it fun to sing for a community program!
"The U.S. Constitution Medley" arranged by Janie Thompson
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