A D-Day Remembrance

[Spencer]

On June 6, 1994, I was in France for a meeting, and watching morning tv on the 50th anniversary of D-Day. There was a story of an American lady, my age, who travelled to Normandy for the first time to visit the grave of her father, who had died on the beaches on D-Day. She had never seen him, as she was born after he shipped out, and only knew about him from a box of old letters and pictures. I thought it was quite a story and in the train on the way home, I wrote a song about it. A couple years later my friends Art Stevenson and Highwater helped me record it on a little CD we did. After seeing all the documentaries about D-Day this evening, I thought I would like to share it with you, in memory of the countless other stories like it.

Brave Youthful Soldier.mp3

Art is singing lead, playing guitar, his wife Stephanie on bass singing tenor, Dale Reichart on banjo, and yours truly on mandolin singing baritone.


There aren't many of them left now, they gave so much for all the rest of us.

Spencer

[Michael Weaver]

Spencer, I couldn't get your link to load on my phone. But thank you for commenting about D-Day. We owe those men and women our lives and I will always be forever grateful.

[fatt-dad]

I called my Dad today (95 years old in January). He invaded Omaha.

f-d

[Stok]

I'm glad they got a lot of respect today, it's impossible to understate just how important what they did that day was. It was one of the single most important things ever done in world history. Can't thank them enough

[Petrus]

Political ... ?

[Zissou Intern]

I think not. Actually falls under the category of "historical" with mandolin content.

[Michael Weaver]

Showing respect for the people that fought and died for our freedom during WWII is far from political. It was a time in our country when politics didn't matter.

[Petrus]

Noted, but remember this is an international site with participants from all over the globe. "Our country" is a bit ambiguous in this context. And, to forestall any premature furrowing of brows or twisting of knickers, that's was the only point I had to make.

Edit: With apologies and due respect to our French and Dutch members.

[Stok]

Agreed d day isn't just american history it's world history, and it wasn't just american soldiers that landed on the beach either of course.

I don't think this is a political thread though

[Spencer]

Political ... ?

It certainly wasn't intended to be. The story could apply to those who lost parents in any war, on any side. It was intended to be about the sufferer, not the cause.

Spencer

[Bertram Henze]

they gave so much for all the rest of us.

Unknowingly, they even saved Germany just in time before the Manhattan Project delivered.

[Bob Bass]

Spencer- It is very easy to imagine this song as having been written and performed by a traditional Bluegrass group anytime from 1950's through the early 1970's. It is well-placed in the category of "heart, home, loss, and remembrance" popular in American Country Music at least as far back as memories of the Civil War expressed in Old Timey tunes like Two Soldiers and The Boston Boy recorded in the 1920's or 1930's and then later done by the New Lost City Ramblers. Very well written and excellently arranged and performed in a format common in early Bluegrass music. There's a touch of the Sacred Song in there too. All the playing is excellent and the mandolin work is just right for the tune. Thanks for putting this out here for us!

Bob

[mandolinlee]

Spencer -
Thank you for sharing your song with us. I must admit, it brought a tear to my eye.
Nice arrangement and very tasteful mandolin playing. Congratulations.
While in the Army, I also visited the French Beaches, in company with a Sargent who was there on D-Day. What stories I heard.

Interesting to see among the Veterans of Word War ll at the ceremony yesterday was Elizabeth, The Queen of England.

Thanks, again, Spencer
Lee

[Stok]

wow! just got a chance to actually listen to the song. Excellent! Just Excellent

[Michael Weaver]

Noted, but remember this is an international site with participants from all over the globe. "Our country" is a bit ambiguous in this context. And, to forestall any premature furrowing of brows or twisting of knickers, that's was the only point I had to make. Edit: With apologies and due respect to our French and Dutch members.

Considering it was a "World War" almost every country was touched by the actions that took place regardless of being Axis or Allies to the United States. In fact with a little research people will notice that we actually had a small hand in the actions on D-Day when compared to England. You are correct in stating that this is an International site but commemorating soldiers that lost their lives is not about demeaning another country. And I guarantee you that none of them take it that way. Would you feel insulted if a German citizen said "I commend my Grandfather who lost his life in WWII"? I know I wouldn't be. I served in combat with troops from other countries just as my Grandfather did. We respected each other as humans first and when put in that situation you will feel a loss of their troops as your own. Politics, race and religion stay at home when you board a plane headed to war. No person should ever feel disgraced waving their own countries flag, ours included.

[Petrus]

Considering it was a "World War" almost every country was touched by the actions that took place regardless of being Axis or Allies to the United States. In fact with a little research people will notice that we actually had a small hand in the actions on D-Day when compared to England. You are correct in stating that this is an International site but commemorating soldiers that lost their lives is not about demeaning another country. And I guarantee you that none of them take it that way. Would you feel insulted if a German citizen said "I commend my Grandfather who lost his life in WWII"? I know I wouldn't be. I served in combat with troops from other countries just as my Grandfather did. We respected each other as humans first and when put in that situation you will feel a loss of their troops as your own. Politics, race and religion stay at home when you board a plane headed to war. No person should ever feel disgraced waving their own countries flag, ours included.

That's true. I have several relatives that died on the Eastern Front. BTW, the Waffen S.S. also had a sizable foreign contingent.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waffen-...and_conscripts

[Michael Weaver]

Yeah, anything Himmler had a hand in turned out to be a nightmare. That poster is pretty horrifying.

[Ivan Kelsall]

My father,a US soldier from Pittsburgh,PA. & serving in the US Army Signals Corps., lost his life shortly after D-Day. His best army buddy,Earl,lived to return to England to pick up his wife,whom he'd married shortly after my father & mother were married,& returned to the USA & went to live in Wichita, Kans. I've often wondered whether if he'd lived & i'd been taken to the US to grown up,whether i'd ever have had any interest in Bluegrass music ?. It's sometimes weird the way things turn out. I had my grandfather's banjo-uke (no bridge or strings on it) from being a small child to when i started work, & i didn't know what it was until i saw a gent.at work playing one during his lunch time. I took it to work & he put a bridge & strings on it for me & taught me how to play it.The rest as they say, is history. Would that have happened if i'd gone to live in the US ?. It's doubtful that the banjo-uke would even have made it over there - such is 'providence' :- "a manifestation of divine care or direction " It certainly makes me wonder,
Ivan

[Bertram Henze]

...a sizable foreign contingent.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waffen-...and_conscripts

Makes me very sad to find Ireland in that list.

[jesserules]

Makes me very sad to find Ireland in that list.

There are 2 (two) Irishmen recorded as serving with the SS*.

A hundred thousand or more Irishmen fought against nazism as volunteers in the British army, although the Republic was neutral and Northern Irelanders were exempt from the UK draft.



*Check the wikipedia article "James Brady (SS)".

[mandroid]

I Visited in Belgium , in '91, the city of Ypres, on every evening has a Memorial
ceremony for the carnage of WW1, that leveled the city.

and only while occupied during WW2 did they have to stop ..
immediately after the German lines were pushed back

that very evening they resumed, and have done the playing of Last Post Ceremony
Daily. http://www.lastpost.be/

[Michael Weaver]

Very touching story from Ivan and Mandroid. Also wanted to thank Spencer for taking the time to email me personally with his song. Great song by a nice guy to boot.

[Petrus]

Makes me very sad to find Ireland in that list.

Why wouldn't they? They were treated like crap by Britain for centuries. They had nothing against Germany. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, and all that. It was Britain that declared war on Germany, after all.

[MikeEdgerton]

We're probably pushing the political limits here. There are plenty of places for these discussions on the Internet, this isn't one of them.

[Jim Taylor]

Spencer,
I appreciate your sentiment, love your song, your band and your mandolin playing! Thanks for sharing.
Respectfully,
Jim