Posted on Oct 31, 2016
Americans Need To Learn the Star-Spangled Banner
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Americans love music - producing it, playing it, listening to it - so it strikes me as strange when I realize how few Americans can sing our National Anthem correctly. Every citizen should learn and sing our anthem and sing it loudly.
We certainly know a lot of songs that are difficult to sing. Many of us learned our high school alma mater and even our college alma mater. So why can’t we learn our National Anthem?
My first assigned in the Army was with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, NC. I ended serving twice with the 82nd. The Division song was (and might still be) “The All-American Soldier,” an easy song to learn, sing and enjoy. It’s a rousing fight song. There are parts that are yelled; “Hey! Hey!” and “Let's Go!” I later served in Vietnam with the 101st Airborne Division. Their song was “Rendezvous with Destiny,” a hard, slower-paced song to sing. Point is, learning these songs used to be a part of our culture - it made us a stronger team, and created a stronger bond.
I learned about the downfalls of not learning such bond-creating songs when I served with the 3rd Infantry Division in Germany. Their song was “A Dog Face Soldier,” a fun song to sing. My unit was to participate in a joint ceremony with a German unit. We had to learn “A Dog Face Soldier” because at some point, we were told that we would have to sing it. We were also told that the Germans would sing, and they do love to sing. All the company commanders rushed to the PX and purchased records and tapes of “A Dog Face Soldier.” We spent hours trying to teach our soldiers the words and melody. At the designated time, the band struck up the song and we mumbled and fumbled through the words. Then, the Germans sang – loud and clear. They shamed us. It was embarrassing.
I shudder to think how we would have done if we had to sing our National Anthem. Why do we have this problem? The Germans, French and most other nationalities have no problem singing their national anthems. Are they more patriotic than Americans? Or do we have some other, unknown issue, that is keeping us from collectively memorizing our country’s song?
We have only one national anthem. It’s time everyone decides to learn it...and sing it loudly with pride.
We certainly know a lot of songs that are difficult to sing. Many of us learned our high school alma mater and even our college alma mater. So why can’t we learn our National Anthem?
My first assigned in the Army was with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, NC. I ended serving twice with the 82nd. The Division song was (and might still be) “The All-American Soldier,” an easy song to learn, sing and enjoy. It’s a rousing fight song. There are parts that are yelled; “Hey! Hey!” and “Let's Go!” I later served in Vietnam with the 101st Airborne Division. Their song was “Rendezvous with Destiny,” a hard, slower-paced song to sing. Point is, learning these songs used to be a part of our culture - it made us a stronger team, and created a stronger bond.
I learned about the downfalls of not learning such bond-creating songs when I served with the 3rd Infantry Division in Germany. Their song was “A Dog Face Soldier,” a fun song to sing. My unit was to participate in a joint ceremony with a German unit. We had to learn “A Dog Face Soldier” because at some point, we were told that we would have to sing it. We were also told that the Germans would sing, and they do love to sing. All the company commanders rushed to the PX and purchased records and tapes of “A Dog Face Soldier.” We spent hours trying to teach our soldiers the words and melody. At the designated time, the band struck up the song and we mumbled and fumbled through the words. Then, the Germans sang – loud and clear. They shamed us. It was embarrassing.
I shudder to think how we would have done if we had to sing our National Anthem. Why do we have this problem? The Germans, French and most other nationalities have no problem singing their national anthems. Are they more patriotic than Americans? Or do we have some other, unknown issue, that is keeping us from collectively memorizing our country’s song?
We have only one national anthem. It’s time everyone decides to learn it...and sing it loudly with pride.
National Anthem
Pride
Patriotism
United States
Command Post
Posted 8 y ago
Responses: 12
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Appreciate your sentiments and agree, LTC Monte Anderson, I like our National Anthem, don't want to change it, and I know the words and sing it with pride at each and every opportunity.
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What a great post. The other thing that drives me crazy is that. When you see other branches of the military at public venues. They are dress up in the dress uniforms especially the US Marines. The US Army wants to show up in the ACU's. Is it that hard to dress up and show some pride in yourself and the US Army dress uniform.
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SMSgt Lawrence McCarter
What ever happened to the days where utility Uniforms or fatigues as We used to call them were not allowed to be worn off the Post or Base except directly to and from work ? Remember even MP's, AP/SPs and the sharp appearance and Military bearing when You entered the Gates ?
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Provided to YouTube by The Orchard Enterprises The All-American Soldier · 82nd Airborne All-American Chorus The All-American Chorus 2007 82nd Airborne Hist...
LTC Monte Anderson, their is a difference between just knowing the words and the National Anthem meaning, truly meaning something to us. Many of us hold those words much closer to our hearts, it really means something special and reminds us of the sacrifices of those braves soles that sacrificed before us and in many cases, alongside us!
It pisses me off to see the arrogance of actors, athletes and performers treat the song with what I label as disrespect to the service of those that paid for the freedom of this great land with their very sacrifices!
Here's a link to the Division Chorus singing All American Soldier
https://youtu.be/5IoCJxoCNqQ
It pisses me off to see the arrogance of actors, athletes and performers treat the song with what I label as disrespect to the service of those that paid for the freedom of this great land with their very sacrifices!
Here's a link to the Division Chorus singing All American Soldier
https://youtu.be/5IoCJxoCNqQ
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