[NFB-Idaho] FW: [NFBWNews] Fwd: [State-Affiliate-Leadership-List] Veterans Poem and God Bless America

Mon Nov 11 17:00:55 UTC 2019

From: nfbwnews at googlegroups.com <nfbwnews at googlegroups.com> On Behalf Of John Fritz
Sent: Monday, November 11, 2019 6:51 AM
To: nfbwnews at googlegroups.com
Subject: [NFBWNews] Fwd: [State-Affiliate-Leadership-List] Veterans Poem and God Bless America

Joe is a veteran and the president of the New Jersey affiliate.

John Fritz
608-387-0494 <tel:608-387-0494> 

Good morning!

Each year, I forward to the NFBNJ distribution list.

Please share with others.

Warmly,

Joe 

*****  

Veterans poem

It’s the veteran

not the preacher

Who has given us the freedom of religion.

It’s the veteran

Not the reporter

Who has given us the freedom of the press.

It’s the veteran

Not the poet

Who has given us the freedom of speech.

It’s the veteran

Not the campus organizer

Who has given us the freedom to assemble.

It’s the veteran

Not the lawyer

Who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It’s the veteran

Not the politician

Who has given us the right to vote.

It’s the veteran who honors the flag

It’s the veteran who serves under the flag

No matter where they serve,

God Bless Them All!

God Bless America!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nz_js_aMaV0

**

God Bless The USA

https://www.youtube.com/embed/daqwGRdRIsk?feature=player_detailpage

Frank Sinatra considered Kate Smith the best singer of her time, and said

that when he and a million other guys first heard her sing "God Bless

America" on the radio, they all pretended to have dust in their eyes as they

wiped away a tear or two.  Here are the facts... The link at the bottom will

take you to a video showing the very first public singing of "GOD BLESS

AMERICA". But before you watch it, you should also know the story behind the

first public showing of the song.  The time was 1940. America was still in a

terrible economic depression. Hitler was taking over Europe, and Americans

were afraid we'd have to go to war. It was a time of hardship and worry for

most Americans.  This was the era just before TV, when radio shows were

HUGE, and American families sat around their radios in the evenings,

listening to their favorite entertainers, and no entertainer of that era was

bigger than Kate Smith.  Kate was also large; plus size, as we now say, and

the popular phrase still used today is in deference to her, "It ain't over

till the fat lady sings".  Kate Smith might not have made it big in the age

of TV because of her size and appearance, but with her voice coming over the

radio, she was the biggest star of her time. Back then, music was more

important than appearance or the ???program???. Kate was also patriotic. It 

hurt

her to see Americans so depressed and afraid of what the next day would

bring. She had hope for America and faith in her fellow Americans. She

wanted to do something to cheer them up, so she went to the famous American

song-writer, Irving Berlin (who also wrote "White Christmas") and asked him

to write a song that would make Americans feel good again about their

country.When she described what she was looking for, he said he had just the

song for her. He went to his files and found a song that he had written but

never published, 22 years before -- way back in 1917. He gave it to her and

she worked on it with her studio orchestra. She and Irving Berlin were not

sure how the song would be received by the public, but both agreed they

would not take any profits from ???God Bless America???. Any profits would 

go to

the Boy Scouts of America. Over the years, the Boy Scouts have received

millions of dollars in royalties from this song.  This video starts out with

Kate Smith coming into the radio studio with the orchestra and an audience.

She introduces the new song for the very first time and starts singing.

After the first couple verses, with her voice in the background still

singing, scenes are shown from the 1940 movie, "You're In the Army Now." At

the 4:20 mark of the video you see a young actor in the movie, sitting in an

office, reading a paper: it's Ronald Reagan.  To this day, ???God Bless

America??? stirs our patriotic feelings and pride in our country. Back in

1940, when Kate Smith went looking for a song to raise the spirits of her

fellow Americans, I doubt whether she realized just how successful the

results would be for her fellow Americans during those years of hardship and

worry..... And for many generations of Americans to follow. It has been

suggested that this song replace the ???Star-Spangled Banner??? as our 

national

anthem because it???s easier to sing, and most folks already know the words.

Now that you know the story of the song, I hope you'll enjoy it. Many people

don't know there's a lead in to the song since it usually starts with ???God

Bless America???....." So, here's the entire song as originally sung.....

ENJOY!

https://www.youtube.com/embed/TnQDW-NMaRs?rel=0       Virus-

Warmly,

joe

We care. We share. We grow. We make a difference

Joe Ruffalo, President

National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey

973 743 0075

nfbnj1 at verizon.net <mailto:nfbnj1 at verizon.net> 

www.nfbnj.org <http://www.nfbnj.org> 

Raising Expectations To Live The Life You Want!

Your old car keys can be keys to literacy for the blind.

Donate your unwanted vehicle to us by clicking

www.carshelpingtheblind.org <http://www.carshelpingtheblind.org> 

or call 855 659 9314

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