"When Swing Was King" Is Keeping Alive the Spirit of '45

Claire and I have created a special volume of "When Swing Was King" for this month, one commemorating the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.

In doing so, we are emphasizing our deep appreciation to the men and women who went into harm's way during the war...and to all of the men, women, and children here at home who sacrificed, supported, prayed, suffered loss, and worked so diligently to help the Allied cause be victorious.

We're calling the program Keeping Alive the Spirit of '45 as we seek to remind the seniors in the facilities we visit every month how much we admire the unity, courage, and resolve their generation demonstrated in fighting for liberty, justice, and the democratic rule of law.

The songs in the program all come from the war years and, not surprisingly, they include some of the most poignant, sublime music America ever produced. The photos accompanying the songs also reflect the critical times of 1942-1945.

If you, your family, your home school group, and so on have never caught a "When Swing Was King" presentation...boy, would this be a perfect time to finally do so. The schedule is right here.

And the Keeping Alive the Spirit of '45 song list?

1) Glenn Miller Orchestra — “American Patrol”
2) Dinah Shore — “I’ll Walk Alone”
3) The Ink Spots — “This Is a Lovely Way to Spend an Evening”
4) Bing Crosby — “I’ll Be Seeing You”
5) The Mills Brothers — “Till Then”
6) Vaughn Monroe Orchestra — “When the Lights Go On Again”
7) Vera Lynn — “The White Cliffs of Dover”
8) Perry Como — “Long Ago and Far Away”
9) Harry James Orchestra (Vocals by Helen Forrest) — “I Don’t Want to Walk Without You”
10) Benny Goodman Orchestra — “Jersey Bounce”
11) Bob Crosby Orchestra (Vocals by Dave Street) — “I Left My Heart at the Stage Door Canteen”
12) The Andrews Sisters — “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B”