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MacArthur's Duty, Honor, Country (MacArthur) (Memorial Day)

Delivered by General Douglas MacArthur(1880-1964) to the cadets at West Point, May 12, 1962. The Old Soldier's most celebrated oration, an acknowledgment and celebration of the soldier's indispensable role in the cause of human freedom. Music: "Tenting On The Old Campground" by Union Army veteran Walter Kittredge, 1863. Sung by both sides during the American Civil War, now a universal ode to soldiers soberly contemplating the quiet before battle...

My Buddy (Memorial Day)

Music by Walter Donaldson(1893-1947), lyrics by Gus Kahn(1886-1941), 1922. Between Donaldson & Kahn, separately and in collaboration, too many evergreens to list. "My Buddy" was routinely played in silent movie houses as the piano accompaniment for the film classic "Wings" (1927) set in WWI; and though written after the end of the conflict, its plaintive strains have always been associated with the Great War(1914-1918).

Pledge Of Allegiance, The (Memorial Day)

Our oath of loyalty to the United States, composed by Francis Bellamy in 1892, revised for the final time in 1954 when the words "under God" were added. The Pledge is customarily recited by citizens holding their right hands over their hearts facing the flag. Non-uniform headgear is removed and held against the left shoulder while uniformed personnel offer the military salute. Music original to this site.

Taps (Memorial Day)

Melody derived from basic harmonics (1st/3rd/5th/8th) of the scale, the only notes playable on a bugle; words by Horace Lorenzo Trim, Also known as "Butterfield's Lullaby" after the Civil War General responsible for first commanding its use for a military funeral in 1862. Its title is derived from the traditional 3 Drum Taps signaling "Lights Out." Official use by the U.S. Army since 1874, standard military funeral dirge since 1891.

Tenting On The Old Camp Ground (Memorial Day)

Words & music by Union Army veteran Walter Kittredge, 1863. Sung by both sides during the American Civil War, now a universal ode to soldiers soberly contemplating the quiet before battle.

When Johnny Comes Marching Home (Memorial Day)

Words & Music by Patrick Sarsfield Gilmore, 1863, band master of the Union Armies. First sung during the Civil War and again with frequency during the Spanish-American War. A celebratory lyric honoring the returning war heroes stands out in stark contrast to the most mournfully melancholy of tunes.