The postcard features doughboys singing "Over There." A historical film clip on YouTube shows the US war declaration as Bill Murray, scratchy sound sings Over There.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbggEGUaE28
On the morning of April 6, 1917, newspaper headlines across America announced that the United States had declared war on Germany after years of attempted neutrality. While most people who read the newspaper headlines that morning tried to comprehend how their lives were going to change, one man started humming. That may seem like an odd reaction to most people, but not for George M. Cohan, actor, singer, dancer, songwriter, playwright, and Broadway producer who had composed hundreds of songs, famous songs as “You're a Grand Old Flag,” “Give My Regards to Broadway,” and “I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy.” So it is not completely surprising that Cohan's reaction to the morning headlines was to hum. By the time Cohan arrived at work that morning, he already had the verses, chorus, tune, and title of "Over There." It was an instant success, selling over two million copies by the end of the war. Perhaps the most popular version of "Over There" was sung by Nora Bayes, but Enrico Caruso and Billy Murray also sang renditions.
The song is about the "Yanks" (i.e. Americans) going "over there" (i.e. across the Atlantic) to help fight the "Huns" (i.e. the Germans) during World War I. In 1936, Cohan was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for writing the song.
The chorus lyrics:
Over there, over there
Send the word, send
the word over there
That the Yanks are coming, the Yanks are coming
The
drums are rum-tumming everywhere
So prepare, say a prayer
Send the word, send the word to beware
We'll
be over there, we're coming over
And we won't come back till it's over over
there.
Over there.
The mysterious soldier is a full Sepia with only 1919 written on the back. I have wondered about him ever since I found this wonderful album kept by my grandmother and late aunt. Many photos lack names; they never thought so many years down the road I would be pondering. Because he is in the section of photos of my late 2nd cousin and my Grandma Rose's niece Annie Ostroski Kaluzny Gorlewski. I strongly suspect he may be Annie's first husband, Frank Kaluzny. I found Frank's WWI Draft enlistment on Ancestry.com dated June 15, 1917. It was interesting that the handwriting on that card noted his citizenship "by virtue of father's papers." Frank was born in Austria Poland) in 1887 and immigrated to this country with his parents. He died in 1927 in a Base Hospital and his grave marker identifies him as Private, U S Army. He and Annie married August 1919 and had two sons Raymond and Frank. Annie who was my grandmother's favorite niece said she had been a widow before she married her 2nd husband. So salute to this man and the many millions of others who served in that War that was to end all wars. Would that it had.
This is my Sepia post for the week. Visit the site to see what else is on about history and the Great War and other posts this time. I hope this link works, strange Blogger again
http://sepiasaturday.blogspot.com/2014/01/sepia-saturday-211-18-january-2014.html
So, he survived the war, but was felled by something later on; still too young to have died!
ReplyDeleteI like the postcard and enjoyed learning about the song.
ReplyDeleteA song that was sung in both world wars. Interesting to learn how it was composed. Soldiers and songs seem to go together.
ReplyDeleteYes, a young man to die, but I have read that there wee many after effects of men who were gassed in WWI and that many had severe physical and mental problems later. Since it indicates he was in a basde hospital I wonder. A photo which raised more questions than answers for sure.
ReplyDeleteThe song and card and photos are grand. I am sorry about the loss. War is hard, and it's even worse when they survive that to finally come home only to die.
ReplyDeleteMillions died in the Spanish flu pandemic that that occurred from 1918 onward. It took many who had survived the war. At least your young man lived a few years longer.
ReplyDeleteOld photos often do raise more questions than answers, i agree, Pat. My husband is trying to ID relatives in old family photos that he inherited from his parents. Sadly, there is no one remaining to ask about identities.
ReplyDelete"Over There" always sounds cheerful, hopeful, patriotic, so gung-ho. What a contrast to the sad tales of individual soldiers I've been reading about today.
ReplyDeleteYou've got me humming "Over There". Such a happy sounding song to be written because of a war. It sounds like you're right about who the unknown soldier is in your picture. How great that we can now research on the web and learn so much. I have old, unidentified pictures too. Wish I had asked about them before all of my family members were gone. laurie
ReplyDeleteI Salute Frank Kaluzny.One of The Many Brave Men of WW1.
ReplyDelete