My 90 year-old cousin Bob Strickland was a B-26 tail gunner in numerous missions over Germany during WWII; my late Uncle Carroll Teas was a logistics/supply flight captain in the Pacific Theater of the same big event; both served as proud members of the U.S. Army Air Corps.
I grew up with the words and music to this song during World War II. To me, it still represents the spirit of going all out for whatever’s important to us in life. Passion is never lukewarm. It is a fiery hot give-it-your-all dedication to the end.
“To live in fame – or go down in flame” … is there any other way to fly? Even when we embrace the idea of “fame” not as world recognition, but as self acknowledgement that we are giving the matters of our lives the whole-hearted flow of our love, effort, and energy.
The same spirit of the air corps anthem was with me unconsciously in some of the lyrics I wrote for my poem, “The Pecan Park Eagle,” a few years ago:
“To soar once more in spirit
Like the Pecan Park Eagle
In flight destiny
To all that is bright and beautiful.”
That roaring raw power of this idea is right here in the whole body of the U.S. Army Air Corps song, or anthem. A whole generation of us American kids grew up during WWII with America’s “greatest generation” teaching us how this passionate pursuit of life should be lived. It’s too bad we could not have bottled this elixir and served it up again in 2012.
It’s not just about war – or literal militance. It’s about giving everything we have to life for the sake of love, passion, caring, and fulfillment of the American Dream. And that’s even more important today within the boundaries of the far greater international composition base of our multi-ethnic U.S. population. Acceptance of our differences is key to our deeper discovery of all we each bring in common to the life table of liberty and justice for all.
Ladies and Gentlemen, here are the lyrics to the song I’ve been raving about. Read it again – for the first time. Read beyond the exterior militance, reaching for the engine that drives everything of value we do in life as a passionate pursuit.
Army Air Corps (now Air Force) Anthem Lyrics
Off we go_____in-to the wild blue yon - der,
climb-ing high____ in-to the sun.___________
Here they come,____zoom-ing to meet our thun-der,
at 'em boys,______ give 'er the gun! (Give 'er the gun now!)
Down we dive,____ spout-ing our flame from un-der,
off with one____ hell-uv-a roar!
We live____ in fame_____or go down_____in flame.
Shout! Noth-ing-'ll stop the Ar-my Air Corps!___
Minds of men_____fash-ioned a crate of thun-der,
sent it high_____in-to the blue._____________
Hands of men______blast-ed the world a - sun - der;
how they lived______God on-ly knew! (God on-ly knew them!)
Souls of men____ dream-ing of skies to con-quer
gave us wings,______ev-er to soar!___________
With scouts____ be-fore____and bomb - ers ga-lore,
Shout! Noth-ing-'ll stop the Ar-my Air Corps!___
Off we go_____in-to the wild sky yon-der,
keep the wings___lev-el and true.____________
If you'd live_____to be a gray - haired won - der
keep the nose_____out of the blue! (Out of the blue, boy!)
Fly-ing men, guard-ing the na-tions bor-der,
we'll be there,______fol-lowed by more!______
In ech-e-lon ______ we car - ry one.
Shout! Noth-ing-'ll stop the Ar-my Air Corps!___
The Pecan Park Eagle 
September 30, 2012 at 4:46 pm |
Good timing! My father, who will be 92 in three weeks, served in the Army Air Corps during WWII in the south Pacific. He once had to join his fellow 49th squadron compatriots in throwing everything not riveted down out the door of an aircraft he was on in an effort to avoid having to ditch. They were able to land safely. Today, my neighbors will return home from Florida, where they were invited to the ceremony of their son being winged. Seems like only a short while ago he was a kid in high school playing the bagpipes on his driveway. How I loved that! We will be relying upon heavily upon our Air Force if the need arises to attack Iran.
October 2, 2012 at 2:23 am |
My buddies and I used to sing this song as we terrorized our old
neighborhood in San Antonio in the early 50’s. Thanks for bringing
back those memories.