Band

August 25th, 1944,

Glenn Miller poses with some members of the 388th Bomb Group. Only a few months later Miller went missing during a flight over the English Channel,. spurring 70 years of mystery and intrigue. His death is still an unknown, although many suggest that he was in fact a German spy. The second image shows the crowd during the concert – snapped by Alegre from the front of the stage.

Some of Glenn’s best known hits are Moonlight Serenade, Chattanooga Choo Choo, A String of Pearls, Little Brown Jug and Tuxedo Junction. Many of these songs are likely lost on my generation, but will be familiar to many of the readers of this blog. Please check out the links listed below for some vintage Glenn Miller footage!

Click for larger View

Click for larger view

The bulk of my collection has been culled from endless pages of ebay listings, but I occasionally have the opportunity to discover hidden gems at flea markets and trade shows. Today I attended a Antiquarian Book and Ephemera show at the Sheraton in South Burlington, VT. I attached a link below to help plug this great organization. Anyway, I eagerly searched through thousands of postcards and photos looking for military related images. I saw a few overprices Civil War images, and a number of lack luster WWII photos. My WWI radar was in full swing and I left with a handful of great images. Please enjoy reading about my favorite find!

This wonderful image depicts two band members of the 102nd Field Artillery of the 26th Division. Taken in France in 1918, this RPPC (real photo postcard) has everything going for it. The two doughboys are wearing French style caps with unit designation affixed. Their collar discs are a mix of MASS National Guard insignia and 102nd Field Artillery band discs. The details on the M1911 pistol grips is superb. Even the embossed leather US is visible on the holster.