httpss://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWkeCUx-O5U
For many of us, the lines from the classic holiday song are familiar, but they may not hold any outsize significance.
Written by Kim Gannon in 1942, the words to “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” represent the point of view of a Soldier longing for home.
With music composed by Walter Kent, Crosby recorded the song in October 1943.
It became a huge hit, charting for 11 weeks and peaking at No. 3, and was the most requested song at USO shows that Christmas.
Some historians have said that for service personnel and their families, the only inspirational patriotic song that equaled “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” was “God Bless America.”
Many of them had migrated to New York and other major cities to work in factories to support the war effort and were spending their first holiday season away from home.
Regardless of the holidays you observe this season, I encourage you to remember “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” as a reminder of the sacrifices of our warfighters and our ongoing responsibility to support and honor the service of the more than 22,000 veterans in Harford County.