[Dixielandjazz] Glen Miller

[Robert Ringwald]

Listmates, 

I sent the following to Norm Vickers. He suggested that I post it here on DJML.  

--Bob Ringwald



The lead trumpet player and first sergeant of the Glenn Miller Army Air Force Band
was Zeke Zarchy. Zeke played in my Great Pacific Jazz Band for 16 years, 1979 – 1995,
while I lived in Los Angeles.
He told us many stories about the band, the war, etc.
He told us the very same story about Glen moving the band out of London early and
having a bomb destroy the building where they had been housed.
The scene in the Glenn Miller Story where the band was playing outside and the buzz
bomb came over was true also. Zeke said as they were playing, they could see the
bomb coming.
He told us about saying good-bye to Glen when Glen went to France early to get things
ready for the band to arrive.
Zeke said that when the band got to France they were very surprised that “The Major
wasn’t there to meet the band.”
He said they took the band somewhere in buses and got them all together and then
told them that “The Major was missing.”
While Zeke played some on the sound-track of the “Glen Miller Story” film, Zeke said
that the only two things about the movie that was correct was that Glen was married
and Glen played the trombone.
Miller was nothing like Jimmy Stewart played him. Glen was very business like, knew
exactly what he wanted and knew exactly what he was doing. None of this bumbling
Jimmy Stewart (Gee I don’t know) stuff.
As the war was winding down in Europe, the Glen Miller Band was scheduled to go to
the Pacific. One night General Eisenhower  was there at the band’s performance. An aid to the General came up and talked
to the band in a very official manner, all the “You boys are doing a great job,”
BS. Then the General came up and talked to the band. Zeke said he was very friendly
and very sincere – None of this official BS.
He asked the band if there was anything they wanted. The band said that they wanted
to go home. The General said to one of his aids, see that these guys get to go home.
and sure enough, they did.  They did not have to go to the Pacific.
Zeke told us many more stories. I wish I would have had a tape recorder running,
or had a better memory.
Best,
--Bob Ringwald