[Dixielandjazz] Ringwald tells about trumpeter Zeke Zarchy meeting General Eisenhower

[Norman Vickers]

To:  Musicians and Jazzfans list;  DJML

From: Norman Vickers, Jazz Society of Pensacola

 

Here’s another jazz anecdote from Bob Ringwald.  He relates story from trumpeter Zeke Zarchy about the time Zarchy met General Eisenhower toward the end of the European phase of WWII.

Thanks, Bob.

 

 

 

From: Robert Ringwald [mailto:rsr at ringwald.com] 
Sent: Friday, November 21, 2014 3:36 PM

 

 

, I will tell you the story Zeke told us about meeting General Eisenhower 

 

The Glenn Miller band was playing somewhere in Europe I don’t remember where. The This was about the time the war in Europe was over. The General was there with his staff. 

 

Eisenhower came up to the band. One of his staff gave a little speech about how much the Glenn Miller Band had meant to the war effort and the soldiers – bla bla bla, typical ra ra speech. 

 

Then the General stepped up. Zeke said he had the famous Eisenhower smile. He thanked all the guys and shook hands with all of them and was not at all stuffy. He was real down-to-earth. 

 

Before they left he asked the band if there was anything he could do for them. 

 

Now that the war was either over or about to be over in Europe, the band was scheduled to go to the Pacific. Of course they wanted to go home. 

 

So when Eisenhower  asked if there was anything he could do for them, someone in the band said, “Yes, we’d like to go home.”

 

Eisenhower turned to an aid and said, “See that these guys go home.” And sure enough, they were sent home. 

 

-Bob Ringwald

 

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