Major Glenn Miller Plaque
Details:
Surmounted on a red wall inside the building.
A large rectangular metal plaque bordered by an oak wood frame, inscribed in English text with dark color background and high relief lettering. The plaque is a tribute to Major Miller for his outstanding contribution to popular music.
Alton Glenn Miller was an American big-band trombonist, arranger, composer, and bandleader in the swing era. He was the best-selling recording artist from 1939 to 1942, leading one of the best-known big bands. Miller's recordings include "In the Mood", "Moonlight Serenade", "Pennsylvania 6-5000", "Chattanooga Choo Choo", "A String of Pearls", "At Last", "(I've Got a Gal In) Kalamazoo", "American Patrol", "Tuxedo Junction", "Elmer's Tune", "Little Brown Jug" and "Anvil Chorus". In just four years Glenn Miller scored 16 number-one records and 69 top ten hits—more than Elvis Presley (38 top 10s) and the Beatles (33 top 10s) did in their careers.
In 1942, Miller volunteered to join the U.S. military to entertain troops during World War II, ending up with the U.S. Army Air Forces. During Miller's stay in England, he and his band were headquartered in a BBC Radio office at 25 Sloane Court in London. A bomb landed three blocks away, encouraging Miller to relocate to Bedford, England. The day after he departed London, a V-1 flying bomb demolished his former office, killing at least 70 of his former officemates. On December 15, 1944, while flying to Paris, Miller's aircraft disappeared in bad weather over the English Channel and his body was never recovered. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star, presented to his wife, Helen, in a ceremony held on March 24, 1945.
Source of information and image: Imperial War Museum War Memorials Register, https://en.wikipedia.org
Monument Text:
DEDICATED BY THE GLENN MILLER SOCIETY |
| GLENN MILLER SOCIETY MEMORY OF |
MAJOR ALTON GLENN MILLER 1904 'THE MOONLIGHT SERENADER' 1944 DIRECTOR OF THE AMERICAN BAND OF THE ALLIED EXPEDITIONARY FORCES FOR HIS OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTION TO POPULAR MUSIC RECALLING HIS CONCERTS TO THE ALLIED FORCES AT THIS HALL DURING 1944, THIS COMMEMORATIVE PLAQUE WAS UNVEILED AT A TRIBUTE CONCERT BY THE MILLION AIRS ORCHESTRA AT THE CORN EXCHANGE BEDFORD ON FEBRUARY 25 1976 |
Commemorates:
People:
Units:
418th Army Air Forces Technical Command Band
US Army Air Corps
Wars:
WWII