Armed Forces Lyric Analysis

Improved Essays
Tessa Brei
Band-Armed Forces Salute
5th hour
Due: November 3rd
The Armed Forces Salute

The Armed Forces Salute also known as the U.S medley that consists of 5 songs for each branch of the military. This would be the U.S Coast Guard, U.S Air Force, U.S Navy, U.S Marine Corps, and the U.S Army. Each one of these branches are extremely important for defending our country's freedom. And each one of these branches has their special and unique song. The Coasts Guards song is “Semper Paratus” which is also their motto. “Semper Paratus” is a Latin phrase which is translated into “always ready” or “always prepared”. The songs original lyrics and music were composed by Captain Francis Saltus Van Boskerck, along with the help of Alfred
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“Marines Hymn” is the official hymn of the United States Marine Corps. It is the oldest official song in the United States military. The "Marines' Hymn" is typically sung at the position of attention as a gesture of respect. However, the third verse is also used as a toast during formal events, such as the birthday ball and other ceremonies. Some of the lyrics were popular phrases before the song was written. The line "To the shores of Tripoli" refers to the First Barbary War, and specifically the Battle of Derne in 1805. After Lieutenant Presley O'Bannon and his Marines hoisted the American flag over the Old World for the first time, the phrase was added to the battle colors of the Corps. "The Halls of Montezuma" refers to the Battle of Chapultepec, during the Mexican-American War, where a force of Marines stormed Chapultepec Castle.While the lyrics are said to date from the 19th century, no pre-20th century text is known. The author of the lyrics is likewise unknown. Legend has it that it was penned by a Marine on duty in Mexico. The unknown author transposed the phrases in the motto on the Colors so that the first two lines of the Hymn would read: "From the Halls of Montezuma, to the Shores of Tripoli", favoring euphony over chronology. The music is from the Gendarmes' Duet from an 1867 revision of the 1859 opera Geneviève de Brabant by Jacques Offenbach, which debuted in Paris in 1859. Correspondence between Colonel Albert S. McLemore and Walter F. Smith (the second leader of the Marine Band) traces the tune: “Major Richard Wallach, USMC, says that in 1878, when he was in Paris, France, the area to which the Marines' Hymn is now sung was a very popular

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