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Death of a Sweetheart
Dame Vera Lynn has died at the age of 103.
Vera Margaret Welch was born on March 17, 1917, and was just 22 when she began driving herself to London Underground stations to sing to people taking shelter from the German air raids. Her biggest hit, We’ll Meet Again, was recorded in 1939, and was followed by years of selfless service to “her” troops as she’d go anywhere, at whatever danger to herself, to perform for them, including a tour of Japanese-occupied Burma to perform for the British guerilla troups there.
The men loved their “Forces Sweetheart,” and she kept faith with them for the rest of her life, remaining active in numerous veterans organizations and charities until today.
I can’t think of another Briton, other than the Queen (who invoked the spirit of We’ll Meet Again in her recent Covid-19 speech), who so exemplifies what used to be the spirit of a great nation. Look for what’s likely to be an all-too-brief outburst of national pride in one of its favorite citizens.
Her last public performance was in 1995, at the age of 78, at the fiftieth commemoration of VE-Day, in Trafalgar Square.
Since then, she’s done numerous interviews, and has released several very popular compilations of her hits.
She has kept her promise. Rest in peace, dear lady. Pretty sure you’re among friends.
Published in General
Beautiful.
Wonderful song. Wonderful life.
Gutsy.
I think so too. I remember, several years ago (it was probably that 50th VE Day anniversary in 1995), reading about her and being surprised that she was so very young during the war.
What a story! What a dame!
@she and @cliffordbrown – I think this is a better example music motivating people than anything I could come up with. This could easily be today’s Group Writing post.
Great post. Hard to believe there isn’t any other film of her during the wartime. Cheers and thanks.
I was surprised that Vera Lynn was still alive in 2020. What a life.
“We’ll Meet Again” almost brings a tear to my eye. (I said “almost.” It’s a great nostalgic song, but tough guys like me don’t cry.) I was seven when the war ended, but I still remember bits and pieces of those days in Los Angeles. They were eventful days. Mom was working in the shipyards, Dad in the oil fields. I was proud of my rations book. Every member of the family had one with his name on it. I remember that my uncle had a map on which he kept track, with little pins, of our soldiers’ march through France.
She, I’m glad you remembered Lynn and put up a post in her honor. As Omega said, “What a dame!”
Mr. She’s Dad was an ace welder at Pittsburgh’s Jones and Laughlin steel mill. His Aunt Sophie was a “Rosie the Riveter” type. His Uncle Bill and Uncle Joe were Seabees. And Mr. She has memories that, perhaps, are not dissimilar to yours.
Thanks. There is nothing like a dame, and she was a particularly good one.
It is, but perhaps just a sign on the times, and what we’ve come to expect in a day and age when everything, everywhere is captured on video somewhere, somehow, whether we’re aware of it or not.
She did appear in a contemporaneous (1943) film, We’ll Meet Again,” which gives what must have been the flavor of some of her performances:
Here’s the Telegraph obituary. They do have a paywall, but also a number of “free articles” per month. They’re always good reading, second only to Mark Steyn in the Ave atque Vale department, I think.
The money quotes:
A woman who lived her values till the end.
She had a lovely smile to match her voice.
She,
They don’t make’em like that anymore.
Maybe they do. Somewhere.
Regards,
Jim
When you sift the dross from the gold, Vera was gold indeed. Who among our contemporary singers will be celebrated at 100 for how they captured and inspired a nation?
I first heard about her through you, She, and have followed your writing on her. She was a gem.
In my professional career working with seniors over these last twenty years, I have had quite a few WW2 vets as clients. (Early on of course, not so many now). The stories these gentlemen shared with me have made such an impression and have sparked a tremendous interest in all things WW2. Vera Lynn was one such discovery. I am a sucker for a great torch song! I just imagine the yearning of the girl back home waiting for the safe return of her G.I. Lovely!
Statue in her honor. Stat.
I have one of her albums.
And make damn sure it can’t be pulled down later when she gets “cancelled” for being a “privileged white warmonger” or something.
We’ll Meet Again always brings a tear to my eye. (Tough guys like me cry on occasion.)
Like at the end of Dr Strangelove? :-)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15YgdrhrCM8
Jose’s a crybaby. Jose’s a crybaby.
Thanks!
(That just gave me an idea!)
I think I’m weeping partially at the loss of the civilizational confidence on display even in the 1995 footage, I can’t quite imagine such a celebration today without prune faced scolds and black block rioters ruining it. The 75th Anniversary of VE Day just passed without much mention and the 75 Anniversary of VJ Day coming up in Aug, I don’t suppose we’ll get through that with out more finger wagging and national self flagellation over Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Hi.
I am trying to send you a message through the Ricochet message app and it wont let me. Could you try sending me one, I want to see if you want to come on our new Podcast.
Thanks
Sure. Trying it now.
That will be a great interview. Looking forward to it.