This was fascinating. 



Thanks for sharing.



Jennifer Williams

GA State University 

Masters Student


-----Original Message-----
From: tsticht at znet.com
To: englishlanguage at nifl.gov; familyliteracy at nifl.gov; focusonbasics at nifl.gov; healthliteracy at nifl.gov; learningdisabilities at nifl.gov; povertyracewomen at nifl.gov; peofessionaldevelopment at nifl.gov; technology at nifl.gov; workplace at nifl.gov
Sent: Mon, 8 Oct 2007 2:34 pm
Subject: [Workplace 1023] A Veteran's Day Message




A Message for Veteran's/Remembrance Day November 11, 2007
Love, Literacy, & Liberty: Songs in the Literacy Lessons of the World Wars
Tom Sticht
nternational Consultant in Adult Education
When the United States entered World War I in 1917, Cora Wilson Stewart,
ounder of the Midnight Schools of Kentucky for illiterate adults,
ecognized that many of the men from the hills and hollows of her county
ould be called to war as illiterates. She saw the need to teach these men
o read and write before they left their families and other loved ones for
istant shores in countries they knew nothing about. So she created The
oldier's First Book and got the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA)
o use it in their education programs for soldiers.
Later, the YMCA used a new book called Camp Reader for American Soldiers to
each literacy to thousands of men who entered into World War I as
lliterate or non-English speaking soldiers. This book incorporated a
umber of songs that were used to help men learn to read and to maintain
heir morale while they were miles from home. A footnote on one page of the
amp Reader advised teachers to "Sing with class. Have pupils follow printed
ext as they sing. For writing lessons have pupils copy stanza 1 from script
nd write stanza 2 from print."
One of the songs used to teach literacy and keep up the morale of the
iteracy students was from England, and the chorus went like this:
Pack up your troubles in your old kit-bag,
nd smile, smile, smile,
hile you’ve a lucifer to light your fag,
mile, boys, that’s the style.
hat’s the use of worrying?
t never was worth while, so
ack up your troubles in your old kit-bag,
nd smile, smile, smile.
Another song helped the soldier literacy learners think of their loved ones
nd how they were fighting to keep them safe. The chorus was:
There's a long, long trail a-winding
nto the land of my dreams,
here the nightingales are singing
nd a white moon beams:
here's a long, long night of waiting
ntil my dreams all come true;
ill the day when I'll be going down
hat long, long trail with you.
The thought of returning from war to be with loved ones seems to always be
n the minds of soldiers. During World War II over 250,000 illiterate or
on-English speaking men were taught literacy in Special Training Units of
he U.S. Army before being sent into battle. One innovation introduced in
he literacy training programs was the use of a cartoon strip featuring
ictional soldiers Private Pete and his sidekick Daffy. These cartoons were
sually two page spreads in a special newspaper for literacy students called
ur War.
Our War editors understood that the hearts and minds of the troops were on
amily and friends, often girl friends, back home. The cartoons sometimes
old stories about visits with girl friends and included scenes in which
rivate Pete and friends were singing songs.  One popular song of the time
as aimed at making separations between the soldiers and their sweethearts
ore bearable. In the August 1943 issue of Our War the cartoon strip was
bout a letter Private Pete got from another soldier friend of his who told
bout how he was going overseas. A cartoon frame shows him and a group of
is buddies travelling in the back of an Army truck singing a song called
on't Sit Under the Apple Tree:
Don't sit under the apple tree with anyone else but me
nyone else but me, anyone else but me
o! No! No!
on't sit under the apple tree with anyone else but me
ill I come marchin' home
Don't go walkin' down Lover's Lane with anyone else but me
nyone else but me, anyone else but me
o! No! No!
on't go walkin' down Lover's Lane with anyone else but me
ill I come marchin' home
In Our War for March 1944 Private Pete and Daffy are spending a quiet Sunday
n camp. They take in a movie, and afterward Daffy says, "This winds up a
reat day, Pete. I feel like singing, too!" A group of soldiers is then
hown sitting in the barracks singing:
When the lights go on again all over the world
nd the boys are home again all over the world
nd rain or snow is all that may fall from the skies above
 kiss won't mean "goodbye" but "Hello to love"
When the lights go on again all over the world
nd the ships will sail again all over the world
hen we'll have time for things like wedding rings
nd free hearts will sing
hen the lights go on again all over the world
Whether we call it Veteran's Day in the United States, or Remembrance Day in
ustralia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, we remember
nd honor the millions of those who fought for liberty and freedom in times
f the World Wars. We recall the heartfelt songs they sang, the words of
hich hundreds of thousands learned to read only after becoming soldiers.
e think of the mums, dads, sisters, brothers, and sweethearts whose love
ustained the soldiers in wars long ago and, sadly, in wars of today. We
till wait "Till they come marchin' home" and "A kiss won't mean "goodbye"
ut "Hello to love."
Thomas G. Sticht
nternational Consultant in Adult Education
062 Valley View Blvd.
l Cajon, Ca 92019-2059
el/fax: (619) 444-9133
mail: tsticht at aznet.net
NOTE:  In the past colleagues have asked that I send these brief pieces out
ell ahead of Veteran's/Remembrance Day for those who want to include it in
heir newsletters for November. So here it is. I should note that I have
ncluded segments of songs longer than those that appear in the military
aterials of World Wars I and II with the idea that adult literacy
ducators may want to follow the advice from World War I and use the songs
n classrooms in learning about Veteran's/Remembrance Day.
----------------------------------------------------
ational Institute for Literacy
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