1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,920 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:13,240 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hello and Welcome to This Day in History Class, 3 00:00:13,600 --> 00:00:16,520 Speaker 1: a show that shines a light on the ups and 4 00:00:16,640 --> 00:00:22,160 Speaker 1: downs of everyday history. I'm Gabe Louzier, and in this episode, 5 00:00:22,440 --> 00:00:25,360 Speaker 1: we're looking at the day when America's number one band 6 00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:38,680 Speaker 1: leader went missing in action. The day was December. American 7 00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:42,960 Speaker 1: bandleader Glenn Miller went missing while flying over the English 8 00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:48,559 Speaker 1: Channel aboard a military aircraft bound for France. Miller had 9 00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:51,040 Speaker 1: made a name for himself during the tail end of 10 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:54,640 Speaker 1: the big band swing era, but when the US entered 11 00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:58,240 Speaker 1: the Second World War, he set aside his commercial career 12 00:00:58,480 --> 00:01:00,840 Speaker 1: to serve as the leader of the U. S. Army 13 00:01:00,920 --> 00:01:04,360 Speaker 1: Air Force Band. It was this role that had brought 14 00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:07,760 Speaker 1: him to an airfield outside of London in mid December. 15 00:01:08,360 --> 00:01:11,680 Speaker 1: The plan was for Miller to fly to France, make 16 00:01:11,840 --> 00:01:14,640 Speaker 1: arrangements for the rest of his band to follow, and 17 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:18,160 Speaker 1: then perform live for the Allied troops who had recently 18 00:01:18,240 --> 00:01:24,640 Speaker 1: liberated Paris. Tragically, the small single engine plane never arrived 19 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:28,760 Speaker 1: at its destination. It's believed that bad weather brought the 20 00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:32,560 Speaker 1: plane down somewhere over the English Channel, but the exact 21 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 1: cause of the fatal crash remains a mystery. Alton Glenn 22 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:42,200 Speaker 1: Miller was born in Iowa on March fourth, nineteen o four. 23 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:46,960 Speaker 1: His family moved to Grant City, Missouri, in nineteen fifteen, 24 00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:51,320 Speaker 1: and around that time, Miller began milking cows to earn money. 25 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 1: He eventually earned enough to buy his first trombone, which 26 00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:59,559 Speaker 1: he played in the town orchestra. His family moved again 27 00:01:59,680 --> 00:02:04,160 Speaker 1: in teen eighteen, this time settling in Fort Morgan, Colorado, 28 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:07,560 Speaker 1: where he would spend the rest of his childhood. After 29 00:02:07,680 --> 00:02:11,520 Speaker 1: high school, he briefly attended college in Boulder, but dropped 30 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:15,440 Speaker 1: out to pursue a career in music full time. Miller 31 00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:20,079 Speaker 1: got his start arranging and composing music for other popular bands, 32 00:02:20,639 --> 00:02:23,040 Speaker 1: but it's as the leader of his own band that 33 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:28,399 Speaker 1: Miller really flourished. He and his orchestra performed at ballrooms 34 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:32,040 Speaker 1: and hotels across the country and eventually made a fortune 35 00:02:32,040 --> 00:02:36,680 Speaker 1: in record sales. Miller's innovative style led to a string 36 00:02:36,720 --> 00:02:42,800 Speaker 1: of hits from ninety eight to ninety two, including Tuxedo Junction, 37 00:02:43,280 --> 00:02:47,440 Speaker 1: Chattanooga Choo Chow, and of course, his iconic take on 38 00:02:47,720 --> 00:03:05,040 Speaker 1: in the Mood. Miller didn't write any of those songs himself, 39 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:10,400 Speaker 1: though his unique arrangements did become the most popular versions. Also, 40 00:03:10,680 --> 00:03:14,440 Speaker 1: you're probably familiar with at least one song he penned himself, 41 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:32,560 Speaker 1: ninety nine's Moonlight Serenade. Within a span of four short years, 42 00:03:32,919 --> 00:03:37,280 Speaker 1: the Glenn Miller Orchestra racked up sixteen number one hits 43 00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:42,000 Speaker 1: and sixty nine top ten hits. That's more than Elvis 44 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:46,960 Speaker 1: Presley or The Beatles managed in their entire careers. At 45 00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:50,880 Speaker 1: the height of this success, the United States officially entered 46 00:03:50,920 --> 00:03:55,080 Speaker 1: World War Two. Miller quickly volunteered his talents for the 47 00:03:55,080 --> 00:03:59,360 Speaker 1: war effort. He directed his orchestra for a final concert 48 00:03:59,440 --> 00:04:04,800 Speaker 1: on September ninety two and joined the Army Air Forces 49 00:04:04,880 --> 00:04:09,080 Speaker 1: soon after. Miller told his superiors that he wanted to 50 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:13,320 Speaker 1: lead a quote modernized army band to help boost morale 51 00:04:13,600 --> 00:04:18,080 Speaker 1: both abroad and at home. At first, this mission took 52 00:04:18,120 --> 00:04:22,200 Speaker 1: the form of a weekly radio program called I Sustained 53 00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:27,159 Speaker 1: the Wings. The show featured Miller in his band performing live, 54 00:04:27,440 --> 00:04:31,039 Speaker 1: and was broadcast out of New York City. After two 55 00:04:31,160 --> 00:04:34,840 Speaker 1: years on the job, Miller's show had grown so successful 56 00:04:35,120 --> 00:04:38,640 Speaker 1: that he was sent overseas to perform for troops in person. 57 00:04:39,640 --> 00:04:44,080 Speaker 1: He and his greatly expanded fifty piece band left for 58 00:04:44,160 --> 00:04:48,200 Speaker 1: England in the summer of nineteen forty four. They gave 59 00:04:48,240 --> 00:04:52,080 Speaker 1: over eight hundred performances in England alone, but the tour 60 00:04:52,240 --> 00:04:56,760 Speaker 1: took them pretty much anywhere Allied troops were stationed. By 61 00:04:56,800 --> 00:05:00,520 Speaker 1: mid December, they had been touring for six months, and 62 00:05:00,560 --> 00:05:02,960 Speaker 1: though no one knew it at the time, they had 63 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:08,640 Speaker 1: already played their last show together. On December Glenn Miller, 64 00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:13,440 Speaker 1: now an Army major, arrived at twin Wood Airfield in Bedford, 65 00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:17,960 Speaker 1: about sixty miles north of London. It was a foggy afternoon, 66 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:22,360 Speaker 1: which raised concerns about visibility, but it was eventually decided 67 00:05:22,400 --> 00:05:25,440 Speaker 1: that the short flight to France would proceed as scheduled. 68 00:05:26,320 --> 00:05:31,080 Speaker 1: Shortly before two pm, Miller boarded a small Norseman plane 69 00:05:31,400 --> 00:05:36,080 Speaker 1: along with two other U S military officers, the flight organizer, 70 00:05:36,240 --> 00:05:41,800 Speaker 1: Lieutenant Colonel Norman Basil and the pilot, John Morgan. According 71 00:05:41,839 --> 00:05:45,360 Speaker 1: to Miller's assistant, who was present that day, the band 72 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:48,800 Speaker 1: leader noted that there were no parachutes on the aircraft. 73 00:05:49,720 --> 00:05:53,520 Speaker 1: When he stepped aboard, he spoke his last recorded words, 74 00:05:54,400 --> 00:05:59,880 Speaker 1: norm where are the parachutes? Basil's reply, though intended as 75 00:05:59,920 --> 00:06:04,200 Speaker 1: a joke was chilling. He said, what's the matter, Miller? 76 00:06:04,480 --> 00:06:08,640 Speaker 1: Do you want to live forever? Nine days later, on 77 00:06:08,720 --> 00:06:13,919 Speaker 1: Christmas Eve, BBC and CBS finally broke the news that 78 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:18,359 Speaker 1: the plane and its crew were missing. The wreckage of 79 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:21,479 Speaker 1: the plane was never found, nor were the bodies of 80 00:06:21,520 --> 00:06:26,600 Speaker 1: its passengers, leaving little evidence of what actually caused the crash. 81 00:06:26,800 --> 00:06:30,240 Speaker 1: Of course, there's been no shortage of theories regarding the 82 00:06:30,320 --> 00:06:36,160 Speaker 1: truth of Glenn Miller's disappearance. One popular idea, though eventually debunked, 83 00:06:36,480 --> 00:06:39,280 Speaker 1: was that the plane had been struck by friendly fire. 84 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:43,960 Speaker 1: Another suggestion was that Miller was actually a spy who 85 00:06:43,960 --> 00:06:46,919 Speaker 1: had given his life on a daring secret mission to 86 00:06:47,120 --> 00:06:51,480 Speaker 1: end the war. More dubious theories include the idea that 87 00:06:51,640 --> 00:06:55,160 Speaker 1: Miller faked his own death and then moved to Argentina 88 00:06:55,480 --> 00:06:57,800 Speaker 1: to start a new life away from his wife and 89 00:06:57,839 --> 00:07:02,000 Speaker 1: two children. Things only get more absurd from there, with 90 00:07:02,480 --> 00:07:06,000 Speaker 1: some people proposing that Miller was killed by mobsters and 91 00:07:06,160 --> 00:07:09,240 Speaker 1: others saying that his plane flew into some kind of 92 00:07:09,320 --> 00:07:14,280 Speaker 1: black hole similar to the Bermuda Triangle. In recent years, 93 00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:19,160 Speaker 1: new discoveries have provided fresh and more plausible leads to follow. 94 00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:24,360 Speaker 1: For example, a researcher named Dennis Sprague believes the plane 95 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:28,920 Speaker 1: crashed because its fuel intakes had frozen. In his work 96 00:07:28,960 --> 00:07:32,440 Speaker 1: as a senior consultant to the Glenn Miller Archive at 97 00:07:32,440 --> 00:07:36,920 Speaker 1: the University of Colorado, Sprague developed his theory based on 98 00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:41,720 Speaker 1: military documents that had been overlooked for decades. Using an 99 00:07:41,840 --> 00:07:45,680 Speaker 1: entry in an aircraft spotter's log, Sprague was able to 100 00:07:45,720 --> 00:07:49,080 Speaker 1: determine that the plane was flying low at the time 101 00:07:49,120 --> 00:07:53,200 Speaker 1: of its last sighting, presumably due to poor visibility from 102 00:07:53,200 --> 00:07:57,760 Speaker 1: the fog. Sprague believes that the plane's close proximity to 103 00:07:57,800 --> 00:08:02,040 Speaker 1: the water below caused its fuel lines to freeze, which 104 00:08:02,040 --> 00:08:06,040 Speaker 1: in turn stopped the engine. Without power, the plane would 105 00:08:06,040 --> 00:08:09,920 Speaker 1: have plunged into the water within eight seconds, killing everyone 106 00:08:09,960 --> 00:08:14,080 Speaker 1: on board almost instantly. It may not be as flashy 107 00:08:14,120 --> 00:08:17,240 Speaker 1: an explanation as a double life or a portal to 108 00:08:17,320 --> 00:08:21,600 Speaker 1: another universe, but it's likely much closer to what actually happened. 109 00:08:22,520 --> 00:08:26,240 Speaker 1: Glenn Miller's death at age forty was an untimely and 110 00:08:26,360 --> 00:08:30,200 Speaker 1: tragic accident, but his music and his legacy of service 111 00:08:30,440 --> 00:08:35,400 Speaker 1: live on today. Live music remains an important feature of 112 00:08:35,480 --> 00:08:40,679 Speaker 1: military life. Most branches have their own marching bands and orchestras, 113 00:08:40,880 --> 00:08:44,360 Speaker 1: as well as countless groups that specialize in jazz, rock, 114 00:08:44,480 --> 00:08:48,680 Speaker 1: or country, and of course, the USO, which was created 115 00:08:48,800 --> 00:08:52,760 Speaker 1: just one year before Miller enlisted, continues to bring live 116 00:08:52,880 --> 00:08:57,280 Speaker 1: entertainment to service members around the globe. That culture of 117 00:08:57,400 --> 00:09:01,720 Speaker 1: music within the modern American military can be traced directly 118 00:09:01,800 --> 00:09:05,960 Speaker 1: back to Glenn Miller's Army Air Force Band. He may 119 00:09:05,960 --> 00:09:09,160 Speaker 1: not have been crowned the king of swing like Benny Goodman, 120 00:09:09,600 --> 00:09:12,560 Speaker 1: but his mark on music history has been every bit 121 00:09:12,679 --> 00:09:18,480 Speaker 1: is lasting. I'm Gabe Louizier and hopefully you now know 122 00:09:18,559 --> 00:09:22,480 Speaker 1: a little more about history today than he did yesterday. 123 00:09:22,920 --> 00:09:26,319 Speaker 1: If you enjoyed the show, check us out on Twitter, Facebook, 124 00:09:26,320 --> 00:09:30,520 Speaker 1: and Instagram at t D I HC Show. You can 125 00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:33,240 Speaker 1: also write to us at this day at I heart 126 00:09:33,280 --> 00:09:37,040 Speaker 1: media dot com. We'd especially like to hear from anyone 127 00:09:37,120 --> 00:09:40,400 Speaker 1: who's passed through a portal over the English channel. Did 128 00:09:40,400 --> 00:09:44,199 Speaker 1: you experience any side effects and if so, were they 129 00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:48,640 Speaker 1: worth it? Thanks as always to chandeler Maids for producing 130 00:09:48,679 --> 00:09:51,520 Speaker 1: the show, and thank you for listening. I'll see you 131 00:09:51,600 --> 00:10:00,280 Speaker 1: back here again tomorrow for another Day in History Class. Yeah. 132 00:10:02,840 --> 00:10:04,880 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from My Heart Radio, visit the I 133 00:10:04,920 --> 00:10:07,520 Speaker 1: heart radio, app, Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to 134 00:10:07,600 --> 00:10:08,360 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.