For D-Day, Two survivors sing a WWII foxhole song …

Bill and Babe

Two of the real life Band of Brothers, best friends Wild Bill Guarnere and Babe Heffron, sing “Mares Eat Oats.”  {My own mother sang this so often, it was impossible NOT to learn the song!]

William J. Guarnere (April 28th 1923 – March 8th 2014) and Edward James “Babe” Heffron (May 16th 1923 – December 1st 2013) were United States Army soldiers who fought in World War II with Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, in the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division.

Easy Company, D-Day

Guarnere was portrayed in the 2001 HBO miniseries Band of Brothers by Frank John Hughes, and Heffron was portrayed by Robin Laing.

“Mairzy Doats” is a novelty song composed in 1943, by Milton Drake, Al Hoffman and Jerry Livingston. It was first played on radio station WOR, New York, by Al Trace and his Silly Symphonists. The song made the pop charts several times, with a version by the Merry Macs reaching No. 1 in March 1944. The song was also a number one sheet music seller, with sales of over 450,000 within the first three weeks of release.

Easy Company’s route.

The song’s refrain, as written on the sheet music, seems meaningless:

“Mairzy doats and dozy doats and liddle lamzy divey
A kiddley divey too, wooden shoe!”

However, the lyrics of the bridge provide a clue:

“If the words sound queer and funny to your ear, a little bit jumbled and jivey,
Sing ‘Mares eat oats and does eat oats and little lambs eat ivy’”.

This hint allows the ear to translate the final line as “[a] kid’ll eat ivy, too, wouldn’t you?”

CLICK ON IMAGES TO ENLARGE.

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Other D-Day posts of Pacific Paratrooper:

D-Day

June 6, D-Day in art

First Hand Accounts of ‘The Longest Day’ 

Intermission Stories (20)

Intermission Stories (21)

Intermission Stories (21)

Intermission Stories (23)

Intermission Stories (24)

Intermission Stories (25)

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Military Humor –

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Farewell Salutes –

Christine Armstrong – Twentynine Palms, CA; US Army, 1st Cavalry Div., Spec., Texas flood

Brandon Banner – Milton, FL; US Army, 1st Cavalry, Pfc., Texas flood

Howard Brisbane – New Orleans, LA; USMC, WWII, PTO, Pharmacist’s mate, 8th Marines, KIA (Tarawa)

Joseph Stanley Cikan – Brookfield, IL; US Air Force, MSgt.

Miguel Colonvasquez – Brooklyn, NY; US Army, Iraq, Afghanistan, 1st Cavalry, SSgt. Texas flood

Isaac Deleon – San Angelo, TX; US Army, 1st Cavalry, Pvt., Texas flood

Zachery Fuller – Palmetto, FL; US Army, 1st Cavalry, Pfc., Texas flood

Eddy Gates – Dunn, NC; US Army, 1st Cavalry, Pvt., Texas flood

Tysheena James – Jersey City, NJ; US Army, 1st Cavalry, Pvt., Texas flood

Jeff Kuss – Durango, CO; USMC, Afghanistan, Blue Angels, Captain, pilot

Mary Elizabeth Palmer – Little Rock, AK; US Navy WAVE, WWII

Mitchel Winey – Valparaiso, IN; US Army West Point Cadet, 1st Regiment, Texas flood

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