Dear Mom (Glenn Miller song)

"Dear Mom" was a 1941 World War II song with words and music by Maury Coleman Harris released by Republic Music Corp. The song was inspired by the 1940 Selective Service Act.[1] The original recording was by Sammy Kaye and his Orchestra, with vocals by Allan Foster from the Victor Records stable.[2] This was overshadowed by a recording in 1942 by Glenn Miller.[3]

The lyrics take the form of a "Dear Mom.." letter from a serviceman:

The weather today is cloudy and damp Your package arrived but was missing a stamp Your cake made a hit with all the boys in the camp How they loved it.

Bronco song

A version of the song with changed lyrics later became current as the "Dear Mom" Bronco song, after the OV-10 Bronco, among US pilots in the Vietnam War. Retaining the "Dear Mom" letter beginning the author changes from the son, to "Dear Ma'am," from a fellow pilot informing her of the death of her son in action:[4]

Dear mom (or ma'am), your son is dead, he bought the farm today; He crashed his OV-I0 on Ho Chi Minh's Highway; It was a rocket pass and he busted his ass. Hmmm. Hmmm. Hmmm. He went across the fence to see what he could see. There it was, as plain as it could be. It was a truck on the road with a big heavy load. Hmmm. Hmmm. Hmmm.

References

Norman Polmar, Thomas B. Allen - World War II: America at war, 1941-1945 1991 "The passage of the SELECTIVE SERVICE Act in 1940 inspired "Dear Mom" (words and music by Maury Coleman Harris), which Kate Smith introduced: Dear Mom ... your package arrived but was missing a stamp ... your cake made a hit with ..."
Nat Shapiro, Bruce Pollock - Popular music, 1920-1979: a revised cumulation - Volume 1 - 1985 Page 407 "Dear Mom Words and music by Maury Coleman Harris. Republic Music Corp., 1941. Introduced by Sammy Kaye and his Orchestra, vocal by Allan Foster (Victor).
Billboard - 21 Feb 1942 "DEAR MOM - A STRONG bid for popularity as a sentimental war song is being made by Maury precision so evident in many other swing Coleman Harris' Dear Mom, a letter of a boy at camp
Joseph F. Tuso Singing the Vietnam blues: songs of the Air Force in Vietnam 1990 Page 59 "Sometimes appearing with the title 'Dear Ma'am," the 'Bronco Song" has a curiously lilting, playful melody that does not seem to suit the lyrics. Bronco Song Dear mom, your son is dead, he bought the farm today; He crashed his OV-10 on Ho Chi Minh's Highway."

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[1] Norman Polmar, Thomas B. Allen - World War II: America at war, 1941-1945 1991 "The passage of the SELECTIVE SERVICE Act in 1940 inspired "Dear Mom" (words and music by Maury Coleman Harris), which Kate Smith introduced: Dear Mom ... your package arrived but was missing a stamp ... your cake made a hit with ..."

[2] Nat Shapiro, Bruce Pollock - Popular music, 1920-1979: a revised cumulation - Volume 1 - 1985 Page 407 "Dear Mom Words and music by Maury Coleman Harris. Republic Music Corp., 1941. Introduced by Sammy Kaye and his Orchestra, vocal by Allan Foster (Victor).

[3] Billboard - 21 Feb 1942 "DEAR MOM - A STRONG bid for popularity as a sentimental war song is being made by Maury precision so evident in many other swing Coleman Harris' Dear Mom, a letter of a boy at camp

[4] Joseph F. Tuso Singing the Vietnam blues: songs of the Air Force in Vietnam 1990 Page 59 "Sometimes appearing with the title 'Dear Ma'am," the 'Bronco Song" has a curiously lilting, playful melody that does not seem to suit the lyrics. Bronco Song Dear mom, your son is dead, he bought the farm today; He crashed his OV-10 on Ho Chi Minh's Highway."