#016- Wild Blue Yonder, Robert MacArthur Crawford's

History of the Air Force Song In 1937, after the U.S. military had been developing airplanes for more than a decade, the Assistant Chief of the Air Corps, Brigadier General Henry Arnold, thought the Army Air Corps needed a fight song similar to the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps. In 1938, Liberty Magazine offered a $1,000 prize in a contest for composers to come up with a suitable song for the Air Force. A committee of Army Air Force wives selected Robert MacArthur Crawford's composition, which was officially introduced at the Cleveland Air Races in 1939. The Air Force actually did not exist as a separate branch of the U.S. military until 1947. In 1938 the service was renamed "Army Air Force", and the song title changed to agree. In the lyrics, there is one verse that commemorates fallen Air Force service members, and has a different melody and more somber mood: Lyrics of the song: Off we go into the wild blue yonder, Climbing high into the sun. Here they come zooming to meet our thunder, At 'em, boys, Give 'er the gun! (Give 'er the gun now!) Down we dive, spouting our flame from under, Off with one helluva roar! We live in fame or go down in flame. Hey! Nothing will stop the U.S. Air Force! Minds of men fashioned a crate of thunder, Sent it high into the blue; Hands of men blasted the world asunder; How they lived God only knew! (God only knew then!) Souls of men dreaming of skies to conquer Gave us wings, ever to soar! With scouts before And bombers galore. Hey! Nothing'll stop the U.S.A Air Force! Toast to the Host Lyrics This verse commemorates fallen Air Force service members, and has a different melody and more somber mood: Here's a toast to the host Of those who love the vastness of the sky, To a friend, we send a message of his brother men who fly. We drink to those who gave their all of old, Then down we roar to score the rainbow's pot of gold. A toast to the host of men we boast, the U.S. Air Force! Zoom! Off we go into the wild sky yonder, Keep the wings level and true; If you'd live to be a grey-haired wonder Keep the nose out of the blue! (Out of the blue, boy!) Flying men, guarding the nation's border, We'll be there, followed by more! In echelon, we carry on. Hey! Nothing'll stop the U.S. Air Force!