The Last Long Mile

"The Last Long Mile", also known as the "Plattsburg Marching Song", is a First World War era marching song written in 1917. The song is attributed to Emil Breitenfeld, who wrote the song while serving as a lieutenant in the United States Army.

History

The Last Long Mile was originally composed by Emil Breitenfeld while the musician was training with the 17th New York Regiment in Plattsburgh, New York.[1] The song—originally known as either The Long Last Mile or the Plattsburg Marching Song—quickly became popular with soldiers, and was presented along with other soldier's compositions to the National Board on Army and Navy Camp Music. The board liked the song, and considered it one of the best songs to have been produced in soldier's camps.[1] The song was later featured in the first issue of Music in the Camps, an activity book produced for army and navy training camps.[1]

The song, now renamed The Last Long Mile, was later featured in Toot Toot, a musical compilation produced by Henry Wilson Savage and published by T. B. Harms & Francis, Day & Hunter, Inc..[2][3]

Following the war and his exit from the army in 1919, Breitenfeld moved to California and wrote music for silent films and stage plays.[4] He was the father of Paul Desmond.[5]

References
  1. The Singing Program of World War I: The Crusade for a Singing Army Author(s): E. Christina Chang Source: Journal of Historical Research in Music Education, Vol. 23, No. 1 (Oct., 2001), pp. 19-45 Published by: Sage Publications, Inc.
  2. "The last long mile : Plattsburg marching song, 1917 :: Frances G. Spencer Collection of American Popular Sheet Music". digitalcollections.baylor.edu. Retrieved 2019-05-05.
  3. "The last long mile". Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA. Retrieved 2019-05-05.
  4. "Emil Breitenfeld Papers, 1952-1959". oac.cdlib.org. Retrieved 2020-10-03.
  5. Ramsey, Doug (2004). Take Five: The Public and Private Lives of Paul Desmond. Seattle, Wa.: Parkside Publications. p. 19. ISBN 978-0961726676.
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