On Nov. 9 the Owosso Musicale members, in honor of Veterans Day, will salute one of their own, Marine Corps veteran Genevieve Jennings, who enlisted April 10, 1944 and started boot training at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina on May 10. Members and guests will gather on Monday at noon at Christ Episcopal Church, 120 E. Goodhue Street for High Tea.
The program will follow in the church sanctuary, opening with Bill Domby, Commandant of the Harold R. Cooley Detachment 841 of the local Marine Corps League, giving a brief review of the history of the Marine Corps’ 240 years. Domby credits Jennings and the late Clay Reeves with keeping the local Marine Corps League going when it was in a period of floundering. Jennings also serves as Paymaster of the local League.
At Boot Camp the women trainees went through the “Obstacle Course,” marching drills and learned how to assemble and disassemble a rifle, but were never taught to use them. After graduating from Boot Camp she was assigned to run the PX or Canteen at the Officers Club at Paradise Point. Details of Jennings life as an active Marine as well as popular songs from that era will be presented.
The program will conclude with a brief history of the writing of the poem, “America the Beautiful” by Katherine Lee Bates and set to the music written five years earlier by Samuel A. Ward. Americans embraced Bates’ poem lines and started to set them to music, all kinds of music! It took a clergyman, Clarence Barbour, to match the tune “Materna,” submission No. 226, to Bates’ lyrics.
The Owosso Musicale Chorus will sing the beloved national hymn, and then lead the audience in singing all of the USA Armed Forces service songs. Guest are welcome. For more information persons may call (989) 725-5001 or (989) 725-8668.
