When great American songwriter Irving Berlin was stationed in Camp Upton in Yaphank during World War I, he was enlisted to write a musical to entertain the troops. The result was Yip Yip Yaphank and one of the hit songs from the revue was "Oh, How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning," which so many recruits at the time could empathize with.
Berlin cut one song from the revue because at the time he thought it was too sappy.
Twenty years later, in 1938, singer Kate Smith was searching for a song, one that would portray her as an All-American girl. Her manager approached Berlin and the songwriter dug out a little ditty he hadn’t used for Yip Yip Yaphank but thought he could brush off for Smith.
Listen to Kate Smith sing God Bless America below:
Video: YouTube.
“It is an amazing fact that the most patriotic song in United States history was written by a Jewish immigrant while living on Long Island,” said Brad Kolodny, president of the Jewish Historical Society of Long Island.
Berlin was actually born Israel Bellin in Russia in 1888 and came to the United States when he was five-years-old.
“His family lived in New York City where Irving became a songwriter and composer,” said Kolodny.
Berlin didn’t write the song to be particularly patriotic but more as a thank you to his adopted homeland.
“It’s not a patriotic song,” he is quoted as saying in a 1940 interview. “But an expression of gratitude for what this country has done for its citizens, of what home really means.”
According to The New York Times, Berlin established a fund to donate the proceeds from the song to the Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts of America in New York City.
“Over the years, the fund has distributed more than $6 million to the two organizations,” the paper reported.
Berlin is famous for many classic songs including "Cheek to Cheek" and even “White Christmas.” The iconic songwriter lived to a ripe old age.
“Irving Berlin passed away in 1989 at the age of 101,” said Kolodny.