"The Army Goes Rolling Along " | West Point Band

Happy 250th birthday to the U.S. Army! To mark this historic milestone, we are proud to share a special performance of “The Army Goes Rolling Along” by the West Point Band, featuring the West Point Glee Club. “The Army Goes Rolling Along” began its journey in 1908 as “The Caissons Go Rolling Along,” written by 1st Lt. (later Brig. Gen.) Edmund L. Gruber while stationed in the Philippines. He was inspired by the horse-drawn carts (caissons) of his Field Artillery unit and the command, “Come on! Keep ’em rolling!” In 1917, the melody was adapted by "The March King" himself, John Philip Sousa, into the “U.S. Field Artillery March,” which became a widely popular military tune during World War I. Following World War II, the Army sought an official service song. Despite contests in 1948 and 1952, no new composition was adopted. Eventually, the Army returned to Gruber’s original melody. Harold W. Arberg, an Army music advisor, wrote new lyrics reflecting the Army’s mission and legacy. On Veterans Day, November 11, 1956, Secretary of the Army Wilber Brucker officially declared “The Army Goes Rolling Along” as the official song of the United States Army. Today, the song is played at the conclusion of nearly every Army ceremony, where soldiers proudly stand and sing: "First to fight for the right, And to build the Nation’s might, And the Army goes rolling along..." This performance honors 250 years of service, sacrifice, and tradition. ---------------- Subscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/bandwest... Event information and tickets: westpointband.com Follow us on social media: facebook.com/westpointband instagram.com/westpointband twitter.com/westpointband Subscribe to our newsletter: http://bit.ly/WPBnewsletter