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World War II Honoree

World War II Veteran

Gordon Lee 'Tex' Beneke

Branch of Service

U.S. Navy

Hometown

Fort Worth, Texas

Honored By

Jack Stegall

Branch Seal
Activity During WWII

JOINED THE GLENN MILLER BAND PLAYING LEAD TENOR SAXOPHONE AND WAS A SINGER. AFTER THE WAR BEGAN, ENLISTED INTO THE U.S. NAVY (1943) LEADING A U.S. NAVY BAND IN OKLAHOMA. AFTER MAJOR GLENN MILLER WAS LISTED AS MISSING OVER THE ENGLISH CHANNEL DECEMBER 15, 1944, STARTED A NEW MILLER ORCHESTRA WITH MILLER'S FORMER LEAD SINGER. LATE 1945, PLAYED MILLER'S ARMY AIR FORCES MUSIC, INCLUDING 'CHATTANOOGA CHOO-CHOO' MADE FAMOUS DURING THE TOKYO BOMBING RAID APRIL 1942 AND KEPT 'MOONLIGHT SERENADE' AS ITS THEME SONG.