This year, with the war clouds of Europe so lately threatening the
peace of the entire world, I felt I wanted to do something special -
something that would not only be a memorial to our soldiers - but would
also emphasize just how much America means to each and every one of us
... The song is 'God Bless America'; the composer, Mr. Irving Berlin.
When I first tried it over, I felt, here is a song that will be
timeless - it will never die - others will thrill to its beauty long
after we are gone. In my humble estimation, this is the greatest song
Irving Berlin has ever composed ... As I stand before the microphone
and sing it with all my heart, I'll be thinking of our veterans and
I'll be praying with every breath I draw that we shall never have
another war... -- KS introducing "God Bless America" on her radio
show, Armistice Day, November 11, 1938
