1 So a Wild Bill Guarnere story (from Band of Brothers). I was in the Roosevelt bar on Utah beach with him and a couple of other veterans and WWII music was playing

2 He leaned back in his chair and said: "Takes you back" and the other vets said yes it did. At this point he said, that I went hmmmm in agreement (I didn't). "And what the hell would you know about WWII music?" he half laughed, half shouted at me

3 "Bill" I said, "I'm a historian, I know my way around a WWII jukebox".

"Alright, what's your favourite wartime song - title and artist" he asked me. All while gripping tightly my hands on the table

4 Now, try as I might my mind went blank, I couldn't think of any wartime hits. He was waiting for an answer, his grip on my hands actually hurting.

Aha

"Bing Crosby and the Andrews sisters - don't fence me in I cried" thinking that will be the end of the matter

5 Oh no, Wild Bill goes batshit crazy, his crutch whirling around his head as he ranted about that "Schmuck" Bing Crosby. This went on for a while. When he calmed down, I said, "what's your beef with Bing Crosby Bill?"