John Williams' Air Force discharge

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

I know John was discharged from the Air Force, does anyone know why? I know he was drafted to begin with, so was the discharge honorable or dishonorable? Did he have a heart murmur? Stabbed a superior with a baton? Did he keep his comrades awake at night while humming irritatingly catchy tunes?

<- poor eye sight?

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

He was dishonorably discharged for stealing the score to Jaws from a superior officer.

[indy4 155]

Imagine if he were a casualty of war...this place wouldn't exist.

[Quintus 5,399]

He went AWOL with Van Damme. He was discharged on compassionate grounds.

[Faleel 5,345]

he was discharged for shooting the guns to make musical notes (the tune he was playing was the jaws theme)

[Andy 4,118]

For recording howitzer cannons to mix into the 1941 ost.

[Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,488]

He also refused to shave off his thinning hair. Or the beard.

[Demondm810 399]

He showed up for morning inspection in a black turtleneck, and sang "Ben's Death/TIE Fighter Attack" during firing drills.

[nightscape94 965]

I am the only one that thought the title of this thread sounded a little perverted?

Tim

[Demondm810 399]

I am the only one that thought the title of this thread sounded a little perverted?

Tim

Nope, right with ya. My first thought: loose women?

[John Crichton 4]

I am the only one that thought the title of this thread sounded a little perverted?

Tim

Nope, right with ya. My first thought: loose women?

Yes indeed. Sorry Blume, modified it a bit to avoid...confusion.

As you were.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

Yes indeed. Sorry Blume, modified it a bit to avoid...confusion.

As you were.

Seriously now?

If you guys are that desperate for something to do, I do need someone to organize my desk...

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Mark me down as one who did not equate Air Force discharge with ejaculation.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

What can you do.

(And I don't meant that in a naughty way.)

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

General Patton gave him a big slap.

[Quintus 5,399]

Mark me down as one who did not equate Air Force discharge with ejaculation.

Quam. Wrong sex, lad.

[Ollie 1,059]

Yes indeed. Sorry Blume, modified it a bit to avoid...confusion.

As you were.

Seriously now?

If you guys are that desperate for something to do, I do need someone to organize my desk...

Oh relax, if this place was really being moderated, 75% of us would be banned, to include myself and half of the threads discussions would be gone.

We're not doing anything Marc, Neil or Ricard haven't done in the past. The only difference is that there are more of us.

I would imagine Williams only served his required 4 years and received an honorable discharge. When you leave military service you are discharged, whether it be honorable or dishonorable.

[Quintus 5,399]

Yes indeed. Sorry Blume, modified it a bit to avoid...confusion.

As you were.

Seriously now?

If you guys are that desperate for something to do, I do need someone to organize my desk...

We're not doing anything Marc, Neil or Ricard haven't done in the past. The only difference is that there are more of us.

There's too many mods on here now, a situation which feels worse simply as a result of each of them being active members of the forum.

I'm sorry, but four mods just for this tiny little forum is overkill.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

what's the point of this.

When you leave the military it is called a discharge. It's not the same as being fired.

Lets defame the maestro with such pettiness.

[Quintus 5,399]

Well I think it's in good humour, at least it is as far as my comment is concerned.

[crocodile 8,000]

I knew he and Desmond Hume were up to somthing!

Karok

[airmanjerm 78]

He was drafted and entered the Air Force in January 1951 as the Staff Arranger for the 775th Air Force Band (no longer in existence) at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tuscon, AZ. Later he was assigned to 596th AF Band at Pepperrell AF Base in Newfoundland. His final assignment was to the AF Band at March Air Force Base in southern CA. After he completed his standard four-year enlistment, he was given an honorable discharge and returned to his studies at UCLA.

Standard terms of enlistment in those days were three years for the Army and Marine Corps, and four years for the Air Force and the Navy. Ironically though, President Truman signed a bill in January 1951 (just after Williams had enlisted) that allowed young men to sign up voluntarily (i.e., not wait to get drafted) and only have to do a 21-month enlistment.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

Excellent! Thanks for the detailed but concise answer.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,513]

Yeah, I saw it coming.

[King Mark 3,631]

He was drafted and entered the Air Force in January 1951 as the Staff Arranger for the 775th Air Force Band (no longer in existence) at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tuscon, AZ. Later he was assigned to 596th AF Band at Pepperrell AF Base in Newfoundland. His final assignment was to the AF Band at March Air Force Base in southern CA. After he completed his standard four-year enlistment, he was given an honorable discharge and returned to his studies at UCLA.

or so they say...

[airmanjerm 78]

He was drafted and entered the Air Force in January 1951 as the Staff Arranger for the 775th Air Force Band (no longer in existence) at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tuscon, AZ. Later he was assigned to 596th AF Band at Pepperrell AF Base in Newfoundland. His final assignment was to the AF Band at March Air Force Base in southern CA. After he completed his standard four-year enlistment, he was given an honorable discharge and returned to his studies at UCLA.

or so they say...

Hmm?

Yeah, I saw it coming.

Glad I'm that predictable... lol.

[Thor 7,491]

He was drafted and entered the Air Force in January 1951 as the Staff Arranger for the 775th Air Force Band (no longer in existence) at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tuscon, AZ. Later he was assigned to 596th AF Band at Pepperrell AF Base in Newfoundland. His final assignment was to the AF Band at March Air Force Base in southern CA. After he completed his standard four-year enlistment, he was given an honorable discharge and returned to his studies at UCLA.

Standard terms of enlistment in those days were three years for the Army and Marine Corps, and four years for the Air Force and the Navy. Ironically though, President Truman signed a bill in January 1951 (just after Williams had enlisted) that allowed young men to sign up voluntarily (i.e., not wait to get drafted) and only have to do a 21-month enlistment.

Thanks for that. I've always been curious what Williams did there beyond the music stuff, if any. Did he get military training? Isn't that obligatory too, even if you're "just" in it for the arranging/music?

[airmanjerm 78]

He was drafted and entered the Air Force in January 1951 as the Staff Arranger for the 775th Air Force Band (no longer in existence) at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tuscon, AZ. Later he was assigned to 596th AF Band at Pepperrell AF Base in Newfoundland. His final assignment was to the AF Band at March Air Force Base in southern CA. After he completed his standard four-year enlistment, he was given an honorable discharge and returned to his studies at UCLA.

Standard terms of enlistment in those days were three years for the Army and Marine Corps, and four years for the Air Force and the Navy. Ironically though, President Truman signed a bill in January 1951 (just after Williams had enlisted) that allowed young men to sign up voluntarily (i.e., not wait to get drafted) and only have to do a 21-month enlistment.

Thanks for that. I've always been curious what Williams did there beyond the music stuff, if any. Did he get military training? Isn't that obligatory too, even if you're "just" in it for the arranging/music?

Things in our career field haven't changed much at all since then, except that we've downsized to the point that there's substantially fewer bands these days...only 9 bands overall, instead of about 140 of them in the past WW2 era...and there are now only 6 of us that serve as band arranger/composers. Something else that has changed a bit is that now people actually join the Air Force to have a position with one of our groups. In this era of record unemployment, it's a great combination of steady job and great performing opportunity.

As for training, that part really hasn't changed since JW's time. Yes, he had to go to basic training at Lackland AF Base in San Antonio, TX, just like everyone else in the Air Force. All military musicians have to go through basic training, regardless of service - Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard. The only exception is the President's Own US Marine Band in Washington D.C., and just that one single band. (Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.)

As far as military duties, the Air Force Bands are quite different than the other services, and have been since the Air Force was founded in the late 1940s. As a member of the Air Force Band, you are a musician first, and that is your job. We DO have to undergo a number of training courses like everyone else in the Air Force; for example, every three years I have to do gas mask training, and every two years I do first aid training, etc. But your daily job is to play (or write) music. You don't get pulled away from that in order to guard planes in a foreign country or that sort of thing, and even the training you *do* undergo is based on what job you do: for example, having to undergo gas mask and other first aid training is based on the concept of "readiness," in case we are attacked at home. I haven't shot a weapon for the Air Force since basic training in 2000, since there will never be a need. It states in our operating instruction that we may NOT be pulled away from musical duties under ANY circumstances, except to be part of the base's manpower pool in the event of a natural disaster.

As far as other duties, we typically DO have a non-musical job to perform, but it is always something that helps to operate and manage our band. For example, in addition to being our Staff Composer/Arranger, I am also the Auditions Coordinator. Newer Airmen get much simpler taskings as they learn the ropes...typically, new members are assigned to the library staff. But again, you're never pulled away to wash airplanes or guard the base at the gates. The Air Force has people who do all of those things.

I can say, however, that the military as a whole is much different than when JW was in it during the 1950s. We're a much more professionally-run entity now, which affects us in the bands a great deal. During JW's time he could have just been ordered by anyone outside the band (higher ranking, at least) to do any random task...playing music for some random general, etc. Now there's a greater sense of professionalism, and so it's a much more rewarding work place. Bands are "requested," not "ordered" to perform at events. Although the logistics of being an Air Force Bandsman haven't changed much in 50 years, operating as a musician within the military structure back then would have driven me crazy.

As our unit's Auditions Coordinator I often have a hard time convincing people who are considering auditioning when we have a vacancy - and there must be a vacancy before you audition, because we only hire the musicians we currently need. They think I'm making it up that we really just do music every day, or they hear about something an Army or Marine band did (like deploying to guard planes or a foreign base) and they don't understand that the Air Force is completely separate and different from those branches of the service, and that we operate quite differently.

Hope that's not too MUCH information... and hope you're having a great Christmas!

[Thor 7,491]

Not at all. Thanks for all the info. I can relate to much of what you say, because after I finished my recruit training (not sure what it's called in English) for three months, I worked in my specialized capacity, which was sanitation officer. For the most part, I worked in the field hospital (before I became a sergeant) and all the work related to that, mostly assistant work to doctors and nurses. But every once in a while, I had to attend a NATO drill or likewise, where I had to operate out of a field...sleeping in tents etc.

So I've always been curious about how much practical air force service Williams actually performed when he wasn't arranging, composing or otherwise working with the musical aspect of things.