In Memoriam
May 30, 2016
THE “Navy Hymn,” or “Eternal Father, Strong to Save,” (lyrics here) was recently sung by a men’s glee club, apparently connected with the Naval Academy, on the California coast. Here is a description of the recording:
Last Sunday, despite the persistent drizzle and fog, a small group from the Men’s glee club opted to catch a bus to the Marin Headlands for a hike. After a morning on the damp trail, we passed through a concrete tunnel leading to an abandoned coastal defense battery which was marked as Battery Townsley. This secret military installation was built to defend the city of San Francisco during World War II. Overlooking the fog-carpeted San Francisco Bay, Battery Townsley gave us momentary relief from the cold rain as we rested for the last leg of the hike.
As we exited through the same tunnel, the chiming of nautical bells from a distant buoy could be heard faintly over the sea breeze and the echoes of raindrops in the concrete passageway. Inspired by acoustic qualities of the tunnel and the somber atmosphere, we sang the most fitting song we knew, the Navy Hymn.
Meanwhile, a man who was set up nearby to record the ambient sound surrounding Battery Townsley captured our song emanating from the entrance of the tunnel. Thankfully, Byram Abbott generously shared the recording with us. This is the un-doctored result from the fantastic accident that occurred at Battery Townsley. The recording captures the solemnity of “Eternal Father, Strong to Save,” a prayer for the safe return of sailors out at sea.
May all who have died for America in war rest in eternal peace, and may they never be forgotten.
