t was the end of April 1945, and the war in Europe was winding down. Our division was pulled off the line for a brief rest after having participated in intense combat continuously for nearly three months. The U.S. Army had set up a number of services to help entertain the troops at rest areas, and organizations such as the American Red Cross and the United Service Organizations (USO) were helpful in recruiting personnel to travel where the U.S. forces were serving, much like is done today with our troops in the Middle East and Far East.

In World War II, the U.S. Army basic entertainment provider group was called the Special Services. They set up and escorted the entertainers at the presentation level and made sure that the 16mm full-feature sound movies were delivered to the divisional, regimental and battalion Special Services officers. The arrival of movies while in a rest center would evoke considerable excitement in the troops. It was a contact with home, and the escapist types were the most popular, including musicals, comedies and even the cartoons.

A Song to Remember
A short time after arriving at the Rest Center, we were informed that a musical would be shown in the evening. There were probably about 200 GIs in attendance, and they were drawn to the title, which was A Song to Remember, starring Merle Oberon, Paul Muni and Cornell Wilde. It turned out that the “musical” was about the life of Frédéric Chopin and his role in battling for Polish independence. Within 10 minutes of the film’s beginning, only a handful of soldiers were left to view it, and that included yours truly who loved classical music and opera. The music was wonderful, and for a few moments the war was blotted out and one could luxuriate in the sounds of Chopin’s music that filled the area.

A Night to Remember
Just before we were leaving the rest area to go back into combat, the Special Services posted an announcement that there would be a special event taking place shortly. The next day, a most unusual happening occurred as a security detail entered our encampment followed by a number of large trucks and jeeps. As the trucks disgorged their cargo, a small stage was assembled, complete with lights, microphones and speakers, the final touch heralding a ramp from which a piano was moved from the truck to the stage. Finally a party emerged from one of the nearby barracks, and the Special Service officer announced that we were in for a treat tonight since we were fortunate to have in our midst three of the most famous violinists in the world who would give us a concert, and these included Jascha Heifetz, Nathan Milstein and Isaac Stern! As a young boy, I was taken to many concerts at Carnegie Hall, and I attended productions at the Metropolitan Opera House. Yet the thought that these three great violinists were going to play right in front of me, that I might have a chance to speak with them and even shake their hands, really made me feel almost giddy. And another unusual happening occurred, for it appeared that almost none of the GIs left the concert area as these musicians launched into their concert.

I really don’t remember the whole program, but I was overwhelmed by the roaring reception that greeted Jascha Heifetz when he finished playing a version of the “Flight of the Bumblebee” as the opening piece in the concert. I do have the fond memory of Milstein playing a portion of Johann Sebastian Bach’s “Brandenburg Concerto” and Isaac Stern bringing the house down with “Saint-Saens Rondo Capriccioso.” The concert went on for nearly two and a half hours, and I doubt if many of these hard-nosed infantrymen left the concert area. A great number of encores were played, and I still will never forget Jascha Heifetz playing a portion of Nicolo Paganini’s “First Violin Concerto.” When requests for encores were made by these musicians to the audience, I very timorously raised my hand and asked for a portion of the Felix Mendelssohn “Violin Concerto.” I was sitting right across from Isaac Stern when he rose to play it, and sitting at almost a hand’s reach away from him, I was enveloped by the lovely sounds that appeared to resonate with everyone, for a deep silence greeted him when he finished, followed by a persistent roar from the audience who rose and burst into wild applause intermixed with whistling and hurrahs.

Afterward I was taken aback by the universal acclaim tendered by everyone there, most of whom had probably never heard of these musicians nor the classical music they played. Yet somehow, in the midst of a terribly destructive war, these great musicians were able to penetrate one’s very being and awaken this marvelous feeling of inner peacefulness and joy. Over the years, I followed the musicianship of these great violinists, purchased their recordings and attended their concerts. Yet never had their wonderful violins touched me more than an impromptu concert during World War II in a rest area in Germany. Yes indeed, to us, at that time, the real Big Three were named Heifetz, Milstein and Stern!

Maurice S. Albin, M.D., M.Sc., is Professor of Anesthesiology in the David Hill Chestnut Section on the History of Anesthesia, University of Alabama School of Medicine, Birmingham, Alabama.