government spending in 2022 reached about $6.27 trillion, of which national defense spending accounted for $767 billion, or about 12 percent. According to the data made public by the Department of the Treasury and the Bureau of the Fiscal Service, U.S. To start, let’s get some clarity concerning the amount under discussion.
Especially an audit should not become a bargaining chip in political competition for leadership roles.Īlthough the notion of possibly reducing aid to Ukraine remains a hobby horse of a limited group of politicians and is unpopular with the American public, now is a good time to more clearly articulate the many different benefits the United States and its allies would be expected to reap from continuing to provide aid to Ukraine. The audit should also fully account for benefits not typically enumerated in the line items of a national budget, such as enhanced reputation and support for democracy. Audits are appropriate for national budgets, but the real reasons for auditing aid to Ukraine should be based on factual information. political sphere have proposed reducing support to Ukraine and insist on auditing that support. Careers, Fellowships, and Internships Open/CloseĬertain voices in the U.S.Wahba Institute for Strategic Competition.Science and Technology Innovation Program.Refugee and Forced Displacement Initiative.The Middle East and North Africa Workforce Development Initiative.Kissinger Institute on China and the United States.Nuclear Proliferation International History Project.North Korea International Documentation Project.Environmental Change and Security Program.Hyundai Motor-Korea Foundation Center for Korean History and Public Policy."Steinway & Sons Victory Verticals." Steinway & Sons. "Steinway." United States, Chronicle Books, 2002. “How Do You Get a Piano onto the Battlefront? Push It out of an Airplane.” Michigan Radio, 10 Nov. Given that the company behind the piano has detailed its role in manufacturing it for World War II, we rate this claim as “True.” The book “ Steinway” by Ronald Ratcliffe and Stuart Isacoff explained that these upright pianos were “sent to every theater of war” during World War II. And the sheet music included light classics, it included Protestant hymnals, it included sing-along patriotic songs, and it included popular songs There was always someone that could sit down and work out those boogie-woogies, and the soldiers seemed to love that.”Īccording to Pedersen’s Victory Vertical Project, the pianos were box-like and lightweight so they could easily be fitted into a crate. Pedersen told NPR, “The pianos included sheet music. Since soldiers were drafted to fight in World War II, there were some musicians among the troops who could play. In 1942, the first "Victory Vertical" was dropped by parachute, complete with tuning equipment and instructions. The pianos came in olive, blue, and gray drab. STEINWAY proceeded to make over 3,000 "Victory Vertical" pianos designed specifically for troops in battle between 19.
The factory bided its time producing coffins and parts for troop transport gliders, until it was granted a contract to send specially designed pianos to commissioned war soldiers. According to a post on Steinway’s website, the company made more than 3,000 of these pianos:Īt first, STEINWAY was prohibited from building pianos due to government restrictions on iron, copper, brass, and other raw materials. The pianos were manufactured by Steinway & Sons, a German-American piano company, in their Queens, New York, factory and were commissioned specifically to be used on the front. Concert pianist and professor Garik Pedersen uncovered the history of this unusual practice through his Victory Vertical Project, a show where he performed musical pieces from that time period. 2nd Armored Division singing at the piano in the Normandy region of France.Īn NPR story reveals that this was indeed real.
The above photograph is available on Wikimedia Commons, and shows soldiers of the U.S.
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