I’ll Be Home for Christmas

Thousands of American men and women were serving overseas in 1943 when the world was at war, and they would be spending Christmas far from home. As a tribute to these heroes, Kim Gannon and Walter Kent created this lovely ballad, and Bing Crosby recorded it. The song’s spirit and message touched the hearts of the soldiers and their families, and Crosby earned his 5th gold record from its success. The song was recorded by others later on, but on December 17, 1965 the Crosby recording was the first official song request to come from outer space. A NASA transmitter asked the astronauts aboard the Gemini 7 station if they had any special requests, and “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” was their immediate choice.