Hail, America

Hail, America
by George Drumm
Play media the trio of "Hail, America" is performed during the presidential entrance in 2014 by the U.S. Marine Band
Year	1917 (1917)
Genre	military march
Related	"Hail to the Chief" "Hail, Columbia"
Publisher	G. Schirmer, Inc.
Premiere
Date	1918
Location	New York City

"Hail, America" is a regal concert march composed by George Drumm. It is known for its fanfare and trio sections performed during the presidential entrance at state dinners, but is not to be confused with Hail to the Chief, the president's arrival march. It has also been used as the honors music for the President-Elect of the United States.

"Hail, America" was composed by George Drumm, a German immigrant to the United States, in 1917 and first publicly performed during a concert in New York City the following year. Drumm appears to have composed the march to rebut questions as to his national loyalty after the United States declaration of war on Germany. According to Drumm, he wrote the march while riding the New York subway between Manhattan and Brooklyn.

Dwight Eisenhower preferred "Hail, America" to the traditional arrival march "Hail to the Chief" and ordered it performed at the 1953 and 1957 inaugurations to introduce him. Beginning with John F. Kennedy, the use of "Hail to the Chief" was resumed.

The trio section of "Hail, America" was performed to introduce then President-Elect Barack Obama during the 2009 U.S. presidential inauguration and, eight years later, to introduce then President-Elect Donald Trump at the 2017 U.S. presidential inauguration.

"Hail, America" is performed by "the President's Own" United States Marine Band during a short transit ceremony by which the President of the United States moves from the second floor to the state floor of the White House on official occasions. In the ceremony, the president, the First Lady of the United States and, if applicable, a guest of honor and the guest of honor's spouse, descend the Grand Staircase accompanied by a military escort advancing the flag of the United States and the flag of the President of the United States.