The U.S. Air Force Band rings in the Fourth with guest conductor

Published July 5, 2010
By Benjamin Newell
AFDW PA

AIR FORCE MEMORIAL, Arlington, Va. -- Airmen know the best view is from on high. For the Fourth of July celebration in Washington, D.C., Airmen from across the National Capital Region sought altitude to gain perspective on the nation's biggest Independence Day party.

Under the trebled spires of the Air Force Memorial, The U.S. Air Force Band entertained thousands of spectators gathered on a high bluff in Arlington, Va., to watch fireworks blazing over the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Crowds gathered around the memorial were estimated in excess of 5,000.

Lt. Col. A. Phillip Waite, the band's commander, led musicians in patriotic standards as night fell. "This concert is really special," said Deepanshu Mehta, a Charlotte, N.C. resident who travelled to the Air Force Memorial with his family. "It gives great pride in our country, and shows how important the military is."

A special show was set up for the crowd when Air Force District of Washington Commander Maj. Gen. Darrell Jones guest conducted The U.S. Air Force Band as the first rockets burst over the Capitol. General Jones fulfilled a boyhood dream, conducting a full band as they performed John Phillip Sousa's "Stars and Stripes Forever," his favorite patriotic song, in front of the crowd.

"This has been a dream of mine for a long time," said General Jones. "It's important to remember the Airmen, soldiers, sailors and Marines who are deployed and living in austere conditions so we can be here enjoying one another."

Before the fireworks began, Airmen read aloud the names of fallen Service members, while veterans in the crowd were singled out for their dedication. This was the second year the Band performed at the Air Force Memorial on the Fourth of July.

The performance capped off a furious week of public shows for the band, with elements fanning out all over the Capitol to entertain guests.