Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Flute 1 and Flute 2



Angelina Dowell, of the Fleet Forces Band, and the NMA's George Dietzler have a lot in common. They're both flute players, both Navy musicians.

Their enlistment periods don't quite match up, though; Angelina joined the Navy in 2009, whereas George signed up a bit earlier--1947, to be exact.

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

O! Say, can you see...


Navy Musicians honor our flag and country as a part of their regular duties. Although many of us are no longer in uniform, we continue to honor flag and country when the anthem is played. The Defense Authorization Act of 2009 specifically allows and encourages veterans to render the hand salute during the playing of the National Anthem.

For us, saluting during the National Anthem is not a duty; it's a privilege.



CDR Ralph Ingraham

My early-1980s shipmate from Navy Band Newport is now the Commanding Officer of the U.S. Navy School of Music. I was glad that CDR Ralph Ingraham found the time to join us; he's a busy guy, just a few weeks shy of retiring.


Boy, things change. Back in Newport, the two words you wouldn't have used to describe MU2 Ralph Ingraham were "shy" and "retiring."

Monday, July 1, 2013

Blackout

Now comes the post-reunion Navy Lyres blackout period.

I'm in my room at the Holiday Inn, suitcase packed with NMA shirts, computer full of images of a wonderful week and an itinerary sheet covered with flight departure times, layover times, arrival times. This is everyone's least favorite part of an NMA reunion: the end.

So this is my travel day. I'll arrive home tonight, brief my wife on the week's events and crash. I have much more to share with you after this stellar--there's that word again--week. I'll pass these things along over the coming week.

But now it's time for me to shut down. The rains that threatened our reunion, yet never came, just arrived, so travel schedule may become iffy..

Later, my friends.