WASHINGTON, D.C. -The United States Army Band "Pershing's Own" will kick off the 2015 Summer Concert Series sponsored by the Friends of the National World War II Memorial (Friends) and the National Park Service, next week at the World War II Memorial.
On Thursday, April 23, the U.S Army Band will be the first of more than a dozen performances to be held at the Memorial over the next five months. The concert begins at 6 p.m. at 17th Street, between Constitutions and Independence Avenues, SW in the nation's capital. It is free and open to the public.
The U.S. Army Band "Pershing's Own" has maintained a tradition of excellence as one of the premier musical organizations of the U.S. Army. Founded in 1922 by Army Chief of Staff General John J. "Black Jack" Pershing, the band was created to emulate European military bands he heard during World War I. The U.S. Army Band continues to play an important role in events of national and international significance, staging performances from the battlefields of World War II to the nation's capital.
The British Army's 1st Battalion Scots Guards Pipes and Drums, the oldest infantry battalion in the British Army, is scheduled to perform five times at the WWII Memorial between April 29-May 3. Formed in 1642 as King James I's Royal Guard, the Scots Guards have seen action around the world as the oldest un-amalgamated Infantry Regiment in the British Army.
Other performance will include: U.S. Army Blues, 257th Army Band, United States Public Health Service Band, U.S. Naval Sea Cadets Band of the West, and the Medical Musical Group.
A full schedule of the 2015 Summer Concert Series performances may be found on the Friends of the National World War II Memorial website.
About The Friends of the National World War II Memorial (www.wwiimemorialfriends.org): Founded in 2007, the Friends of the National World War II Memorial is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to honoring and preserving the national memory of World War II. The nonprofit organization was established by a group of private citizens involved in the Memorial from its inception to its dedication. The National World War II Memorial honors those who served and pays tribute to the spirit of unity and shared purpose, which defined the character of our country during the war years. To support the Friends mission of preserving the legacy of the Memorial, Friends has initiated a number of commemorative and educational programs. Working in a cooperative partnership with the National Park Service, Friends has the lead responsibility in planning and staging major national commemorative events and sponsors free public performances of military bands at the Memorial. Additionally, Friends sponsors an annual public lecture series featuring prominent historians;provides teachers with curriculum materials;and collects and archives video interviews of World War II veterans and other members of the Greatest Generation.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service
