BOLLING AFB, D.C. -- February's photo featuring the Strolling Strings at the White House elicited several responses and it was, once again, great to hear from all of you. Each month I get to know more and more alumni of The United States Air Force Band, and it gives me great pleasure to hear about your experiences with the Band. Please feel free to email me with any information you have on the photos we display, even if it is from a previous month's Recollections. We are always looking for your "background stories" to make our history complete.
Madeline Albright is at President Ford's left and Hillary Clinton on his right. I can't see the faces of the others, but most likely they were the State Department's special guests. Chief Master Sgt. Popp is on the accordion, Chief Master Sgt. Slusser is (on the) solo violin, Senior Master Sgt. Swanson is partially seen facing toward the center group. The approximate date is during the Clinton Presidency when the honorable Ms. Albright was Secretary of State. This is probably one of many gigs I assigned to the Strings.
-Chief Master Sgt. (Ret.) Dwight Graupman, The USAF Band
It was great to see a picture of the Air Force Strolling Strings. I believe this was a very special dinner we played for on September 13, 1993. As far as I can remember this is the only time these presidents were in the room at the same time with the strings present. In fact, there were four presidents there that night, Ford, Carter, Bush Senior, and Clinton, plus six Secretaries of State. Earlier in the day President Clinton hosted a peace signing between Israel and Palestine. We were told that this was a dinner to celebrate the occasion.
In the picture are the following Air Force Band members: Dave Swanson (violin), Judy Thompson (viola), Bill Slusser (violin), Karl Heikkinen (bass), Bill Popp (accordion), Laura Reiley (cello) her head is just above President Ford, Sharon Bingham (viola), and Mark Helm (violin).
After the dinner ended and all the guests departed we were asked to remain to play a few waltzes. For about five minutes the Clintons and the Carters danced, just the two couples, to the music of the AF Strolling Strings. This was one of many fond memories I have of our years with the AF Strings.
-Chief Master Sgt. (Ret.) Bill Slusser, The USAF Band
The photo was taken at a White House dinner celebrating the signing of the Oslo Accords on September 13, 1993. The signing earlier in the day is best remembered by the well-known handshake between Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat with President Clinton between the two men.
At the dinner were former presidents Carter, Ford and Bush plus other dignitaries who had worked for peace in the Middle East.
The photo was taken through a doorway looking into the dining room. I recognize the event because it is the same doorway from where I was performing. (Typically the cellists set up in two doorways on opposite sides of the room.) The Strings had performed at several White House events during that summer, but for obvious reasons, this night is especially memorable. I had never seen Ford or Carter in person before, and here they both were just a few feet away!
After the dinner, the Strings lined up in the White House foyer and performed as the guests departed. To make the evening even more memorable, at the end, President Clinton and President Carter (who was staying overnight at the White House) thanked us and chatted with us briefly. I remember Carter mentioning his time as President, when his daughter Amy took violin lessons.
-Senior Master Sgt. Christopher Moehlencamp, The USAF Band