A Memorial Day to Remember Published June 6, 2013 By SrA Daniel Thrower USAF Band of the West May 27, 2013 -- Being a proud military trumpet player, there are several holidays that I cherish. Of course there is Independence Day, Veterans Day, and Patriots Day (9-11); but as an Airman Musician, Memorial Day has become one of my very favorite holidays. Having extensive military heritage in my family, my parents raised me with an instilled appreciation much deeper than the customary hamburgers and hot dogs to kick off the "first day of summer," as some call it. Although music presents a far superior medium of expression for me, hopefully I can adequately share some of my feelings and experiences through words. My "Memorial "Day" experience this year lasted over a week. The week started with a concert by the USAF Band of the West's Gateway Brass (brass quintet plus percussion) on Armed Forces Day (May 18) at the Hondo Army Airfield Fly-In 2013, Hondo, TX. Many Veterans from various wars were honored and their fallen brethren at arms remembered. I never grow tired of playing the Armed Services songs and seeing my heroes rise to their feet or raise their hand when their respective song is heard. Some struggle to stand up from their wheelchair's, and others are unable to stand because they may have no legs. In any case, pride sparkles in all of their eyes and even glistens in an occasional tear. That same day, I performed an evening concert with Dimensions in Blue, the Band of the West's traditional big band. The concert ended with a patriotic portion featuring our astounding vocalist, MSgt Nancy Poffenbarger, on an extraordinary arrangement of "Amazing Grace." That classic spiritual has served to console the afflicted in their various losses for well over a hundred years. Gateway Brass performed another version of "Amazing Grace" throughout our four Memorial Day Tribute concerts, arranged by the wife of our horn player, TSgt Shane Stanke. It was my distinct privilege to introduce "Amazing Grace" by sharing the following personal story with the audience, each time having to suppress a tear or two: "About the time I joined the Air Force two years ago, fulfilling a childhood dream of mine, my wife and I went for a walk around our neighborhood. On our walk together, we met a woman and her two children who live just around the corner. I have jogged pass their house over a hundred times every week on my morning runs. Since my wife and I also have children, our first conversation quickly centered on family. When I asked the mother about her husband, the two children instinctively clasped each others' hands. She maturely informed us that he is no longer with them. Sensitivity was on the surface. It was clear to me that tears frequently flowed in this family, but at that moment they demonstrated great strength! The husband and father was a military man--a fallen hero. Those he left behind are no less heroic! I've rarely seen such bravery, courage, love, and devotion as what I witnessed that day between the teenage boy and younger sister. The pain never leaves; the hole in their lives will never be filled. There is no expression of gratitude deep enough to make things well and whole. The next piece we're going to play is one that has given many people some comfort and solace. Please enjoy 'Amazing Grace.'" Some audiences showed more emotion than others; it's funny how my own feelings intensify when other people's feelings are touched. The most compassionate and patriotic crowd we performed for was at "The Towers," a military retirement community just outside Fort Sam Houston. About half of the audience were dressed in a variety of stars and stripes and it was apparent that many of their memories to be commemorated on Memorial Day are first-hand, and vivid! Other patriotic events I was involved with during the week leading up to Memorial Day were incidental, and not all related to Memorial Day: playing with Gateway Brass for the promotion ceremony of three new Colonels, opening a San Antonio Talons game with the National Anthem, assembling American flags over two evenings with Boy Scouts to post in neighbors' yards early Memorial Day morning, and performing the National Anthem with two Boy Scout trumpeters, who happen to be my own sons, for an Eagle Scout Court of Honor. In addition, I had the honor of performing "Taps" to retire the colors at the end of that Eagle Scout Court of Honor ceremony. How I loved doing that! In crunching some very rough numbers, I estimate that in my many years as a musician, I have performed well over 10 million notes. This excludes the tens of millions of additional sounds pasted on the walls of practice rooms, rehearsal facilities, and in private lessons. The irony is that out of all the vast numbers of notes and flashy solos that have sounded out of my trumpet bell, my favorite piece to perform consists of 24 simple notes over four pitches: the poignant monophonic melody known as "Taps." An assignment to play "Taps" came my way this Memorial Day week for the annual hour-long Memorial Day ceremony at the largest military bank, USAA. When I reached the mile-long USAA facility and navigated myself to the correct location, I noticed three reserved parking spots--one was for the keynote speaker, General Kelly, a four-star Marine General; one was for his security team; and imagine my shocked amusement to see the sign at the next stall, "Reserved for SrA Daniel Thrower!" I laughed out loud and snapped a picture! During the ceremony, there was a Purple Heart presentation followed by a moment of silence directly before "Taps" was sounded. As the curtain opened, I took my place on the small platform on stage. Practically the entire audience remained standing with their heads bowed and eyes closed. How poignantly the moment struck me when I raised my trumpet, knowing that the first note of "Taps" would sound a symbolic collective "Amen" to so many prayers of gratitude and remembrance. This beautiful ceremony was broadcasted eight times on the Pentagon Channel and is available here: www.youtube.com/watch. Fast forward to 1:16:00 to watch as 500 audience members take a moment of silence followed by SrA Daniel Thrower performing "Taps". On Memorial Day, May 27, I woke up very early in the morning with my four sons (who are in the Boy Scout program) and my patriotic daughter to post American flags in our neighbors' lawns as a continued service that the Boy Scouts of America offers six times a year. Immediately following, my wife and two oldest sons headed to our church for a special flag raising ceremony where my boys performed "The Star-Spangled Banner" as a trumpet duet. The rest of us missed that special honor due to my task to play "Taps" at the Texas State Cemetery in Austin. This particular ceremony holds a special place in my heart as it takes place near the plot where my 3rd-Great-Grandfather, Joel Walter Robison, is interred. He left the Alamo as Colonel Travis' last messenger before the Mexicans attacked and is a Texas hero. Though removed from him in years, I feel a special connection with Grandpa Robison. I've performed "Taps" numerous times at the Alamo. This year the Band of the West Concert Band, with me in the trumpet section, performed a musical tribute that I composed, appropriately titled "Tribute to Joel Robison." Words cannot adequately share my feelings upon sounding Taps not even ten feet from his headstone. It is truly my honor to perform "Taps" at the cemetery where he and his wife rest. One key location I am eager to sound "Taps": the battleground of San Jacinto, where he fought and later aided to capture (and spared alive) the Mexican dictator Santa Anna. To close out the week of remembering and honoring our American heroes, my family indeed enjoyed a festive meal with some good friends. As my children gathered the neighborhood flags to store them until Flag Day (June 14), we took the final flag and congregated in our Boy Scout uniforms by the corner of the street. Here I respectfully sounded our final Memorial Day "Taps" for all my neighbors to hear, including our dear widow and two fatherless children. May we always remember--not just on a day or even a week in May, but always--those brave men, women, and even children, who sacrificed so much for the unprecedented freedoms and liberties that we all too often take for granted in the greatest nation in the history of the world: The United States of America!