Washington, D.C. -- This past Saturday two audio engineers from the Band received one of the area's highest honors within the entertainment industry. Master Sgt. Loren Zimmer and Master Sgt. Jim Devaughn both received Emmy's from the National Capital/Chesapeake Bay chapter of the National Television Academy of Arts and Sciences for the audio portion of the television broadcast "America's Veterans: A Musical Tribute." The program was televised on Maryland Public Television and aired on Nov. 11, 2013 as part of the Band's Veteran's Day tribute.
This is the second Emmy for Devaughn and first for Zimmer. About receiving this prestigious award, Zimmer said,
It really is an honor. To be recognized while working on such a meaningful project, celebrating our nation's heroes is truly awesome. This has always been one of my favorite shows to work on for several reasons. The first is obviously because we get to experience such great stories and hear them from wonderful people. Second because it really is a team effort. You have a much larger crew than we typically work with consisting of stage managers, camera operators, lighting people, makeup, and so many more--too many to count really. Third, the fact that I had the opportunity to experience this recognition with one of my best friends (Jim), my mom, and my wife Lisa is something that I'll never forget.
The U.S. Air Force Band has partnered over the last several years with Maryland Public Television to create a Veteran's Day concert for broadcast. This wildly successful venture has resulted in performances that have reached almost the entire PBS viewing community.