Photo By Staff Sgt. Mike Hagburg | Staff Sgt. Kate Naujokas, of Fargo, N.D., leads the audience at the North Dakota State...... read more read more
FARGO, N.D. — Soldier musicians from the North Dakota National Guard’s 188th Army Band spent the first weekend of December traveling across eastern North Dakota bringing music to soldiers and veterans.
The band’s ceremonial ensemble, Clarion of Freedom, performed at the North Dakota State Veterans Home in Lisbon Dec. 3 and at the Fargo VA hospital Dec. 4.
Meanwhile, the band’s horn rock group Blues in Green played for the 1st Battalion, 188th Air Defense Artillery Regiment in Grand Forks and the band’s DJ crew spun tunes for the 815th Engineer Company in Wishek.
“We are happiest when we can support our fellow soldiers, airmen and the veterans who have come before us,” said Warrant Officer Dave Stordalen, the band’s commander. “There is no more important mission for the band in December than to bring cheer for the holiday season.”
In Lisbon, Clarion of Freedom played music for residents of the state Veterans Home.
“We tried to play some seasonal pieces and patriotic pieces for the veterans,” said Staff Sgt. Paul Helfter, Clarion of Freedom director. “They don’t get to hear much live music so we tried to give them something of everything. We really appreciate the opportunity to play for them.”
Lisa Schwab, a household coordinator the Veterans Home said the concert was “wonderful.”
“It was great for the residents to get out and listen to the music,” she said. “It kind of made their day.”
Sgt. Toni DeBerg, a clarinet player with the band, was able to visit with the some veterans who attended the concert.
“The stories they have are fascinating,” she said. “With all their wartime service, they have seen a lot more than I have. It is an honor to be requested to go out and perform for these veterans.”
Clarion of Freedom also played for patients at the Fargo VA Hospital.
“It means a lot for me to perform for these veterans because this audience is a group of people that doesn’t get a lot of visitors,” said Spc. Chris Carpenter, who plays clarinet for the band. “The marches and the holiday music seem to carry them back to when they were young. Playing it helps us to make a connection to our audience, and that’s why we exist.”
Stordalen said that playing concerts is a holiday tradition that dates back to the very beginnings of Guard bands in North Dakota.
“We know that Christmas celebrations during World War II were a huge morale booster because our soldiers during that time were gone from home for as long as six years,” he said. “Music played a key role in morale building and morale sustainment. We’ve always brought the music of the day and the patriotic music of our country to our soldiers and we’ll continue to do that.”
| Date Taken: | 12.04.2011 |
| Date Posted: | 12.05.2011 20:33 |
| Story ID: | 80927 |
| Location: | FARGO, ND, US |
| Web Views: | 51 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Band brings holiday cheer to Units, veterans, by SSG Mike Hagburg, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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