MARINE CORPS AIR STATION CHERRY POINT, N.C. - The 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing Band performed at Lawson Creek Park in New Bern playing patriotic tunes for Independence Day. The free community performance became a scene of flag-waving celebration.
“It’s great to see the public come out,” said Master Sgt. Shawn D. Stewart, the staff noncommissioned officer in charge of the band. “They’re not just supporting the Marine Corps, they’re supporting the military and the country as a whole.”
Hundreds of people came to watch the event, including a number of veterans who were pleased to see the Marine Corps represented at the event.
“It’s always a little heartwarming to watch the service that’s considered the toughest, meanest guys in the world to come out and entertain the people who they sign on the line to protect,” said Jim Leroy, a Marine veteran who served 12 years mostly in the 1970s. “They’re out in the public eye and they’re not afraid to be in the public eye.”