JOINT BASE ANCOSTIA-BOLLING, Va. - True to the adage "like father, like son," Yorktown Heights, N.Y., native Ed Teleky and his son Tony share many similarities in personality and musical ability. Father is the drum major for the U.S. Air Force Band, and son is drum line captain for the North Point High School Marching Band in Waldorf, Md.
This Thanksgiving Day, the two Telekys are slated to appear in the 86th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, but this time the elder Teleky will follow in his son's footsteps.
This will be the second year Tony will play snare drum in the Macy's parade as one of the Maryland representatives to perform in the Macy's Great American Marching Band. This is the first year that the Air Force Band will appear at the parade.
"As Drum Major of The United States Air Force Band, I have had incredible the honor to represent the men and women of our Air Force at more than 5,000 ceremonies before the world's highest officials at the White House, Pentagon, Arlington National Cemetery and throughout the National Capital Region," said Cheif Master Sgt. Teleky. "This year's Thanksgiving Day parade is by far the most special event I will be part of because I am getting to share this experience with my son, Tony."
Seventeen-year-old Tony is excited as well.
"It was really cool to find out my dad was going to march in the parade too," he said. "The only thing is, we won't see each other until the parade is over."
The great American marching band effectively sequesters the players as they have only one week to get hundreds of teens from around the country onto the same page of music for the parade.
"It's pretty grueling, considering the schedule we have to keep," said Tony. "But everyone there is very committed to their instruments and dedicated to playing well. It's great to be around so many like-minded people."
The 86th Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade airs nationwide from 9 a.m.- noon, East Coast time. The band and Air Force Honor Guard are scheduled to appear on NBC at approximately 10:40 a.m.
Marching 200 strong, these premier ceremonial units from the 11th Operations Group will represent the nearly 500,000 men and women serving in the United States Air Force as they march along a 2.65 mile route before more than 3.5 million spectators.
This is the first time The U.S. Air Force Band and Honor Guard have marched in this parade, the largest parade in New York City. Macy's Department Store first began sponsoring the parade in 1924. The tradition has continued every year except from 1942 to 1944 when the store donated rubber from the balloons to the war effort.
For more information on the Air Force Band, visit their website at http://www.usafband.af.mil, "like" them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/USAFBand or follow @USAFband on Twitter.