05/30/2021
Tomorrow is Memorial Day, a solemn day of remembrance and honor for those who have given their lives in service to our country. Tonight we pay tribute to our fallen heroes and all who have served with the National Memorial Day Concert on PBS.
My 15th year, I write about the importance of this concert and my history with it in chapter 15 of my book, Grateful American: A Journey From Self To Service. “In 2005, I got a call from my buddy, actor, producer, and director Joe Mantegna. He’s appeared in everything from Three Amigos to The Godfather Part III, and we have a lot of mutual friends. And both of us grew up in Chicago. Each year since 2002, Joe has been a part of the National Memorial Day Concert in Washington, DC. He knew I was working with the USO, so in 2005 he asked me to be a part of the concert too. They were doing a segment on the history of the USO and wanted me to bring my band to be part of the segment. I said yes immediately. If you’ve never seen it before, the ninety-minute concert is all about honoring our nation’s defenders, their families at home, and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. The concert is free and held annually on the West Lawn of the United States Capitol Building the night before Memorial Day. Music is performed, documentary footage is shown, and dramatic readings are presented. It’s all broadcast live on PBS, and it’s one of the network’s highest-rated programs. The idea is to unite the country in remembrance and gratitude for all who have served and who have sacrificed their lives. Whether by participating or watching, we as a country can say thanks—and that we do not forget. The logistics for the Lt. Dan Band’s participation proved tricky. We were just finishing an overseas USO tour, so we flew straight from London to Washington, DC, and promptly prepared to play at the National Memorial Day Concert. We’d only been together as a band for about a year and a half, and now we were rehearsing onstage backed up by the symphony—and the force of music in tribute to the troops pulsing from the stage felt incredible. An audience of between two and three hundred thousand people sat on the lawn, and another ten million watched on TV. As the size and purpose of the crowd washed over me, the reason for the event became unmistakable. We were here to say thank you. Period. When we finished our songs, I set down my bass, went to the microphone, and said a few words of thanks and encouragement for our nation’s defenders. And for the next ninety minutes I narrated different segments of the show. The following year Joe asked me to cohost the show with him. I’ve been doing it every year since, plus joining in the parade held the day after. (I missed one year only, 2017, when my granddaughter was born.) Cohosting this show with my dear buddy Joe, while acknowledging the sacrifices of our military families, is one of the highlights of my year.”
And it is indeed one of the highlights of my year. A special opportunity to salute our brave heroes and the families they have left behind. Such an important holiday for our nation. May we never forget the sacrifices made to keep us free. Sending out my sincerest appreciation and gratitude to all who serve.
To learn more about the history of this national holiday. From HISTORY.com:
https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/memorial-day-history
God bless.
Gary
