USAF Heritage of America Band Returning to Thurmont for Concert
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THE USAF HERITAGE OF AMERICA BAND (above) will perform in Thurmont at 7:00 p.m. on October 17, 2005 in the Catoctin High School auditorium. The band is under the direction of Major Douglas Monroe
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The United States Air Force Heritage of America Band, based at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia, will be making its fifth appearance in Thurmont on October 17, 2005 for a performance at Catoctin High School at 7:00 p.m. This free
concert is the last in a series of concerts for the summer and is sponsored by the Commissioners of Thurmont and the Thurmont Park Commission and in cooperation with The Catoctin Banner.
The USAF Heritage of America Band has a rich history of fostering our national heritage, building and sustaining American patriotism, and enhancing the espirit de corps in the United States Air Force. It was one of the original Army Air Corps bands, created by order of the
Secretary of War on October 1, 1941, and was based at Barksdale Field, Louisiana. In 1946, the band moved to Langley Air Force Base, Virginia and became known as the Tactical Air Command Band and had an immediate impact on the musical life of the East Coast.
Renamed the United States Air Force Heritage of America Band, the band made its first appearance in Thurmont on February 26, 1997. Through the efforts of Thurmont’s concert coordinator George Wireman, the band has included Thurmont in its concert tour every other year. In 2001,
they presented a very special program in connection with Thurmont’s 250th Anniversary.
The band consists of 61 active-duty personnel who are assigned in two primary ensembles. In the concert band, there are several sub-groups, two of which have performed for Thurmont: the Tradewinds group and the Heritage Brass Quintet.
Major Douglas Monroe is the new Commander and Conductor of the USAF Heritage of America Band. He oversees the operation and the administration of the squadron, which includes eight different musical ensembles. Major Monroe is responsible for supporting the Air Combat Command, six
active duty Air Force Reserve Wings, and the communities in a six state region from South Carolina to Pennsylvania. Commander Monroe will be making his very first appearance in Thurmont.
“Although the concert is free, admission is by ticket only,” explains concert coordinator George Wireman of Thurmont. Tickets are available at the Thurmont Town Office and at Bank of America, Thurmont or can be ordered by mail on a first-come, first-served basis. To order by mail,
please include a self-addressed stamped envelope with your name and address and the number of tickets requested (max. 5 per person). Mail this request to USAF Heritage of America Band Concert, c/o Thurmont Concert Coordinator, 128 East Hammaker Street, Thurmont, MD 21788.
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