Local veterans celebrated at the Charleston Community Band concert
June 29, 2018
The Charleston Community Band performed Thursday night to celebrate local veterans at the Daum Amphitheater in Kiwanis Park, for the 41st year.
The band played patriotic songs to celebrate the upcoming Independence Day. The band is comprised of volunteers, and there is a wide variety of ages performing, from ages 12 to 97.
The band only gets one night to rehearse their songs before they have to perform them, which was on Tuesday.
The amphitheater was full of guests that came to see the performance.
“I enjoy the entertainment, them guys work hard and they do good,” Dan Metzger, a Vietnam War veteran, said about the band. Metzger served in the Army branch of the military
The band played a song that combined all of the military anthems, and the band recognized veterans from each branch of the military as the song played. They asked the veterans to stand as their anthem played, and at the end, their families were asked to stand with them once again to recognize the service they provided in standing by their veteran family members.
Dan Cougill, former Charleston Mayor and Desert Storm veteran, said that everyone in the band is there to have fun and make music.
“Those of us playing, we like to make music, if the people like it that’s a plus, so everyone that’s here is here to have fun and make music,” Cougill said.
Cougill served in the Air Force branch of the military
The visitors enjoy the many concerts from the band, and some come every week.
“It’s just great coming here, I was always in the band and I like hearing them,” Nancy Oakley said, “ I played the flute in the band at school.”
The amphitheater that the band plays in every Thursday, weather permitting, is named after John Daum, “He always dreamed of having it,” Emma Daum , John Daum’s widow said, “ There used to be a little band shed down by the creek, and they had to tear it down because of the water, and then they found this plan and had it built.”
People came to the event to celebrate local veterans.
“I usually try to go to the Red, White and Blue Days event for them, It’s to celebrate the veterans,” Sara Metzger said, “It always fascinates me, I love hearing them play. Part of what I like about this is it’s a big orchestra, you get to hear a lot of things you don’t get to hear in a normal band, you have the saxophone and the trombone. The put in a lot of time and they are very talented.”
The amphitheater and the lawn around it was full of guests and they were on their feet celebrating with the band. The atmosphere was full of patriotism, as everyone goes into this holiday to celebrate the sacrifices made by family members to serve the country.
Mary Ellen Greenburg can be reached at 581-2812 or megreenburg@eiu.edu.
