After 12 years in Afghanistan, the longest war in American history, Veterans Day has come to hold a little more weight than before. As Americans remembered the fallen and the ones who have fought to keep our own fall at bay, the Ypsilanti Community Choir did their part to remember by teaming up with the Saline New Horns Band for a veterans’ tribute concert on November 10.
The concert started out with both the choir and the band playing the Armed Forces’ “Pride of America.” Also played was the anthem of the army, “The Caisson Song,” then “The Marines’ Hymn,” followed by the navy’s anthem, “Anchors Aweigh,” the coast guard’s anthem, “Semper Paratus,” and the Air Force’s anthem, fittingly called “The US Air Force.”
Hosted by the Hon. Donald Shelton, a Washtenaw county trial judge, the concert started with a little history of the holiday.
“Veterans Day was originally known as Armistice Day in honor of the ending of the first World War, on November 11th, 1918,” Shelton said. “It was dedicated to the cause of world peace, to be hereafter known as Armistice Day. After having been through both World War II and the Korean War, Congress changed the name to Veterans Day. And November 11 became the day to honor all American veterans.”
The Saline New Horizons Band, conducted by Joseph A. Labuta, played several anthems including the “National Emblem March,” “The Three Camps,” “The Downfall of Paris” and “Hell on the Wabash.” “Bring Him Home,” an excerpt from Les Miserables, was accompanied by talented soloist, Elias Wygodny. “The Stars and Stripes Forever”, the famous march by legendary American composer John Philip Sousa.
Ariel Toews-Riccotta, a University of Michigan graduate, conducted the Ypsilanti Community Choir through its set of songs, including “Chester,” a Revolutionary War song. The choir was established in 1983 and has been holding major cultural events ever since. They also played “Earth Song,” a 2006 work by Franke De Chelio.
“The song ends with the hopes of all that have served,” Shelton said.
The last song of the choir’s set was called “Liberator,” which celebrates the building of the bombers at the Willow Run bomber plant, currently facing an uncertain future. An organization called The Yankee Air Museum wants to take part of the plant, which is currently scheduled for demolition, and turn it into a museum. With a goal of $8 million, the organization has raised $6 million since May of this year, according to organization spokeswoman Janette Gutierrez. The Yankee Air Museum has until May of next year to raise the final $2 million.
Attending the performance, as Shelton was quick to point out, were no less than 17 World War II veterans, representing all five branches of the military: five from the army, four sailors, three from the Air Force, one from the Army Air Corps, two Marines and one from the Royal Canadian Air Force. Also in attendance was Helen Jedele, who was an original Rosie the Riveter. During World War II, Rosie the Riveter was a character that encouraged women to take over men’s roles in the factories. Jedele worked at the Willow Run plant.
“I was Rosie the Riveter,” Jedele said. “I riveted screws into the plane and I had a woman on the other side who had the pucker, a piece of iron that she held against the plane. And I put the rivet through and she flattened it.”
If you would like to catch the next performance of the Ypsilanti Community Choir, “Songs of the Season” will be held at the Towsley Auditorium at WCC on December 19. If you would like to see the next Saline New Horizons Band, its next concert is Saturday, December 17 at the First United Methodist Church of Saline. If you would like to donate to save the Willow Run bomber plant, go to yankeeairmuseum.org.
