Band members spread holiday cheer on Grand Forks AFB

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Luis Loza Gutierrez
  • 319th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  Members of the United States Air Force Heartland of America Band spread some holiday cheer here during a Dec. 18 and 19 visit.

Five members from the 45-member strong musical squadron, based at Offutt Air Force Base, Neb., performed in front of audiences as large as 60 people at 22 locations around Grand Forks.

The band came prepared to play from a large selection of holiday favorites such as, "Silent Night" and "Deck the Halls," but was happy to take requests from crowd members. Just like in the case of Col. Tim Bush, 319th Air Base Wing commander, who requested something with, "a little Latin flavor."

The band obliged by playing "Feliz Navidad," a bilingual Christmas favorite.

Each of the band's performances was met with cheers, smiles and applause, but it was the children at the base's Child Development Center who gave them their first standing ovation. The little ones enthusiastically clapped their hands and shouted their encouragement. The level of elation at the CDC appeared to reach its apex when the youngsters began dancing to "Frosty the Snowman."

The young listeners weren't the only ones moved by the band's performances.

"I thought their performance was great because it helped put everyone in a festive mood," said Tech. Sgt. Elizabeth Squires, 319th Contracting Squadron, who listened to the band play at the Exchange. "'Carol of the Bells' was my favorite from the songs they played because it reminded me of being back home in Iowa."

Squires wasn't alone when it came to praising the serenading group of musicians.

"Thank you all very much for coming here to bless us with your musical talents," said Chaplain (Maj.) Steven Dabbs, 319th ABW wing chaplain. "Your performance has indeed brought delight to the hearts of many and we hope you all will return again next year and make our season bright."

A big part of the band's mission is to serve the nation's Air Force by cultivating both patriotism and kinship while bridging cultural barriers utilizing the dynamism of music.