Author: Paul Aviles
Date: 2014-10-21 13:12
As far as actual military band stories there is:
"Have you ever heard about the 'Thunder Road Incident'? Back during the Vietnam War, The 1st Infantry Division Band made national headlines when it marched for a mile down "Thunder Road" while playing The Colonel Bogey March. Thunder Road (VN Hyw 13) was under the control of the 9th North Vietnamese Army Regiment (located less than a mile away), and it was critical that the 1st Infantry Division regain control of it. Under orders of the 1st Infantry's commanding general, the band, marching down the road playing The Colonel Bogey March, confused the enemy, and caused them to withdraw from the area. They thought that since the band was playing, the 1ID had won a major battle, so they retreated in fear! The 1ID band completed a victorious combat mission without ever firing a shot!"
And in the Mexican American War, the 214th Army Band overran the enemy's artillery position and turned the artillery pieces against them, permanently winning an artillery honor. This can be seen as red piping around the rank and along side the gold stripes down the pants of the uniforms worn by the current Army Ground Forces Band.
...............Paul Aviles
|
|