96

“The Force of Destiny” (1964-1985)

From 1966 to 1985, The Band instituted one of its greatest hallmarks – the Guest Artist Series – started as a way to introduce prominent local artists, the series 

was expanded to include collaborative performances with our nation’s leading musicians, composers, dancers, and actors. By 1985, The Band had attracted 

over 300 guest artists from around the country. A few of these celebrities included: Actors William Conrad, Peter Graves, Shirley Temple Black, and Jerry Lewis; 

Composers Aaron Copland, Karel Husa, Leroy Anderson, and Morton Gould; Vocalists and Vocal Groups, Sarah Vaughan, The Statler Brothers, The Lettermen, 

Larry Gatlin & The Gatlin Brothers, and Manhattan Transfer; and Virtuoso Instrumentalists “Doc” Severinsen, Harvey Phillips, Victor Borge, Clark Terry, and the 

Dave Brubeck Quartet. Although one could write an encyclopedia on Colonel Gabriel and the Band’s activities during this time frame, The Band knew who was 

behind all of the great triumphs and so coined a popular phrase that is still echoed today, “The USAF Band is the House That Gabe Built.” Here are just a few of 

the highlights:

- 1965, A new program for tour financing was established with all concerts being “free and open to the public”

- 1965, Under this same program, the government would now pay band members for all travel related expenses 

- 1965, The size of The Band increased from 177 to 225

- 1965, The entry grade rank increased from E-5 SSgt to E-6 TSgt 

- 1967, The introduction of a new tunic styled uniform

- 1965 to 1985, The start of a commissioning program for new literature for Concert Band

- 1964 to 1985, The Band and its various ensembles recorded 84 LPs

- 1964 to 1979, The continuation of the ever popular “Serenade in Blue” broadcasts as the rebranded “Serenade in Stereo” radio broadcasts

- 1968, The Band’s 12th International Tour included a 33-day, 14-nation tour of South and Central America

- 1969, The Band’s 13th International Tour included a 29-day, 12-nation tour of Europe

- 1970, The establishment of a formal Chamber Players Series

- 1972, Karen (Riale) Erler became the first woman to become an instrumentalist in any of America's premier military bands

- 1973, The Singing Sergeants became the first premier military band to have a mixed chorus

- 1975, New ensembles included the addition of The Band’s first Rock & Roll Band, known as Mach One 

- 1976, Congressional tasking to support the loan of the Magna Carta in celebration of the US Bicentennial at the US Capitol building

- 1984, Historic ceremony for the interment of the Unknown Serviceman of the Vietnam Era at Arlington National Cemetery

- 1985, The Ceremonial Band became an all-brass and percussion ensemble and was renamed The Ceremonial Brass 

Inaugurations: 1965, Inauguration for the 36th President of the United States of America, Lyndon Baines Johnson

 1969, Inauguration for the 37th President of the United States of America, Richard Milhous Nixon

 1973, Second inauguration for the 37th President of the United States of America, Richard Milhous Nixon

 1977, Inauguration for the 38th President of the United States, James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr.

 1981, Inauguration for the 39th President of the United States of American, Ronald Wilson Reagan

State Funerals: 1964, State Funeral in Honor of President Herbert Hoover

 1964, State Funeral in Honor of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur

 1969, State Funeral in Honor of President Dwight D. Eisenhower

 1973, State Funeral in Honor of President Lyndon B. Johnson
97

This is the first photo of The Band taken with its new Commander & Conductor, Major Arnald D. Gabriel. The setting was in the ballroom at Bowling Green State 

College (now University) prior to a concert there on October 4, 1964. The stage was strictly temporary (pipe & drape). However, the photo did the job and was used 

for over a year until the schedule allowed for a more “formal” setting in Washington, DC. Note that the Concert Band was at that point down to 56 players.
98

A series of Friday evening concerts in Washington’s Departmental Auditorium had been instituted in October of 1964 with 

limited success. However, when child prodigy pianist Ingeborg Ittlinger appeared as a “guest artist” on Friday December 

4th the auditorium was packed. She performed Franz Joseph Haydn’s Concerto in D Major with the Air Force Orchestra and 

helped firmly establish the potential drawing power of a guest artist when used in conjunction with an AF Band concert.
99

On Friday evening, August 27, 1965 at the Watergate concert location 

on the Potomac River at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, 

DC. Trumpet virtuoso Doc Severinsen joined forces with The Band and 

conductor Major Arnald D. Gabriel to premiere “Concerto for Trumpet” by 

the Chief of The Band’s Composing & Arranging Staff, Sgt Floyd E. Werle. 

The next morning everyone was in The Band’s studio at Bolling Air Force 

Base to make a studio recording of the concerto – the first of four trumpet 

concerti Werle would write for Severinsen over the next 20 years. Shown 

during the recording session are (L-R) Maj Gabriel, Doc Severinsen and 

Floyd Werle. Photo Credit: Ron Hall
100

Major Al Bader - Initially entered the Air Force Music Program as an enlisted clarinet player auditioned by 

Col George S. Howard. Soon thereafter he was selected to join the faculty of the USAF Bandsman School 

at Bolling AFB where he taught music theory, harmony and served as the "reed faculty." When the school 

was deactivated early in 1964, he joined the Concert Band where he formed and served as principal of the 

saxophone section. Selected by Maj Gabriel to be his Assistant Conductor, Bader was commissioned in 1965. 

He was the perfect "teacher" on the podium, preparing The Band for numerous performances throughout 

America while freeing Gabriel for his overwhelming duties as Commander. Among other projects, he 

conducted the recording sessions for Floyd Werle's greatest arrangement, "The Wonder of Christmas." He 

also found time to transcribe 14 brilliant orchestra transcriptions for band. Not so well known, Al Bader is a 

decorated war hero having seen combat in the Pacific Theater during WWII as an Army infantryman where he 

served with the 40th Infantry at Guadalcanal, New Britain and the assault landing at Luzon in the Philippines. 

Recalled by the Army, he also served in Korea during the Korean War. He retired in 1976.
101

The Strolling Strings, a unit of The USAF Band, pictured in the State Dining Room at the White House in Washington, DC, mid-summer, 1965.
102

In 1963, Princeton NJ artist Charles McVicker contributed to the Air Force 

the painting “Air Force Capitol Concert.” Even though The Band had been 

in existence since 1941, this was the first-ever painting of any band in the 

Air Force and is a part of the Air Force Art Collection. This photocopy was 

made on March 16, 1967 for use as the cover of The Band’s 1967 LP “In 

Washington.”
103

The Concert Band combined with the Ceremonial Band for this summer of 1967 photograph in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. The men were 

wearing the new parade dress uniforms that were designed by Maj Gabriel and were exclusive to The USAF Band. The Drum Major is Sergeant Ron Cloud and to 

his left (holding a baton) is The Band’s Associate Conductor, Capt Albert A. Bader. This 100-piece unit would only be used for inaugural parades or state funerals.
104

The radio team of Harden & Weaver (Frank Harden & Jackson Weaver) 

absolutely dominated the morning drive time on WMAL radio in 

Washington, DC. Whenever they appeared as guests with The Band and 

Singing Sergeants, first in DC’s Departmental Auditorium and later in the 

spacious DAR Constitution Hall, they always drew an overflow audience. 

This photo was taken during a February 5, 1967 Departmental concert. 

(L-R) Frank Harden, Jack Weaver, Maj Arnald D. Gabriel on the podium, 

and student guest artist Dan Brown, tuba, from Edison HS in Alexandria 

(Fairfax County), VA. Photo Credit – Ron Hall

Since 1967 marked the 

20th Anniversary of 

the USAF as a separate 

branch of the armed 

services, The Band had 

a 20th Anniversary cake 

cutting back stage. (L-R) 

Maj Arnald Gabriel, 

Jackson Weaver, and 

Frank Harden. 

Photo Credit – Ron Hall.
105

The USAF Band performing the Colombian National Anthem in the Bull Ring 

in Bogota, Colombia on March 30, 1968 during its 33-day, 14-nation tour of 

South and Central America which featured the Singing Sergeants.

A view from the stage of the audience in “The Band Shell” in Montevideo, 

Uruguay on March 23, 1968 as Lt Col Arnald Gabriel bows to accept the 

applause of the overflow audience.
106

The Band conducted by Lt Col Arnald D. Gabriel during a 

concert in Usher Hall, Edinburgh, Scotland on September 

30, 1969. This was one of 21 concerts presented on a 29-

day, 12-nation tour by The Band, the Singing Sergeants, 

and the USAF Pipe Band. Photo Credit – Sgt. H. Bruce Gilkes

The Band performs outdoors at the world famous Tivoli 

Gardens in Copenhagen Denmark on September 12, 1969. 

Photo Credit – Sgt H. Bruce Gilkes
107

Lt Col Arnald D. Gabriel presents copies of The Band’s “America the Beautiful” LP to the three 

astronauts (Michael Collins, Command Module Pilot, Neil Armstrong, Commander; Buzz Aldrin, 

Lunar Module Pilot ) of the Apollo XI mission after a ceremony in Washington, DC on February 16, 

1970 in which the US Air Force Ceremonial Band participated.
108

Disaster Strikes! Photos taken on August 25, 1970 

following a fire the previous evening in The Band’s 

recording studio on Bolling AFB, Washington, DC.
109

Lou Coppola performing with Maria von Trapp at the Air 

House. Her memoir “The Story of the Trapp Family Singers” 

was used as the basis for the Richard Rodgers and Oscar 

Hammerstein II's hit Broadway musical, “The Sound of Music.”

The Band and Singing Sergeants on the John Philip Sousa 

Memorial Stage in the Concert Hall at the John F. Kennedy Center 

for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC. This photo was shot 

in the spring of 1972 and is the first photo taken on that stage of 

any large ensemble including the resident National Symphony 

Orchestra. Photo Credit – Danny Vines & Ron Hall
110

Karen Erler uniform – In 1972, 

Karen (Riale) Erler was the first 

woman instrumentalist to join 

the ranks of any of the five 

premier service bands. (Early 

enlisted uniform donated to The 

USAF Band by SMSgt Karen Erler, 

USAF, ret.).

Feature Article on 

Karen in the May 1973 

edition of Airmen 

Magazine.

Pictured here following a Guest Artist Series concert in 1976 with 

(L to R) Tom Gauger (WMAL radio disc jockey); Carmen Dragon 

(Composer, Arranger, Conductor, Educator, Radio and Television 

Personality); and Colonel Gabriel.
111

In 1973 Col Arnald Gabriel 

took the bold move of turning 

the previously all-male 

Singing Sergeants into a 

mixed chorus. The first two 

women to join the “New” 

Singing Sergeants were (L-R) 

Evelyn Dunn Lewis and Nancy 

Beatty Forrest.

Swearing in ceremony 

for Amn Evelyn Lewis 

(1973), pictured here 

with her recruiter 

TSgt Forrest Case in 

Baltimore, MD.

The USAF 

Ceremonial Band 

at the Pentagon 

circa July of 1973. 

The Director / OIC 

is Capt James M. 

“Danny” Danielsen.

The Ceremonial 

Black uniform 

makes a brief 

appearance.
112

In the late summer of 1974, The Band and Singing 

Sergeants returned to the John Philip Sousa Memorial 

Stage in the Concert Hall of Washington’s John F. Kennedy 

Center for the Performing Arts for a formal photograph. 

The purpose of this photograph was to document an 

integrated concert band and to document the Singing 

Sergeants, as a mixed chorus. The saxophonist on the 

far right, TSgt Jeanne Gartner established many firsts 

for women in The USAF Band, as: the first woman 

saxophonist, the first woman copyist, the first woman 

NCOIC of Music Production, the first woman to retire after 

serving a complete 30-year career, and the first woman 

to serve as Chief Enlisted Manager, the highest enlisted 

position in The USAF Band. Photo Credit – Ron Hall

Ms. Shirley Temple Black 

and Colonel Arnald D. 

Gabriel receiving the Valley 

Forge Freedom Foundation 

Award in Philadelphia, Pa. 

on May 12, 1972.
113

The “New” Singing Sergeants pose with their new director, Lt H. Bruce 

Gilkes (white jacket) at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in 

Washington, DC in the summer of 1974. Photo Credit – Ron Hall

The first ten women to join the Singing 

Sergeants were Sopranos Nancy 

Beatty, Linda Nohacs, Janna Howard; 

Mezzo Sopranos Evelyn Dunn, Jaclyn 

Hinkeldey, Kathleen Corbett; and Altos 

Katharine Lawton Brown, Glenda Rueb, 

Gwen Haynes, and Leslie Keller.
114

The official jazz ensemble of The USAF Band, 

the Airmen of Note, in a promotional photo 

which was taken late in 1974 just after Sgt Dave 

Napier (dark jacket) had been named Director.

Renowned television and radio actor William Conrad 

(white sweater standing right) leads The Band and 

Singing Sergeants in a December 20, 1974 rehearsal 

at The Band’s studio on Bolling AFB prior to his 

December 22nd appearance with the organization in 

DAR Constitution Hall. The Band’s rehearsal/recording 

studio had been the Bolling base theater in the early 

days of WWII and was totally inadequate for the 

space needs of the organization.
115

“Fish-eye lens” view of The Band and Singing 

Sergeants with Col Gabriel on the podium 

during a September 25, 1975 tour concert in 

Salina, Kansas’ Memorial Hall.
116

Fall tour 1975 - Col Arnald D. Gabriel working on score 

memorization on Air Force Band Bus # 1 while on tour with 

The Band and Singing Sergeants in Kansas.

Col Arnald D. Gabriel 

conducts The Band and 

Singing Sergeants during an 

October 2, 1975 tour concert, 

located at the Trenton Senior 

High School Gymnasium, 

Trenton, Missouri.
117

In 1975, Colonel Gabriel formed a stand-alone Rock & Roll band composed of seven members of the Concert Band and Singing Sergeants. 

Their sound was an interesting amalgam of Rock, Funk and Soul music and they were an immediate sensation. Mach One performed primarily at 

high schools and colleges and any doubt the students may have harbored about the quality of the Air Force Airmen and their music were blown 

away by the tight, professional group.

Their first album was dedicated 

to SSgt Frank Cobb Smith, one 

of the original members who 

died in an automobile accident 

February, 1975, shortly after their 

formation.

The original members included: TSgt Chuck Carthan, Bass Vocals, Backup Vocals, 

Percussion; TSgt Mark Hynes, Drums; TSgt Mike Askew, Guitar, Backup Vocals; MSgt Mike 

Crotty, Leader, Sax, Flute, Trumpet, Flugelhorn, Backup Vocals; TSgt Ken Buckery, Organ, 

Synthesizer; TSgt David Chab, Trombone, Percussion, Backup Vocals; TSgt Vernia Lewis, 

Vocals, Backup Vocals. Vernia was the first black female vocalist to audition and win a 

position with The USAF Band.

By 1984, Mach One evolved 

into a group of five. The three 

new members included vocalist 

MSgt Nita DeShazior, TSgt Derek 

Spignener, Percussion/Vocals and 

TSgt Steve Ward, Guitar/Vocals.
118

The US Air Force Symphony Orchestra

Magna Carta Ceremony at the Capitol Rotunda

June 3rd, 1976

Magna Carta, 1297: Widely viewed as one of the most important legal documents in the history of democracy ... 

“here is a law which is above the King and which even he must not break. This reaffirmation of a supreme law and its expression in a general charter is 

the great work of Magna Carta; and this alone justifies the respect in which men have held it.” -- Winston Churchill, 1956

As a part of its participation in the United States Bicentennial Celebration in 1976, the British government brought to America the oldest known copy of 

the Magna Carta, considered by many to be the predecessor of what would eventually become our American Constitution. The Magna Carta was displayed in 

a special case in the rotunda of the US Capitol building for a year, and the loan of this invaluable document was celebrated in a special ceremony in the Capitol 

Rotunda on the afternoon of June 3rd, 1976. 

As a part of the ornate Congressionally requested ceremony, the United States Air Force 

Symphony Orchestra and the Singing Sergeants, directed by Col Arnald D. Gabriel and with soloists 

Sergeants Kathryn Lawton Brown, Charles Kuliga, George Singleton and Josue Bustos (seen here 

dressed in period costumes), presented the musical highlight of the ceremony, a performance of 

"The Ballad of the Magna Carta" composed by Kurt Weill. The entire ceremony made headlines in 

newspapers and news broadcasts across the nation and around the world.
119

The Magna Carta ceremony was requested by the next Speaker of the House, Thomas Phillip "Tip" O'Neill Jr., pictured 

on the left behind the minister. “Tip” O’Neill would go on to serve as Speaker of the House from 1977 until his retirement 

in 1987, making him the only Speaker to serve for five complete consecutive Congresses, and the third longest-serving 

Speaker in U.S. history after Sam Rayburn and Henry Clay.
120

The Band’s Chief Composer / Arranger 

Sgt Floyd Werle created a singing / 

dancing extravaganza for The Band and 

Singing Sergeants which the ensembles 

premiered at the Air Force Association 

banquet in September of 1976. It proved 

so popular that Col Gabriel decided to 

take the show “on tour” that fall. The 

presentation marked the first time since 

1951 that the chorus had presented 

a costumed and staged production, 

something which has since become 

a staple for the group. This promophoto was created to assist in PR for the 

performances. Photo Credit – Harry H. Gleeson
121

CMSgt Stephen C. R. Stephens, 

The USAF Band's third Drum 

Major (1977-1992)

The Bowman Family - Brian, 

euphonium; Victor, trumpet; and Linda 

Jane, soprano. AF Band arranger Bob 

Walters scored Scott Joplin’s Heliotrope 

Bouquet specifically for them.
122

One of the giants in 

the history of jazz, 

vocalist Sarah Vaughan, 

acknowledges a standing 

ovation at the conclusion 

of her performance 

with the Airmen of Note 

in Washington’s DAR 

Constitution Hall on March 

6, 1977. The concert was 

a part of The Band’s Guest 

Artist Series.

The Airmen of Note in a promotional photo 

taken at the Air & Space Museum of the 

Smithsonian Institution on the mall in 

Washington, DC. The leader of the Note, Sgt 

Ernie Hensley, is in the dark jacket.
123

A lighthearted photo of the 

Texas contingent in either The 

AF Band and/or the Singing 

Sergeants taken before the 

1977 fall tour which included 

nine performances in nine 

cities in Texas. All nine Texans 

had received their college 

degrees from Texas colleges 

and/or universities.

Student “guest conductors” were 

always a highlight of concerts by 

The USAF Band while on tour, as 

shown in this four-photo montage 

from The USAF Band’s press kit.
124

Band Composer & Arranger 

Sgt Mike Davis backstage 

with comedian Jo Anne 

Worley of TV’s “Laugh In” 

following her March 19, 

1978 appearance on The 

Band’s Guest Artist Series for 

which Davis supplied several 

arrangements for Worley.
125

The Strolling Strings entertaining 

at a June, 1978 retirement party 

which was held at the headquarters 

of National Geographic Society in 

Washington, DC. Photo Credit – Ron Hall

The USAF 

String 

Quartet 

performs at 

the White 

House for 

First Lady 

Rosalynn 

Carter and 

guests.

Colonel Gabriel with Mr. 

Fred Rogers and several 

cast members of Public 

Television’s “Mr. Rogers 

Neighborhood,” with 

First Daughter Amy 

Carter (and friends) 

following The Band’s 

Guest Artist Series 

performance in 1977.
126

Actor Bob Keeshan in his 

fabled role as CBS TV’s 

Captain Kangaroo during 

his Guest Artist Series 

appearance with The Band 

and Singing Sergeants 

on February 25, 1979. Col 

Gabriel is on the podium 

and “Captain Kangaroo” is 

narrating Don Gillis’s The Man 

Who Invented Music and Mike 

Davis’s arrangement of The 

Magic of Walt Disney.

1979 – Summer concert by The Band on the 

West Front of the US Capitol building

Friday evening, July 

6, 1979 summer 

concert at the 

Jefferson Memorial 

by The Band and 

Singing Sergeants. 

Col Arnald D. Gabriel 

(white jacket) is on 

the podium and actor 

William Conrad is 

narrating.
127

The Band’s clarinet section pictured in a PR shot for a tour in 1980. 

Principal clarinet Sgt Jim Murphy is on the front row right.

The Singing Sergeants with their new Director, Lt Craig Jessop 

(white jacket) in this 1980 PR photo.

SMSgt Bobbie Coonin following a White House performance, seen 

here with First Lady Nancy Reagan, President Ronald Reagan, and 

former President Gerald Ford.
128

Bill Brownlee, longtime 

commercial artist 

contractor for The 

Band, at the reception 

on Bolling AFB 

following the concert. 

Bill is holding The 

Band’s mace that was 

a part of the display at 

the reception. Photo Credit 

– Mickey Sanborn

The full-house audience at the concert on 

September 20, 1981 in Constitution Hall 

honoring / commemorating The Band’s 

40th Anniversary.

The first four conductors of The 

USAF Band are pictured in the 

President General’s Reception Room 

at DAR Constitution Hall. (L-R) Lt Col 

Alf Heiberg, Col George S. Howard, 

Col Arnald D. Gabriel and Capt 

Harry H. Meuser.
129

The Singing Sergeants 

with conductor Capt Craig 

Jessop center foreground. 

This photo was taken 

inside the chapel at the 

Air Force Academy in 

Colorado Springs, CO 

on January 24, 1982. 

The chorus was there to 

record Sgt Floyd Werle’s 

inspirational “One Nation 

Under God” LP.

Sgt Floyd E. Werle, Chief of the Composing and 

Arranging Staff of The Band in Washington 

DC, at the organ console in the chapel at the 

US Air Force Academy.
130
131

November 10, 1982 on the occasion of a weeklong salute to our Vietnam Veterans, The USAF Band and Singing Sergeants presented an 

extravaganza celebration concert at DAR Constitution Hall in honor of all the Vietnam Veterans who traveled to Washington for the unveiling 

of the new Vietnam War Memorial. Special guests included: Wayne Newton, Jimmy Stewart, Carol Lawrence, Brian Dennehy and Chris Noel.

A lifelong fan and friend of The USAF Band, "Jimmy" Stewart graduated from Princeton University in 1932, and became an actor. He 

enlisted in the Army Air Corps on March 22, 1941, and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant and awarded his pilot wings on December 31, 

1941. He served as an instructor pilot during most of 1942 and 1943, and was assigned to the 445th Bombardment Group in Sioux City, Iowa 

in August 1943. Stewart flew with the group to England in December 1943 and soon began flying combat missions over Europe. He served a 

short tour in Southeast Asia in 1966 and retired from the Air Force on June 1, 1968. On May 23, 1985, President Ronald Reagan awarded him 

the Presidential Medal of Freedom and promoted him to Major General on the retired list. The USAF Band is blessed to have several recordings 

which feature him, most notably his rendition of the World War I poem by John Gillespie Magee, Jr. entitled, High Flight.

"Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth,

And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;

Sunward I've climbed and joined the tumbling mirth of sun-split clouds -

and done a hundred things You have not dreamed of -

wheeled and soared and swung high in the sunlit silence.

Hovering there I've chased the shouting wind along

and flung my eager craft through footless halls of air.

"Up, up the long delirious burning blue

I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace,

where never lark, or even eagle, flew;

and, while with silent, lifting mind I've trod

the high untrespassed sanctity of space,

put out my hand and touched the face of God."

•
132

Air Force Band guitarist Sgt Walt Johns entertaining guests 

at the Air House on Fort Myer, Arlington, VA in March of 1983. 

Photo Credit – Ron Hall.

Characters from Walt Disney World in Florida appearing with The Band and Singing Sergeants during a 

Guest Artist Series concert in Washington’s DAR Constitution Hall on February 19, 1984.

Backstage following the 

Gala Guest Artist Salute 

to The United States Air 

Force Band concert on 

November 18, 1984 (which 

was actually a retirement 

concert for Col Arnald 

D. Gabriel) – (L-R) Tom 

Gauger, WMAL Radio, 

guest announcer; trumpet 

virtuoso Doc Severinsen; 

former Miss America 

Lynda Day George; Col 

Gabriel and nationally 

acclaimed actors Peter 

Graves and William 

Conrad.
133

Actor Peter Graves sitting in with the 

clarinet section of The Band.

July 4, 1984 Carol 

Channing, American 

actress, singer, dancer, 

comedian, and voice 

artist joins The Band in a 

patriotic concert at the 

National Air and Space 

Museum.
134

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

The Unknown of Vietnam

At noon, Memorial Day, May 28, 1984 Colonel Arnald Gabriel and The USAF Band marched in the military funeral procession in honor of the 

Unknown Serviceman of the Vietnam Era. In the Arlington Memorial Amphitheater hundreds of invited guests, including over 100 Medal of Honor 

recipients from all wars, joined tens of thousands of spectators viewing the ceremonies on national television. Honorary pallbearers were Vietnam Medal 

of Honor heroes from each military branch, including USAF pilots Colonels George E. “Bud” Day and James P. Fleming. 

President Reagan gave an emotionally-charged speech during the somber funeral service. 

"Today we pause to embrace him and all who served so well in a war whose end offered no parades, no flags, and so little thanks. About him we 

may well wonder as others have: As a child, did he play on some street in a great American city? Did he work beside his father on a farm in America's 

heartland? Did he marry? Did he have children? Did he look expectantly to return to a bride? "We will never know the answers to those questions about 

his life. We do know, though, why he died. He saw the horrors of war but bravely faced them, certain his own cause and his country's cause was a noble 

one, that he was fighting for free men everywhere." President Reagan then assured the families of MIA's the quest for their loved ones was not over. "We 

write no last chapters," he said. "We close no books. We put away no final memories." The President then presented the Medal of Honor by stating we 

should "debate the lessons learned at some other time: Today we simply say with pride, 'Thank you, dear son. May God cradle you in His loving arms.' We 

present to you our nation's highest award, the Medal of Honor, for service above and beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy during the Vietnam 

Era." 

Note: In 1998, time, determination, and advances in technology would finally identify the Unknown Soldier of the Vietnam War. DNA testing 

proved that the remains which were buried in the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery were those of USAF First Lieutenant Michael 

Joseph Blassie. Per his family’s request, Lieutenant Blassie's remains were returned to his family on Friday, July 10, 1998, and were buried in his hometown 

of St. Louis, Missouri, on Saturday, July 11, 1998. 

The decision was made that the crypt which contained the remains of the Vietnam Unknown will remain vacant. The crypt cover was replaced with 

one that has the inscription “Honoring and Keeping Faith with America’s Missing Servicemen, 1958-1975.”
135
136
137

Master Recordings During the Gabriel Years

Continuing in the tradition set by The AAF Band, The USAF Band has produced an extensive catalogue of recordings which has set the standard of 

excellence, both inside and outside of the military. Here are just a few of the most notable recordings produced during the Gabriel Years.

Premiere – The USAF Band has been a world leader in 

continuously promoting new compositions; this album 

features premiere performances of works by Claude T. 

Smith, Henk Badings, and Vaclav Nelhybel.
138

La Banda Sinfonica ... was released for broadcasting in South America prior to the band’s 1968 

tour as a way of generating audience attendance at the band’s live performances. The desired 

outcome was reflected in the after actions report. The Band’s return from their tour of Central and 

South America was a triumphant one and as the numbers were tallied it was determined that the 

traveling ambassadors had performed for more than one-hundred-seventy thousand people at 

twenty-six concerts in twelve countries. Millions more had heard the group through three telecasts 

and seventeen radio shows that were broadcast throughout the continent. 

After their return, a letter The Band received from the Commander, United States Military Group 

Peru was one of many and was typical in its praise: “’I extend my sincere appreciation to you and 

the members of the USAF Band for the concerts performed in Peru during your recent tour of Latin 

America. I personally feel that your tour has contributed immensely toward improving the image 

of the United States Military forces and it also created good will between our country and Peru.’”

Serenade in Stereo was a continuation 

of the original Army Air Forces Band 

radio broadcasts, which included, 

The Air Force Hour, This Is Your 

Country, Flight Into The Past, and the 

original Serenade in Blue 16” Radio 

Transcription LP Series. One of the 

featured artists on the Serenade in 

Stereo series is CMSgt Dave Steinmeyer, 

who in an interview on one of the 

broadcasts revealed his secret for being 

able to perform in the extreme upper 

register of the trombone with absolute 

perfection and ease.
139

Brothers in Blue is a landmark recording which 

celebrated Music in Black America. The album 

includes brilliant compositions and arrangements 

by MSgt Roger Hogan, composer, arranger and 

saxophonist with the greatest jazz ensemble in the 

world, “The Airmen of Note.” 

The opening selection “Chappie James Suite” is 

a tribute to “Brothers in Blue” and is dedicated to 

Lieutenant General Daniel “Chappie” James, Jr., 

who at the time was the highest ranking black man 

in the American military. The performance and 

recording featured Lt Gen James, as he narrates the 

piece that bears his name in a live performance at 

DAR Constitution Hall on March 4, 1973.
140

In 1979, The Band 

produced its first 

Woodwind and 

Brass Quintet album.
141

Outstanding Solo Performers During the Gabriel Years
142

CMSgt Lawrence Odom (USAF, retired) had 

the special honor of serving as The Band’s 

harp soloist and was a frequent guest at 

the White House and the Department of 

State, performing regularly for the President 

and visiting Heads-of-State. Following his 

retirement from active duty, Chief Odom was 

appointed principal harpist with the Kennedy 

Center Opera Orchestra, and earned degrees 

in mathematics, chemistry, and (at age 50!) a 

Doctor of Pharmacy. Still an active performer 

and arranger, he continues to add to his over 

260 transcriptions held in The Werle Library. 

Larry is pictured here with famed American 

conductor, Frederick Fennell.
143

CMSgt Lawrence Wiehe, Jr. spent twelve years as a trombonist with 

the Navy Band before joining the Air Force Band in 1963. He was 

recognized as not only the finest trombone player in the military, but 

in the world. His legacy continues in the many recordings contained 

in the Werle Library and in the composition written specifically for him 

by Floyd Werle, entitled “A Trombone Chronology.”
144

Colonel Gabriel’s final group photo with The United States Air Force Band and Singing Sergeants, on the stage of DAR Constitution Hall. 

The photo was featured in The Band’s calendar for 1985.
145
146

The end of an era; shown at the Bolling 

Air Force Base Officers Club retirement 

reception honoring Arnald Gabriel on 

February 22, 1985. (L-R) Maj Albert A. 

Bader, Capt Carl Costenbader, Col Arnald 

D. Gabriel and CWO Lou Kriebel.

February 17, 1985 - Sammy Nestico, the second leader 

of the Airmen of Note and a long-time member of The 

Band’s arranging staff, returns as a guest artist and 

music director/arranger for Toni Tennille; "Toni" Tennille 

is best known from her '70s and '80s chart-topping hits 

with the pop duo The Captain & Tennille.
147

"Next to a letter from home, Capt Miller, your organization is the greatest morale builder 

in the European Theater of Operations.” 

- July 1944, Maj Gen Jimmy Doolittle, the commander of the 8th Air Force

1985 - Sgt Ann Meier, a member of 

the Singing Sergeants, serenading 

legendary General Jimmy 

Doolittle (seated right); to the left 

of Ann is the 11th CSAF, General 

Charles A. Gabriel. Throughout his 

career, Gen Doolittle continuously 

praised the men and women of 

The United States Air Force Band. 

Photo Credit – Ron Hall
148
149

Among the most important duties of The United States Air Force Band is providing 

appropriate musical honors to our nation’s fallen heroes being interred at America’s most 

solemn location, Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. From a lone bugler for 

a simple honors funeral to a full honors funeral with the Ceremonial Brass, members of The 

USAF Band are rendering honors at Arlington virtually every day during the week.

The photographic product on page 148 dramatically captures the solemnity of a US Air Force 

funeral at Arlington, is the work of Ron Hall who spent over 50 years as Air Staff Photographer 

in the Pentagon. One of America’s most skilled photographers, he was and remains a close 

and respected friend of The Band who, over the entire span of his time in the Pentagon, 

contributed both large group photographs as well as individual portraits of conductors and 

featured soloists. Additionally, whenever he or a member of his staff photographed an official 

function where units of The Band performed, he insured The Band received copies of these 

historic photos that included band members. 

With his permission, this is the first time this dramatic photographic representation has ever 

been published.
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151

“Day is done, Gone the sun; From the lake, From the hill; From the sky.

All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh.”
152

Hands Across the Sea (1985-1990)

After serving almost 21 years as the Commander and Conductor of The United States Air Force Band, Colonel Arnald D. Gabriel passed on the 

baton to Lt Col Mike M. Bankhead. During the Bankhead era, The Band would again revive its role as “America’s International Musical Ambassadors” 

this time by instituting a robust Foreign Bandleader Exchange Program which resulted in several exchange tours between The USAF Band and other 

countries. In addition, The Band continued its vigorous commissioning program with new works by Ron Nelson, Gunther Schuller, Claude Smith, Walter 

Hartley, Jerzy Sapieyevski, Fisher Tull, David Mazlanka, Karel Husa and Robert Jager. 

- 1985, Glenda Shepela was the first woman promoted to CMSgt not just for The USAF Band, but also for the entire AF Band career field 

- 1985, The Band instituted the Foreign Bandleader Exchange Program with guest conductors from Brazil, Portugal and the United Kingdom

- 1985, The Band hosted the People’s Republic of China, People’s Liberation Army Air Force’s Song and Dance Troupe during their DC visit

- 1985 to 1990, The Band produced 20 Long Playing records and recorded The Band’s first compact disc (CD) in 1986 titled, “America!”

- 1986, The Singing Sergeants and Symphony Orchestra perform at the ACDA North Central Division Convention

- 1986, The Band and Singing Sergeants performed at the 40th Anniversary and historic 1st International, Mid West Band & Orchestra Clinic

- 1986 to 1990, The Band recorded a total of 9 compact discs

- 1986 to 1990, Lt Col James Bankhead led the effort to move The Band out of its decaying World War II era buildings into a new facility

- 1986, Mach One was updated/modified to reflect a more modern sound and the name was changed to Spectrum

- 1987 Leona Mitchell, America’s leading lyric-spinto soprano, performed with The Band’s Symphony Orchestra during a Guest Artist Series concert

- 1987, Captain Rene Castelain, Music Director of the French Air Force’s “Music of the Air” Band in Paris, guest conducts The USAF Band

- 1987, The Singing Sergeants perform for the memorial service in Honor of the Space Shuttle Challenger Crew 

- 1987, As part of an “In Turn” agreement, The USAF Band and Singing Sergeants was the first premier service band to “tour” mainland China

- 1988, Guest Artist Concert featuring The Chorus of the French Armed Forces, Lieutenant Yves Parmentier, Commander and Conductor

- 1988, Lt Col Kurt Ringelmann, Chief of the Military Bands Section, Bonn, West Germany guest conducts The USAF Band

- 1988, Wing Commander Eric Banks, Commander and Conductor of the Royal Air Force Central Band guest conducts The USAF Band 

- 1989, The Singing Sergeants performed a joint concert with The Cincinnati Pops, conducted by Erich Kunzel 

- 1989, Major Giuseppe Santurbano, director of The Italian Air Force Band guest conducts during The Band’s summer concert at the Sylvan Theater

- 1989, The Serenade in Blue Orchestra went on its first tour to South America

- 1989, The Strolling Strings performed at the Mid-West International Band and Orchestra Clinic

- 1989, The USAF Band revived its European International tour and participated in the French Bicentennial Celebration

- 1990, The Serenade in Blue Orchestra went on its second tour of South America

- 1990, The USAF Band hosted The Soviet Union Symphony Orchestra during its visit to Washington, DC

- 1990, Colonel Arnald D. Gabriel selected as the first “Conductor Emeritus” of The United States Air Force Band

- 1990, The Band performed at the Mid-West Band and Orchestra Clinic

Inauguration: 1989, Inauguration for the 43rd President of the United States of America, George Herbert Walker Bush
153
154

In 1985, CMSgts Glenda Shepela and 

David Ballengee escorted the People’s 

Republic of China, People’s Liberation 

Army Air Force’s Song and Dance Troupe 

for performances at Air Force Bases and 

surrounding communities in DC, Virginia, 

Colorado, Nebraska, Illinois, and Hawaii. 

This cultural exchange was one of the 

most engaging and successful venues for 

opening up dialogue between the US and 

mainland China and their respective Air 

Force leaders.
155

In 1985, Lt Col James Bankhead initiated a Foreign 

Bandleader Exchange Program, designed to foster personal 

contact with international military band counterparts. The 

first three guests, included conductors from Brazil, Portugal 

and the United Kingdom. The venues included concerts 

at the Sylvan Theater (just adjacent to the Washington 

Monument) and the US Capitol.
156

In 1986, The Band released its first 

compact disc, titled, “America!”

In 1986, SMSgt Glenda Shepela was promoted to the rank of Chief Master 

Sergeant, a grade held only by the the top 1% of the enlisted force. This was a 

historic first, as she would be the first woman to do so not just in The Band, but 

in the entire Air Force Band career field.
157

As part of an “In Turn” favor to the People’s Republic 

of China, The USAF Band and Singing Sergeants 

would be the first US military unit to tour mainland 

China in 1987. The program for this historic tour 

featured The Band’s top soloist at the time.

CMSgt Brian 

Bowman, featured 

on Herbert L. Clarke’s 

Carnival of Venice 

(1912)

CMSgt Randall 

Eyles, featured 

on Floyd Werle’s 

arrangement 

“The Golden 

Age of the 

Xylophone”

MSgt Julianne Turrentine 

and SMSgt Josue Bustos 

performed Leonard 

Bernstein’s “Selections 

from West Side Story”
158

TSgt Daisy Jackson and 

MSgt George Singleton 

performed George and Ira 

Gershwin’s “Selections from 

Porgy and Bess”
159
160
161

Circa 1987, The Singing Sergeants 

performing Christmas music for then Vice 

President George H. W. Bush.

January 20, 1989 - The USAF Band marching in front 

of the reviewing stand for the inauguration of the 43rd 

President of the United States, George H. W. Bush.
162

The Serenade in Blue Orchestra was created by Lt Col 

Bankhead as an innovative "revue-like" show, drawing 

members from the Air Force Strings, Airmen of Note and 

Singing Sergeants (named Serenade in Blue after the radio 

program, which had been so successful from the 1950s 

through the ‘70s). The Serenade in Blue Orchestra toured 

South America twice, once in 1989 and then again in 

1990. The program highlights the cities where the band 

performed, including Panama City, Manaus, Brasilia, Rio de 

Janiero, Sao Paulo, Porto Allegre, Montevideo, Buenos Aires, 

Cordoba and Santiago.

164

In 1990, the Soviet Orchestra was invited to tour the US and 

was hosted by The USAF Band while in DC. This exchange 

would generate an “In Turn” invite for The USAF Band to 

perform at the V-E 50th Anniversary in Moscow, Russia. The 

Soviet Orchestra was thrilled to hear the Airmen of Note and 

the Strolling Strings.
165

On February 18, 1990, Brig Gen Ralph 

Rohatsch, Jr., AFDW Commander, 

presented Colonel Arnald D. Gabriel with 

the first ever “Conductor Emeritus of The 

United States Air Force Band” designation 

in recognition of his service as The Band’s 

Commander and Conductor for 21 years.
166

The USAF Band 

Wind Quintet

L-R, Judy 

Lapple, flute; 

Ron Erler, 

oboe; Winston 

DeShields, 

horn; Steve 

Lawson, 

clarinet; 

Danny Phipps, 

bassoon; and 

pianist Marek 

Vastek

The USAF Brass 

Quintet

James Bittner, 

trumpet; 

Ronald Blais, 

trumpet;

Kyle Perry, 

horn; Edward 

McKee, tuba; 

Mark Williams, 

trombone

Timpanist 

Andy Powers 

with the USAF 

Honor Guard

The USAF Band 

Tuba Euphonium 

Ensemble and 

the USAF Honor 

Guard

Pictured L – R, 

Lance Leduke, 

euphonium; 

David Porter, 

tuba; Ed McKee, 

tuba; Bob 

Daniels, tuba; 

Jan Duga, tuba; 

and Ann Hinote, 

euphonium
167

1990 - The Music Production Team led by CMSgt Michael 

Wheeler consisted of four arrangers, six copyists, and one 

librarian. (L – R) MSgt(s) Barbara Lewis, Tom Dossett, TSgt 

Paul Rawlins, MSgt Keith Laurent, SMSgt Mike Davis, MSgt 

Bob Deitemeyer, TSgt Joe Tersero, TSgt Rob Mesite, MSgt 

Mike Crotty, TSgt Jeanne Garter, and centered is CMSgt 

Michael Wheeler.

One of the most critical teams to a musical organization is its Technical 

Support Team. Tech support maintains audio equipment, provides audio 

support for indoor and outdoor venues, and oversees recording projects. In 

his book, A Symphony in the Sky, Colonel George Howard, puts this team’s 

importance in perspective, “My advice to any conductor is: Make friends 

with your sound engineer. He can do more to ruin your concerts

than you can do to perfect them with a hundred rehearsals ... Pet him or 

pamper him, if necessary.”