Happy Veterans Day

Whether it's been for sporting events or memorial ceremonies I have always been very busy on Veterans Day. This is probably the only one in almost 16 years that I haven't had to work. So I wanted to take this moment to wish you all a happy Veterans Day. Here are some of my favorite memories from my career and a little description of each one.

This first photo was from a few years ago. I was specifically requested to sing the National Anthem for the Orlando Magic. There was a big fuss over letting me do this one because there were other Army Vocalists closer to the venue who could have performed it but the requester pushed hard to get me specifically. It was probably one of my best performances of the anthem and now that I think about it, it may have been on Veterans Day weekend actually.

This photo was from a performance that my old band used to do regularly for an arts and music festival called Panoply.

I've performed for so many sporting events but this one was a memorable moment for me. This was for a minor league baseball team in Huntsville, AL. I'll always remember it because this was the last season they played in Huntsville because they decided to relocate.

Huntsville was a great city to live and work in and there was always so much music and art. We were asked to perform downtown as people we ending their business day. I remember cars driving by and stopping to listen to our performance. I love this photo though because the person who took it was an amateur photographer who was a passer by who took quite a few photos of the band but this one was my favorite.

I wasn't always a singer for the Army. I've also been a Combat Engineer and a Chaplain's Assistant. This was a photo someone took of me while I was in training as a chaplain's assistant in a field training exercise.

By far one of my favorite performances and favorite songs to sing. I had lost my voice for two days leading up to this performance but somehow had enough power to push out this version of Don't Stop Believing by Journey. If you want to hear the performance here's a link to the video.

Sometimes, as a soldier, you are tasked with doing things outside of your daily duties. I had a lot of experience my first year in the Army working on the flag detail and because of this I was selected to lead this team of soldiers to raise the flag one morning a few years ago. There's a very specific way of doing this and I was very honored to be selected as it demonstrated their trust in my knowledge and leadership.

I am blessed to have this job. Every year I get to go on local TV and radio to interview about things that are going on and advertise for upcoming events. I can't lie, this is probably the best job in the world.

Lastly, it's always great to be recognized for your hard work and dedication. This photo was taken at an event where I was recognized for being ready in a moment's notice. The story is that an event took place on a Saturday and they needed someone to sing the National Anthem. I was called midday on the date of the event and asked if I would be willing to come in that night to perform for this special event and I did. I never complained or hesitated. I immediately said I'll do it and that showed to them the dedication I have to this job. I'm ready to go whenever called.

Happy Veterans Day!!! 🇺🇸

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