Without a doubt, the toughest duty day of the year for the 298th (that is, when we weren’t in the field). Inspections started at 0700, then off to the 4 Ring for the ceremony. First to hit the pavement, we provided pre-music for the ceremony then at 1000 when the ceremony kicked off, the march-on took place. That took about 35 minutes, including the Air Force contingent. Music or drum cadence going the entire time. The ceremony itself involved a Sound Off, Salute to the Union with cannonade, and speeches. At about noon when we marched off the 4 Ring, climbed aboard a bus and headed straight to the Harnack House where the USCOB had his garden party going. The band supported that activity by splitting up; some would play while others grabbed lunch and water, and then switched.
Following the Harnack House celebration, back to Andrews where the stage band (about 18 pieces) changed uniforms and headed over into East Berlin to the ambassador’s residence, again outdoors at a garden party. That gig lasted about 2 hours, then back to Andrews.
Change uniforms again to Class B’s and get ready to play the evening concert either at the duck pond at Dreipfuhl Park, or in 1983 my first year, at the Wannsee.
Setup all that sound gear, music stands, chairs, percussion, just about everything we owned. Sound check. Coordination with the battery for the inevitable “1812 Overture” which we always played, complete with cannon fire at certain parts of the music.
Tore all that stuff down in the dark, packed it up, and headed back to Andrews. Stored all that stuff away and usually, we went on blanket leave after that. In 1985, however, we were off on the duty train early the next morning to Holland to play a ceremony at the U.S. cemetery in Margraten.
By Independence Day, we had played so much in rehearsal and marching in the month of June (Allied Forces Day, the Brigade Review, and then Independence Day were the 3 biggies) that we pretty much had chops of steel. Almost 18 hours of playing that day, off and on, made for a very full Independence Day.
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