The Heart of the Experience . . . PRESIDENT - Lila Kennah
and Finding Your Song T
he year was 1985. I was between my junior and senior years of high school and as a result of making All-State in Wyoming, I was invited to participate in the Sound of America Honor Band for their annual European Tour.
I was accepted early in the spring and had spent the entire semester and most of June preparing my music. My close friend Erica, from Moorcroſt, had also been accepted, and we spoke frequently as our departure date loomed. What to pack? How much spending money to take? Would our passports arrive in time? It was a time of great excitement for both of us.
As it has been for generations, there was turmoil in the Middle East. We discussed at length whether or not we should actually travel. Our group leaders in Pennsylvania watched the events unfold as they kept us abreast of the developments there. We would be, aſter all, a large group of American tourists not in the Middle East specifically, but certainly in large metropolitan areas in Europe, which have been targets for terrorist activity.
Ten disaster struck. On the morning of June 14, Trans World Airlines Flight 847, en route to San Diego from Cairo, was hijacked by Hezbollah militant extremists. Te passengers and crew endured numerous flights, from one continent to another, returning to the airport in Beirut. US Navy diver Robert Stethem was murdered and many of the hostages were held for two weeks before their freedom was successfully negotiated.
Amid all of this, it was decided that 8
our European tour would still commence, with caution. Our ensembles met at Baltimore International Airport, and bussed to Dickinson University, in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. I met my band director, a wonderful, warm, kind man by the name
of Clyde Barr. He assured us regularly that we would still be safe and that all steps were being taken to assure we would have a successful tour. We rehearsed at the college for almost a week before preparing to leave. Midway through this week of orientations
and rehearsals, the
hostages release was announced. Tis news was met with great celebration and relief. We were in a large lecture hall when our tour leaders made the announcement. Tere was cheering, hugging, tears, and the lengthiest applause I’d ever witnessed.
As we prepared to leave, we also prepared a “Boy Voyage” concert for the community of Carlisle on the evening of July 3rd. As the Sound of America group was well known in this area of Pennsylvania, and due to a somewhat small concert hall, two performances were planned - both of them sold out. A long-standing tradition for this group was inviting alumni who were present at the concert to join the band and choir on the stage for the closing number, which happened to be the “Battle Hymn of
the Republic.” As the
audience members who were going to join us made their way to the stage, our choir director shared with the audience that we would respectfully dedicate our closing number to the hostages who were recently released,
Continued on Page 13 Wyoming Windsong
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77
