Director’s Corner

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Hi. I’m Bob and this whole thing is my fault, but I’m not a bit sorry.

The AVI8ORS Ensemble, and all that goes along with it, has become one of the most meaningful and memorable chapters of my life. Indulge me for a moment as I share my side of the story.

Two of my greatest passions in life are music and aviation. So how could I be anything but completely fascinated with the WWII era? Whether you’re talking about song writing or airplanes, the 30s and 40s are called the “Golden Age” for both.

Within that short span of time, aircraft design went from “rag wing” biplanes all the way to supersonic jets! Aircraft from this era are considered so valuable, that huge numbers of them are not only fully restored, but actually still in harness and flying on a regular basis. (My 1941 Piper J-5 Cub included) That era of aviation history will forever live on.

Then there is the music. Oh what music! Composers like Jerome Kern, Duke Ellington, George and Ira Gershwin, Irving Berlin, Rogers and Hammerstein, and the like, were creating some of the richest harmonies and most beautiful melodies ever heard. Bands led by Count Bassie, Tex Benecke, Benny Goodman, and Glen Miller were blazing a trail. Performers like Louis Armstrong, Roy Rogers, Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Doris Day, Marion Hutton, The Crew Chiefs, The Pied Pipers, The Modernaires, Mel Torme and the Mel-Tones, and The Andrews Sisters were pure joy to all who heard. That era of musical history will forever live on.

What an era! Our society, culture and technology were all progressing at a pace heretofore not seen. However, everything was tempered and shadowed by the same top story every night. It was WWII and it was everywhere you looked. But the resourceful and selfless people of the time found a way to band together, help each other, care for one another, and willed their way to victory so that freedom could prevail. That era of world history will forever live on.

Regrettably, what will not live on forever are the wonderful people of this era. The mission of the group has been forged and refined by their lives. Here’s why…

There have certainly been many unforeseen challenges and rewards throughout the AVI8ORS journey. Other than the enormous amounts of time it takes to do something like this, the challenges have been bearable. The rewards, however, have surprised me both in magnitude and number. And being involved with so many aspects of the group, I am keenly aware of all of them. As a director, you’d expect to feel satisfaction in watching a group of performers pull together a show, and I have. As a performer, you’d expect the applause and the fan mail to be rewarding - and it is. As a business manager, you’d expect to make a buck or two, and we have (Well at least we’ve paid back most of the loans). As a “roadie”, you’d expect to love the travel and the mad scramble to get the shows on stage, and that part of it has been challenging and fun. As a member of the group, you’d expect to feel good watching fellow AVI8ORS gain confidence and poise as people and performers, and that has been very satisfying. But the absolute biggest and benefit of the AVI8ORS’ journey doesn’t really have anything to do with the shows, or the applause, or the business, or the travel. It has instead to do with introductions.

The group and its events have been a conduit that has allowed me to meet and befriend some of the most incredible people one could ever hope to know. They are the people of the WWII era. In three short years I’ve met generals and GIs, soldiers-sailors-pilots, state and national lawmakers, housewives, governors, authors, mechanics, newscasters, educators, business leaders, ministers and missionaries, entertainers and just plain work-a-day folks of the highest integrity. In the absence of the group, I don’t know how I would have come into contact with so many honorable and heroic souls in such short order, or ever. It certainly would not have happened through my normal business, social and family channels. I cherish these new friends and friendships as much or more than any I’ve had throughout my entire life.

They are called “The Greatest Generation”, a well-deserved and appropriate handle. The more I learn about the hardships endured and the sacrifices made by these wonderful people, the more humbled I become. They built the foundations of this country and the freedoms we enjoy. Have you ever wondered how our generation of pampered folks would hold up under such strain? We’ve never really been tested like them. But maybe we’d just do all right. After all, we have had the best examples from which to learn.

They’re easy to spot, you see. During the playing of the National Anthem, these “Greatest Generation” folks hold their hats or hands over their heart and sing without embarrassment. They know the words and believe in them. If you collide with them on the sidewalk, they will apologize. They seldom brag unless it's about their grandchildren. They trust strangers and will hold the door for the next person. They get embarrassed if someone curses in front of women and children and they don't like filth on TV or in movies. They would be offended to the point of anger with the garbage on the Internet, which we routinely ignore as just part of our society. They endured the Depression, Pearl Harbor, World War II, and remember the tough lessons learned through them. They know that our great country is not protected by movie stars, media personalities and politicians, but instead by the young men and women serving in the military. This nation and this world need their decent values and unselfish spirit, now more than ever.

It makes me very proud and happy to have come to know so many of these people. Even better is to call them my friends. It has most definitely changed my life. It has in fact, altered my life’s mission a great deal. My desire today is to support and associate myself with them. The daily hubbub and self-centered focus of my life prior to the AVI8ORS, kept me from branching out and learning more of the history and the people of the Greatest Generation. Now that that era has touched me, I know that we must do all that we can to help preserve it.

It’s been said that a good indicator of a person’s life is the number of people who attend their funeral. My wake may just have to be a little smaller, but it seems like a good trade. If the majority of my dearest friends and biggest supporters are 40 years older than me, odds are they might not have a chance to attend. But it doesn’t really matter much, because I’ll get to see them soon after.

Thank you for your interest in the History, and the People, and the Music of the Greatest Generation.