US Army's Spirit of America

On Friday, September 23, we went to Cleveland to see the US Army Military District of Washington perform "Spirit of America," a wonderful show that incorporated the Army's best musical talents as well as those of military talent. Just one performance of the Army Drill Team will explain what I mean by "military talent." We sat in awe watching their precise, uniform movements. When they finished a bit by circling the drill team captain and thrusting their bayonettes toward his cap, missing him by a fraction of an inch, we were all amazed. It's no wonder we send this team around the world as ambassadors.

Another favorite of the day included the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, the only unit of its kind in the armed forces. This corps keeps alive the memory of our first troops from the Revolutionary War. I absolutely loved the music they played and their formations were almost as intricate as the drill team.

My daughter especially enjoyed the Backstage Army Broom Team, who had fun spoofing the Drill Team by using brooms instead of guns. They provided a fun, light-hearted way to end the show.

Other stand-outs of the performance included:
* A musical and dramatic re-enactment of American history, complete with real guns and real horses in the battle scenes. Everyone jumped when the first troops actually shot their guns. We weren't expecting it, but it was very cool!
* The US Army Marching Band, which included 4 vocalists. They played quite a bit of music, including a medley of war time melodies.
* A laser light show illustrating the Army's future in combat. A number of people left before this display, but it was worth waiting for. They had soldiers coming down from the ceiling, a simulated helicopter, and lasers all over the place.

For a free show, I couldn't have asked for more. If there had been a charge, it still would have been worth it. We almost didn't attend, due to weather and colds, but I am so glad I decided to go.
If they come around again, be sure to be there!