Airmen entertain World Series crowd at Fenway Park

  • Published
  • By Sachel Seabrook
  • Air Combat Command Public Affairs
LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va., --  The four Airmen have performed separately on stages across Germany, Southwest Asia and Africa. They have performed for dignitaries such as the President of the United States and the Queen of England.

Together, these four members of the Heritage of America Band had never performed for an audience as big as this.

With more than 30,000 people looking on in the stadium and more than 10 million viewers watching on television, Master Sgt. Jennifer Dashnaw, Tech. Sgts. Niko Ellison and Quez Vasquez and Staff Sgt. Rachel Webber sang "God Bless America" during the seventh inning stretch of Game 6 of the World Series Oct. 30 at Fenway Park in Boston.

"I think all of us had nervous jitters," said Ellison."It all happened so fast."

Dashnaw said the band received the call Tuesday afternoon and by Wednesday afternoon, the quartet stepped out on the field for a sound check.

It was "a little nerve-wracking," she said. "We were all looking at each other dumbstruck, we were just so excited."

Though the turnaround was quick, the Airmen all attribute the Air Force with helping them prepare for this moment.

"As bandsmen we are trained to perform in a variety of settings and to be extremely flexible," said Webber.

After the performance, the Airmen continued to cheer on the teams. For Dashnaw, who was stationed at Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford, Mass., just outside of Boston for five years, cheering on the home team wasn't hard to do.

"I am not a huge sports fan, but it was hard not to be a Red Sox fan, especially on Wednesday night," she said.

While others celebrated the Red Sox winning the series, for the Airmen, it was all about celebrating the people.

"It is extremely important that we let the people know how much we appreciate their spirit of patriotism and support for our military members," Vasquez said. "We shook hands with thousands of people that night, who were constantly thanking us for our service to this nation."

While the Airmen all said the experience was unforgettable, for Ellison, it was particularly special.

"I'm retiring in 2014, so I felt extremely honored to have fate line up like this," he said. "It reminded us all to enjoy every moment to the fullest. In a flash, life can take you places you never thought possible."

The Boston Red Sox clinched the Major League Baseball World Series championship title with a 6-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals in nine innings Oct. 30, allowing the Airmen to entertain Boston fans who watched their team win the first home championship in 95 years.

"We hope the audience is inspired and we give them pride and confidence in their military," Dashnaw said. "To be part of something so memorable and historic makes me so proud to represent the Air Force."