Photo By Staff Sgt. Erik Estrada | Members from the Marine Security Guard Detachment-Jakarta Color Guard bring out the...... read more read more
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JAKARTA, Indonesia – “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.”
Those were the first words of the night from U.S. Ambassador Robert O. Blake Jr. Marines from the U.S. Marine Corps Forces, Pacific Band came from Hawaii to Jakarta to help fellow Americans and friends in Indonesia celebrate the American Independence Day, June 4, 2015, at the Ambassador’s residence.
The annual American celebration is being held a month ahead of its normal schedule to accommodate the upcoming religious holiday of Ramadan.
To begin the night, the MARFORPAC Band began by playing the national anthems from the United States and Indonesia, with more than 300 guests in attendance.
“It’s been great,” said Cpl. Steven Mowen, a tuba player with the MARFORPAC Band Brass Quintet, “From what I’ve learned, Marines are held with high respect here and people are enjoying having us, Indonesians and Americans.”
Along with entertainment, the band served as a tool for interaction between the U.S. Marines and the public, strengthening bilateral relations between the nations. This was the first opportunity for many citizens to interact with U.S. Marines.
“Everywhere you go, people know you’re an American Marine,” Mowen said. “There’s something to say about that.”
As the night continued and guests began to celebrate American independence, the brass quintet played traditional American music such as “Amazing Grace.”
Band members felt a strong sense of patriotism as the night came to a close. After the band’s last musical piece was played, when asked how it felt to serve his country, Mowen had this to say, “I love my country, and I strive to serve it the best way that I can, and that’s by me playing my instrument."
| Date Taken: | 06.04.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 06.07.2015 00:57 |
| Story ID: | 165757 |
| Location: | JAKARTA, ID |
| Web Views: | 309 |
| Downloads: | 3 |
This work, MARFORPAC Band helps US Embassy Jakarta celebrate 4th of July, by SSgt Erik Estrada, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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