Photo By Bob Hall | Thompson Square continue to play as the sun began to set in Florida. The duo...... read more read more
By Friday June 21, the stage was set, the parking lots were cleared, the port-a-potties were in place, the grounds treated for fire ants, and the grass freshly mowed. Months of planning was taking shape. Everything seemed ready for the Operation MWR concert the Naval Ordnance Test Unit’s Morale, Welfare, and Recreation department was scheduled to host at Cape Canaveral Space Station, Florida, near the USS Nathanael Greene (SSBN 636) submarine sail.
By mid-afternoon Saturday, even the food trucks had started to roll in…but so were the clouds. Rain, with the potential for thunder and lightning storms, threatened to cancel the show. However, despite a few minor sprinkles, the weather held and the show kicked off without a hitch. Operation MWR was a “GO!” on the Space Coast.
Operation MWR, presented by GovX, is an original MWR initiative; bringing live entertainment to the military communities around the globe to honor the military member's service. This summer more than 65 locations around the world were selected to host these live entertainment events. These events are open to all MWR-eligible patrons and are free of charge.
First to take the stage was NOTU’s commanding officer, U.S. Navy Capt. Jason Schneider, and MWR director, Tim McKinney, to welcome all those in attendance, thank the sponsors who made Operation MWR possible, and introduce the opening and headlining acts.
The opening act was a local group from Cocoa known simply as the Julian Mangum Band; named after the bands lead vocalist Julian Mangum. He and the band’s lead guitarist, Ricky Horton, played an acoustic variety of older and modern country music from well-known artists while mixing in some of the band’s original pieces.
All four members of Mangum’s band are from the Brevard County area and most have ties to the U.S. Navy in one way or another. So, as Mangum, whose uncle is currently a master chief in the Navy, says, “we love supporting our military in any way we can.”
When Thompson Square took the stage, they immediately started playing some of countries classics before diving into their original songs. Between songs, Keifer and Shawna Thompson shared stories about their lives from the time before they got married, to times during their music careers, to their break from music in order start a family, and finally the launch of Shawna’s solo career. They shared their love for America and their honor and support for the U.S. military; as both had fathers who served in the U.S. Army.
“We love our country and what our military does for our country,” Keifer said, “and coming out to play music for them is our way to show our appreciation.”
| Date Taken: | 06.26.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 06.26.2024 15:23 |
| Story ID: | 474932 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 40 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Thompson Square hits the Space Coast as part of Operation MWR, by Bob Hall, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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