Commemorating those who served the country with music

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. -- Lest We Forget and the Southshore Concert Band presented their annual Veterans Day Patriotic Concert at Lake Michigan College's Mendel Center.

The free concert honored veterans and their families with patriotic music under conductor Dale Reuss, with the theme "An American Portrait."

"Donny Cook, 1969, he was killed in Vietnam. He was my mentor and my friend and my neighbor. And that's what I think of when I hear all the patriotic songs," said James Lavanway, a U.S. Air Force Veteran.

Lest We Forget held a memorial tribute, showing photos of members who have died on the projection screen while music played.

"Some of the spouses that are here, the family members, they tell me that it's hard for them to sit there and watch that picture come up of their loved one. It's hard. Those people were important to them, and they're important to us," said Larry Wozniak, the Lest We Forget President.

Wozniak said the group formed in 2006 and has held the concert with the Southshore Concert Band since 2007, missing only during COVID.

A special part of the night was a special guest Sergeant Major Robert Cherry, played Mozart's Horn Concerto No. 3 (first movement) and Gary Kuo's "Wingspan."

This was his final performance before retiring after 30 years with the U.S. Army Field Band

"It means a lot of freedom to me, to be free, and live in this country free like we all do… it shouldn't be taken for granted… So I take my hat off to all the people out there that serve for our country, and the people that backed up our soldiers," said Tony Kendall, a U.S. Marine Corps Veteran.