by 2nd Lt. Leslie Brown
U.S. Air Force Band of Mid-America
6/10/2004 - SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. (AFPN) -- Four Airmen of the U.S. Air Force Band of Mid-America here will perform during a ceremony honoring former President Ronald Reagan at his presidential library and museum in Simi Valley, Calif., on June 11.
President Reagan, 93, died June 5 from pneumonia after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease.
Band members Tech. Sgt. Dean Smith, Staff Sgts. Shannon Dooley and Becky Snyder, and Senior Airman David Horger will perform with Airmen of the U.S. Air Force Band of the Golden West from Travis Air Force Base, Calif.
"It is such a great honor to play at his funeral," said Sergeant Smith, staff arranger and a trombonist. "I had the distinct pleasure of playing for him in 1989 right after he left office."
Sergeant Smith, who was an airman first class at the time, played for President Reagan while he was on a trip to New York City.
"This [performance] will be something I can tell my children and grandchildren [about]," Sergeant Smith said.
The Band of Mid-America musicians will also perform with the Army Chorus during the private funeral and sunset burial. (Courtesy of Air Mobility Command News Service)
