Music venue sheds spotlight on Air Force

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Phyllis Hanson
  • Air Force News Agency
ST. LOUIS (AFPN) --  People were on their feet for the Air Force here July 6 during Air Force Week St. Louis as Tops in Blue 2007 performed a musical "fly-by" of the past 60 years.

Drawing a crowd of nearly 1,500, outside the Saint Louis Science Center, the Air Force's own "expeditionary entertainers" danced and sang their way through the decades with a musical tribute to the Air Force's 60th Anniversary.

From civil engineering, communications, security forces and logistics to maintainers, refuelers, and medical and dental technicians, these performers represent the vast careers in the Air Force. Together, the Airmen's musical memory lane show brought back the sounds and dances of Big Band, Jitterbug, the Twist and Doo Wop, surfer tunes, to today's country and western, pop and rock.

One vocalist, Senior Airman Chonte Walker, assigned to the 2nd Civil Engineer Squadron at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., had more than 40 family members and friends from her hometown St. Joseph, Mo., and St. Louis come watch the show and cheer for her.

"We are so proud of Chonte," said Julie Vaughn, Airman Walker's aunt from St. Joseph, Mo. "She has wanted this for a long time. I'm so happy that's she got this opportunity to travel all over the world. Singing has always been a part of her life... we're planning to go to all the surrounding states where the tour will be traveling just to see her."

From sun up to sun down, there is "no rest for the weary" as the Tops in Blue crew, including the 35 or so, performers, do everything with the show from lugging and setting up all of the stage lights, pillars of TV sets and movie screens, to building and tearing down their own stage.

While all the set up was a going on for this particular show, another performer across the lawn attracted the crowds.

Up-and-coming country music artist, Donovan Chapman, an Air Force veteran of 11-year, was born and raised in Monroe, La. and joined the Air Force when he was 17 wanting to "get out in the world, he said. While serving his country, Chapman was a security forces member first before he later became a pararescueman.

"I loved pararescue, but I loved singing and being an artist, too and I felt that call to my heart to go out and sing," Chapman said.

He took it upon myself to get out after 11 years and headed to Nashville to record demos, he said.

"When you invest in the Air Force, you're investing in life, because you're setting the standard for how you're going to live," the country music singer said.

"I don't tend to sing about war, I don't tend to sing about who's right or wrong, or goin' and kickin' anybody's tail. I like singing about the love shared between the families, because that's what will get us through it," he said.

Chapman believes that "love is what makes the world go 'round," and his hit single "All I Need" which is climbing the country music charts is representational of that love.

Another song "I'll take the Fall," which he plans to release in the fall, is a song he wrote after a mission in Afghanistan where he watched a fellow comrade die, clutching a photograph of his family to his chest.

As a new part of Air Force recruiting, artists such as Chapman may help to reach an even wider audience of potential recruits through music, said Capt. Homero Martinez III, chief, event marketing from Headquarters Air Force Recruiting Service out of Randolph AFB, Texas.

"Our campaign slogan is called 'Do something amazing' and Donovan has done some amazing things while in the Air Force," Capt. Martinez said of Chapman who supported Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Southern Watch.

"As you can see, what he's doing today are some amazing things as well. He believes in strong principles that he takes with him ... these are the types of people we would like to help support and represent the Air Force," Captain Martinez said.

Also on hand for this Air Force Week event, were some of singer Chapman's own brothers in arms. The Air Force's special tactics battlefield Airmen, whose careers are in combat weather, pararescue and combat control, had an enormous display featuring all of the equipment they use to help fight the war on terrorism. Recruiters with the 345th Recruiting Squadron along with the Orange County Chopper, and NASCAR vehicle were also there to represent the Air Force.

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