Air Force band performs in Hiroshima

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Val Gempis
  • Air Force Print News
HIROSHIMA, Japan --  Aiko Hayashi smiled, cheered and laughed as she listened to a U.S. Air Force band perform here April 14.

“They’re very good,” she said. “They really play great music. I’m glad they came here.”

Almost 60 years ago, the thought of a U.S. military presence here was unthinkable. Ms. Hayashi knows of that time too well.

“I still remember the smell,” she said.

Ms. Hayashi was 4 years old when the United States used an atomic bomb here during World War II. The Aug. 6, 1945, bombing leveled the entire city in a split second, killing more than 200,000 people. The blast crushed almost every building for more than one mile. Ms. Hayashi’s family was killed during the explosion. The 63-year-old music teacher said she still remembers the smell of burnt flesh and bones.

She sat in front of the same American military during the concert, but she said she has no resentment toward them because it happened a long time ago.

“I’m happy that they came here with music,” Ms. Hayashi said. “Music has no borders, no boundaries. It fosters good relationships between people.”

The performance is something the band’s Airmen will “never forget,” said Capt. Daniel Price, commander of the U.S. Air Force Band of the Pacific-Asia, which is based at Yokota Air Base, Japan.

He said his Airmen are very aware of history and the special significance of this occasion.

“We’re very grateful to have the chance to represent the (U.S. Air Force) in Hiroshima,” he said. “Using our common love for art and music, we can draw Americans and Japanese together and build ... emotional relationships that will last a lifetime.”

A few blocks away from the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, which was the epicenter of the blast, the musicians played for the crowd that jammed inside an auditorium. The Japanese guests roared in unison as the Airmen played tunes ranging from modern jazz to more traditional Big Band music.

During part of the program, the 20-person ensemble wore traditional Army Air Corps uniforms. They had the audience bouncing around their seats as they performed their trademark Glenn Miller show. Japanese fans screamed in approval and waved happily at the Airmen.

Before the show, some of the musicians were a little apprehensive and said they did not know how well the people would receive them.

Staff Sgt. Jeff Saunders, a saxophone player, described his emotions as “very intense.” Earlier, band members visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and saw bomb artifacts.

Sergeant Saunders said that seeing what was left after the bomb detonated was one of the most sobering experiences he has ever had. But as soon as the concert began, all their doubts were erased and replaced with jubilant excitement as the audience warmly welcomed the group with eager applause.

He said that being here shows how far society has come.

“Relationships can mend; people can forgive and help each other,” Sergeant Saunders said. “It gives me hope when I think about what’s happening in Iraq right now.”

People could hear a pin drop in the auditorium as the Japanese audience listened to Staff Sgt. Mary Beth Benham sing “Sakura,” which means cherry blossoms. It is a song about life, about how short and fragile it is … like blossoms on cherry trees.

People in the audience mouthed the words, some in tears.

“These are the moments we live for,” said Master Sgt. Pete Harrison, the band’s pianist. “When you can reach deep inside the audience and touch their hearts, it is a real privilege.”