Band pays tribute to veterans in Glen Cove

Bob Staada,79, set up his collection of war memorabilia in the lobby of the Wunsch Arts Center on Sunday afternoon. He hung up corkboards full of pins, badges and laminated news articles that date from World War I to the Vietnam War.

Veterans and family members entering the arts center looked at the well-preserved display before entering the auditorium to see the Northwinds Symphonic Band perform a Veterans Day tribute.

Conductor Helen P. Bauer guided the band through a program consisting entirely of military music, beginning with “The Star-Spangled Banner” and ending with “The Stars and Stripes Forever.”

There to speak a few brief words and join the band in playing “The Star-Spangled Banner” was Glen Cove Mayor Ralph Suozzi.

“I would love to play more for them,” said Suozzi, who has been playing the trumpet since he was 7. “I loved listening to it. They play so warmly and so patriotically, I think they do a great job.”

The band played songs from each branch of the military including the U.S. Field Artillery’s “The Caisson Song,” “The Marines’ Hymn,” the U.S. Navy’s “Anchors Aweigh,” the “U.S. Air Force Song” and the Coast Guard’s “Semper Paratus.” When veterans heard their branches' songs being played, they were asked to rise from their seats and receive applause from the audience.

“I think they’re better now than they ever were. I’ve seen all their performances, and they were really good today,” said WWII veteran Bernard Levine, 85, whose brother-in-law plays in the band.

Born and raised in Glen Cove, Vincent Martinez, 76, is a member of the American Legion Post 76 who prefers military music over modern music.

“This is first concert that I actually attended because it was for the veterans. I’ll come back again,” said Vincent Martinez, a Korean War veteran.

Bob Evans, a Vietnam War veteran who served in the Navy, plays trombone professionally and enjoyed the genre of military music.

“It’s having a return of popularity with the public, and it’s long overdue. Military music is part of the Americana,” Evans, 62, said after the concert. “It was a pleasure to play and to see all the veterans standing as we played their tunes when the salute to the armed forces was played.”