Founded in 1922, the
United States Army Band – known as
"Pershing's Own" – is the premier musical organization of the
United States Army. Before 2002, the United States Army Band was the only Washington-based
military band to have participated in a theater of foreign combat operations. There are currently eight official performing ensembles in the unit: The United States Army Concert Band, The United States Army Ceremonial Band, The Army Chorus, The Army Blues, The Army Band Downrange, The Army Herald Trumpets, The Army Strings, and The Army Brass Quintet.
History
The United States Army Band was established on January 25, 1922 by
General of the Armies John J. Pershing,
Army Chief of Staff in emulation of European military bands he heard during World War I. In its early years, the band was featured on
RCA,
CBS, the
Mutual Broadcasting Network, and other networks. The band also completed four national tours between 1928 and 1931 and was noted for its professionalism during a trip to Spain for the
Ibero-American Exposition of 1929.
In June 1943, the United States Army Band was called overseas to perform in North Africa and in Europe during World War II. The band received a
campaign streamer for their efforts during the
Rhineland Campaign. This period also saw the band perform with numerous well-known artists and composers, many as part of the very successful Freedom Sings concert series that started in 1950 and continued for several years. Notable musicians...
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