Atlantic Coast Tour: West Point

Singing in this place may have been the most patriotic experience I've ever felt in my life.

July 4,  2015.  We began the day not knowing exactly where we were going.  It was announced to us on the bus as we drove northward from New York City.  A high school classmate of mine, Mary Ann (Ricks) Ciccotelli and her husband Tom had taken me to dinner at an Italian Restaurant the night before, and had guessed that would be where we'd be performing.

It began as a gloomy, stormy day, but cleared enough for us to take a small tour of the grounds and enjoy the beautiful view overlooking the Hudson River below.  We were served lunch in the "mess hall" which reminded me a little of Harry Potter's Hogwarts.

 

The afternoon was so stormy, most of us spent a few hours in one of the buildings trying to take a nap.  Then the sun came out just in time for our rehearsal.  We wiped off the rain-soaked chairs, and we watched as 10,000 people arrived with their lawn chairs and blankets for the concert. 

Then it was showtime!  We watched and listened to a canon go off for every state as each new plebe marched in with the flag from their state to sit down in front, followed by all the rest of the soldiers attending school there.  My heart was full, and as we opened the show, it was a thrill to sing the songs of America.

Here's a synopsis from Mormon Newsroom.

God Bless America!