When Kathy Wing, administrative assistant in Human Resources, Workforce and Community Development, marches in the American Legion band, she isn’t just playing her clarinet or simply performing for an audience.  She’s doing her part to acknowledge and show appreciation to all the veterans that have served our nation in the United States military, including her son.

Wing has been a part of the band for over a year now.  She played the clarinet in her youth but hadn’t touched the instrument in more than 20 years.  She started playing again with her church and the fingering came back to her quickly.  “I found that if I didn’t over think it, I could play like I had never stopped,” she said.

After playing at church for a while, she became comfortable enough to try out for Midwest Winds, a winds ensemble actively involved in community arts and musical education.  She was introduced to the American Legion band by its current conductor, Heather Petznick Pickett.  Now Wing and her daughter, Keri, both perform with the American Legion band.

The band plays for community events on Flag Day, Memorial Day, Veteran’s Day and for other occasions as well.  They play The Caisson Song for the Army veterans, The Marine’s Hymn for the Marine veterans, Off We Go, Into the Wild Blue Yonder for the Air Force, Always Ready for the Coast Guard, and Anchors Aweigh for the Navy veterans as members of each branch stand up to salute. 

“When I see each of the veterans stand up and salute during the song, it’s overwhelming.  I can just sense how proud they are, and I think of my son,”  she said.

Wing’s son, Kelly, is currently in Afghanistan on his first Army deployment.  He is a company radio telephone operator serving at a new base in a dangerous region of the country.  She realizes that her son is in danger, but finds comfort in knowing that he’s doing what he wants in life. “Kelly feels like this is where he is supposed to be,” she said. “He’s been trained well and there is such a huge sense of camaraderie in their company, they all look out for each other.”

She sends her son letters and packages filled with necessities and “luxuries” regularly.  “The soldiers are over there eating MREs (meals ready to eat) and sometimes sleeping outside,” she said.  “They are really roughing it.  So when they get a letter or a package with a magazine, some beef jerky or Oreo cookies, they are really excited.” 

Wing plans to continue playing her clarinet with the American Legion band.  She hopes that by sharing her story, people will keep American soldiers in their thoughts.  “It’s so easy and simple to donate items or write a letter of thanks to be sent to Iraq or Afghanistan, and it means the world to the person over there opening that letter or package.”

If you would like to donate items to troops overseas, Wing says a great resource for more information can be found at anysoldier.com.