ANNA MARIA – The city of Anna Maria’s Memorial Day Patriotic Symphony Salute honored those who gave their lives in service to our country. The ceremony also recognized those who served and survived.
Held on Monday, May 26, this year’s Patriotic Symphony Salute took place inside The Center of Anna Maria Island gymnasium because a portion of City Pier Park is still being used as a post-hurricane temporary post office.
Featuring the Anna Maria Island Concert Chorus & Orchestra, the annual city-hosted Patriotic Symphony Salute was initiated nine years ago by then-mayor, Dan Murphy, an Army veteran who served on a gun boat in the Mekong River Delta during the Vietnam War in 1968 and 1969.
“I’m so pleased this tradition is being carried on and that we’re honoring our veterans and recognizing the sacrifices they made for our country,” Murphy said before the ceremony began. “That’s why I started this: to honor and give recognition to those who made the ultimate sacrifice of giving their life for their country.”
Presiding over his first Memorial Day ceremony since being elected mayor last fall, Mayor Mark Short invited Bishop Michael Garrison to give the invocation.
“On this Memorial Day, we gather to remember; we gather to give thanks; we gather to honor all whose ultimate sacrifice has ensured the blessing we experience in these United States,” Garrison said. “In our nation’s history, more than a million women and men have lost their lives in our nation’s conflicts. Give us grace as a people to value and appreciate their sacrifice that provides the freedom we enjoy.”
After the Manatee High School Jr. ROTC Color Guard and orchestra drummer Dave Morgan presented the colors, an orchestra trumpeter played “Taps” in honor of those who perished in the line of duty.
After the orchestra performed “The Star-Spangled Banner,” Short thanked everyone for coming. He also thanked the color guard and he recognized the former mayor for his role in founding the city’s annual Memorial Day salute.
Short then asked the spouses, significant others, widows and widowers of veterans to come forward to be recognized and receive a yellow rose from city staff. Members of each military branch were then called forward and recognized according to the branch they served in, with the orchestra performing each branch’s theme song as those veterans came forward.
After the service members were honored, Short turned the proceedings over to conductor Leonard Murphy for the symphonic salute.
Before the first song, the conductor said, “I would like to recognize one individual, a good friend of mine. Joe Bruno Sr. celebrated his 98th birthday two days ago. He’s a Navy veteran and served on the battleship New Jersey. He’s known in this area as ‘Mr. Trumpet.”
Bruno comes from a family of circus musicians and musicians and he was a well-known musician in the Sarasota area.
The symphony salute began with “Tribute to the Armed Forces.” Additional selections included “America the Beautiful,” “The Mansions of the Lord,” “American Patrol,” and “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.”
Before performing John Phillip Sousa’s “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” Leonard Murphy told a humorous tale about his service as a Navy bandsman in 1954 and being ordered to march in an ad-hoc Fourth of July parade through a small town outside of Cannes, France – a musical endeavor that earned Murphy and his Navy bandmates a mid-parade beer break after playing the beloved song at the request of an American parade attendee.
The symphonic performance ended with the conductor asking the audience members to stand and join in singing “God Bless America.”
After the performance, Short called the attending city staff members forward, recognized their efforts and thanked them for the assisting with the city-hosted ceremony.
During his closing remarks, Mayor Short offered a special thanks to his wife, Pat, because this Memorial Day also happened to be their 41st wedding anniversary.
The Anna Maria city staff was recognized and thanked for their efforts. - Joe Hendricks | Sun
North Shore Café owners Colleen and Scott Geller attended the ceremony with their daughter, Vivian Rose. - Joe Hendricks | Sun
Anna Maria General Manager Dean Jones served in the Marine Corps. - Joe Hendricks | Sun
The audience stood and helped sing "God Bless America" to end the symphony salute. - Joe Hendricks | Sun
The chorus and orchestra sounded great inside The Center gymnasium. Joe Hendricks | Sun
The Anna Maria Island Concert Chorus & Orchestra performed patriotic songs. - Joe Hendricks | Sun
