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PTC Patriot Day Will Host Speaker and Music at New Location

Peachtree City will host a musical tribute to celebrate Patriot Day Sunday, Sept. 11, officially mandated by Presidential proclamation to be a day of remembrance for the victims of the terrorist homicide bombings.

The free, public event is at First Baptist Church in Peachtree City, instead of at the Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater as was originally planned. Doors are scheduled to open at 3 p.m. and patriotic music will start at 3:30 p.m. The official tribute is from 4-6 p.m. Organizers hope that the event will keep the memory of 9/11 alive in Americans’ hearts and minds.

“We want to re-kindle the patriotic flame we saw in Americans after that day in 2001,” said Peachtree City Patriot Day organizer Randy Gaddo, who is also the city’s director of leisure services and a retired Marine. “The positive message we hope to convey is one of Remembrance and Patriotism and pride in being Americans.”

First Baptist Church had been designated as the foul weather site. However, because of uncertain weather and better acoustics at the church, the performance will be held there instead. “The vocal groups, one of which sings a cappella, felt that being inside would enhance the audience’s ability to hear their performance,” added Gaddo.

Gaddo said that uncertainty with the weather may have limited attendance and would have kept organizers guessing until the last minute. “This way, rain or shine, we’ll be able to have the event in a known location and won’t have to try to get information out at the last minute,” he said, adding that the church can accommodate 1,000 people and is frequently used by schools for musical performances. The acoustics and sound system are excellent, he commented.

An added bonus is that video can be used at the church. “We have some moving presentations on events of Sept. 11, 2001, that we’d like to show. We couldn’t do it at that time of day at the Amphitheater,” said Gaddo. “We are grateful that First Baptist leaders offered to partner with us to present this event to the public.”

He added that the Kiwanis Club of Peachtree City is also assisting with the event by paying some of the expenses for bringing in guest speaker, Judy Young, the new president of American Gold Star Mothers, Inc. and a resident of Moorestown, N.J.

The AGSM’s entry criteria is, without exception, the most difficult of any organization on earth. To be a member, a woman must be the mother of a son or daughter who is a member of the U.S. armed services killed or declared missing in the line of duty. Young and her husband, Jack, lost their son, Marine Sergeant Jeffrey D. Young, Oct. 23, 1983, in the terrorist bombing of the Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon. FBI investigators judged the blast, which killed 240 other Marines, sailors or soldiers, as the largest non-nuclear blast they’d ever seen.

At that time, it was the most horrific attack by terrorists against Americans and is considered by many as the harbinger of Sept. 11, 2001. Many of the same terrorist organizations and individuals involved in the Beirut bombing were also involved in the Sept. 11 bombings.

“Judith’s presence here with us on Patriot Day is significant as we bring the events of Sept. 11, 2001, back into focus,” said Gaddo. “As the U.S. and the world is engaged now in this War on Terror, she brings a unique perspective to how people deal with the loss of war.”

“Gold Star Mother is a title which every one of us would rather not have,” she says. “We follow a long line of mothers who have given their most precious gift - a child who died while defending the freedoms we most cherish. We also know there will be those to carry on when our time has finished.”

Installed as president in June, Young is the first post-Vietnam member to be appointed to the highest position in the organization. At an unfortunate time when more mothers become eligible for AGSM membership nearly every day, she bridges the gap from past to present.

Alongside guest speaker Young, the Air National Guard Band of the South will bring a rich heritage of music dating back to 1946. Formally known as the 530th Air Force Band, this 30-piece concert band has performed throughout the United States and abroad. They appeared earlier this year in Peachtree City for the Memorial Day event.

Like most military bands, these musicians are warriors first, and in case of a state or national emergency, they could be called to active duty with other Army or Air National Guard units. The band was called to Federal service last in 1950, when it served during the Korean Conflict.

The band is attached to the Georgia Air National Guard state headquarters at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta, and is supported by the 116th Bomb Wing at Robins Air Force Base. Its members, all professional musicians in their own right, come from throughout the Southeast to perform here. The full concert band will perform a variety of popular selections with patriotic themes.

The Peachtree City Wind Ensemble, popularly known as Peachtree City's Community Band, is a well-known feature at many local events and Patriot Day will be no exception. The band plays at city-sponsored events as well as corporate venues, senior citizen centers and concerts in the parks. A majority of the members reside in Peachtree City or Fayette County.

Director Bob Lancette, who is now deceased, founded the band in 1990. The former Marine Corps bandsman wanted to provide an outlet for residents who play a musical instrument to perform for the public in their community on a frequent basis. Band members range from semi-professional musicians to amateurs, from high school students to older Americans who have a common love of music and community pride.

A third musical act, Music Alive! celebrates 27 years of service to the Atlanta region and to Peachtree City. This vocal group is comprised of mostly Peachtree City and Fayette County singers. The 30 mixed voices produce a captivating, happy and zestful sound that entertains at many civic and corporate events each year. They have performed at City-sponsored events such as Memorial Day, and were in the first Sept. 11 commemoration at the Amphitheater in 2002. During the 1996 Olympics the group was part of the entertainment program as the Olympic Torch was carried through Peachtree City. They recently performed for the Delta Technology company event at Atlanta Beach, for more than 3,000 people.

Southern Nights Chorale, a Fayette County men's a cappella select chorus, is a newcomer to the entertainment scene. Director J.D. Holmes started the group about a year ago, and they have developed a performance-quality repertoire that they are ready to share with the community. This group of about 12 men will leave a distinct mark on spectator's hearts with their rich and melodic blend of men's voices.

The event is free and open to the public on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information call the Recreation Department at 770-631-2542.