The United States Air Force Band of Liberty’s Ceremonial Band appeared in New York City on May 13 to provide musical support at the Ellis Island Medals of Honor ceremony. The Band played marches as the honorees arrived via ferry boats to Ellis Island, and performed patriotic music during the ceremony, including a selection which featured the USO’s Liberty Belles show troupe.
The dramatic annual event pays tribute to distinguished American citizens of diverse origins for their outstanding contributions to their own ethnic groups, their ancestral countries, and to the United States. The distinguished honorees at this year’s ceremony included contemporary writer Dr. Deepak Chopra, MSNBC news personality Rita Cosby, former Los Angeles Lakers basketball star Vlade Divac, former Secretary of Homeland Security Tom Ridge, Las Vegas entertainers Siegfried and Roy, and former Maryland lieutenant governor Kathleen Kennedy Townsend. In all, over 100 medals were presented at this year’s event.
The Ellis Island Medals of Honor is sponsored by the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations (NECO), which serves over 250 organizations that celebrate, educate and nurture ethnic pride, heritage, culture, and tradition. NECO’s mission is to honor and preserve our nations’s diversity and to foster tolerance, respect, and understanding among ethnic groups. |
