AFMC Freedom's Call Tattoo set for June 24

  • Published
  • By Michelle Eviston
  • Air Force Materiel Command Public Affairs
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  With less than three months to go, let the countdown to one of southwest Ohio's largest summer celebrations begin.

Air Force Materiel Command Freedom's Call Tattoo will be Friday, June 24. Now in its seventh year, the free show highlights Air Force people and capabilities and is designed to show appreciation to the people of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, as well as neighboring communities for their support of the Air Force.

This year's theme for Tattoo is "Defending Liberty ... Home and Abroad." The event will honor the men and women who served their country during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, as well as those who continue to serve in today's operations. The night will also include a special tribute recognizing the 10th year since the Sept. 11 attack.

Headlining the evening's entertainment will be the U.S. Air Force Band of Flight. The band, under the direction of Maj. R. Michael Mench, will present an hour-long musical narration of the show's theme in a performance entitled "A Nation Comes Together."

In addition to the Band of Flight, this year's guest performer will be the country music group Lonestar. Since 1995, Lonestar has had twenty-seven singles on the country charts, 10 of which reached number one. Some of the band's biggest hits include "I'm Already There", "My Front Porch Looking In" and "Amazed", a crossover song that reached number one on both the country charts and the Billboard Hot 100 in 1999.

"We have a great show lined up, thanks to the tremendous support we receive from local community and business leaders," said Dave Egner, Freedom's Call Tattoo director. "Their generous donations are allowing us to continue staging this must-attend summer event."

The rest of this year's event line-up includes a blend of old favorites and new surprises.
"One of the best things about Tattoo is that it's never the same show from year-to-year," said Egner. "We're working on a few new things and we'll be announcing those features soon."

Egner says returning events include crowd-pleasers such as the Technology Expo, aircraft flyovers and a spectacular fireworks finale.

New for 2011 will be a performance by Shadowlife as the pre-show band. Although this is the first time they will play at Tattoo, the Dayton-based rock group has been entertaining crowds for years with their diverse mix of music.

Also new for this year is a partnership with the New York Says Thank You Foundation. The foundation has been touring the country with an American flag that was nearly destroyed in the collapse of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.

The goal of the tour is to display the flag at each state nationwide and to give local service heroes the chance to stitch the flag back to its original 13-stripe format. New York Says Thank You orchestrated the flag's stop in Ohio to sync up with Tattoo. The stitching ceremony will take place at the National Museum of the United States Air Force during the day on June 24 and that evening, the flag will be incorporated into the Tattoo program.

For more information about Freedom's Call Tattoo 2011, log onto www.wpafb.af.mil/tattoo.