November 3, 2005

Congressional Medal of Honor recipients
to be feted at Veterans’ Day dances

By Carol Rosen
Staff Writer

Congressional Medal of Honor recipients Col. Donald Ballard and Maj. Gen. Patrick Brady will be the guests of honor at two Veteran’s Day dances.

Pete Jacobs and his Wartime Radio Review will perform at the memorial dances.

The two, who received their awards for “conspicuous gallantry while risking their lives” during the Vietnam War, will be special guests at two unique Veteran’s Day memorials at the San Jose Elks Lodge on Friday, Nov. 11 and at the American GI Forum on Saturday, Nov. 12. Col. Ballard has also been named one of several honorary grand marshals at San Jose’s 87th annual Veterans’ Day Parade on Nov. 11.

In addition, City Council-member Ken Yeager, on behalf of the city, will present each of the heroes with a certificate of commendation recognizing the valor they showed in receiving the honors. Yeager will present the awards at the dance Friday night at about 8:15 p.m.

The two Medal of Honor recipients are special guests at the two dances, which are Big Band Swing productions by Gary Vecchiarelli. The memorial dances will feature Pete Jacobs and his Wartime Radio Revue, which includes three singers—similar to the Andrews Sisters—and a 16-piece orchestra and three-time national champion dancers, the Hollywood Hornets. Friday night’s dance will be held in the Elk’s Lodge grand ballroom, 444 West Alma Ave., from 7 to 11 p.m. Saturday’s will be held in the Forum’s grand ballroom, 765 Story Road, from 3 to 7 p.m.

The swing band, which formed in November of 1997, plays big band hits from the 1930s and 40s. During the program, the band offers breaking news stories from World War II. Jacobs and his group, dressed in khaki-colored uniforms, play some original songs as well as 1940s-style radio commercials. The band features the three young women vocalists, a horn section and a driving rhythm section for an authentic classic swing sound.

The Southern California musicians have appeared at The Hollywood Bowl, The Derby, Catalina’s Casino Ballroom and are a regular Disneyland-featured band. Jacobs is a professional musician, songwriter and record producer. He also produces a children’s television show called Colby’s Clubhouse on TBN.

Jitterbug specialists
The Hollywood Hornets will join Jacobs and his Wartime Radio Revue at the memorials. The dance team specializes in swing dances from the 1920s to the 1950s. Among the dances they perform are the Lindy Hop, Jitterbug, Charleston, Shag and Balboa. The primary goal is to recreate the mood and spirit of the past through dance.

The group, which is committed too preserving the authenticity of the swing era in fashion, culture and dance, specializes in interacting with its audience and encouraging them to join the fun. The team offers performances, lessons and “atmosphere” dances. Members have trained throughout the United States, Canada and Europe as well as taught people around the world 20th Century vernacular jazz dance.

The Hollywood Hornets have won three national Jitterbug Team championships, including the 2005 title. The group has performed at the Hollywood Bowl’s Swing Night, the Playboy Jazz Festival, the Montreal International Jazz Festival, the Super Bowl Pre-game Show, the Tournament of Roses Parade and the Disney Holiday Special to name a few. In addition, the Hornets have danced to the Glenn Miller Orchestra, the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Ken
Peplowski’s Tribute to Benny Goodman Big Band, Royal Crown Revue, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, the Bill Elliott Swing Orchestra and Mora’s Modern Rhythmists.

Vietnam heroes
Col. Ballard received his Medal of Honor for conspicuous gallantry while risking his life when he was a Hospital Corpsman Second Class for the Marines in Vietnam in 1968. He was returning to his platoon when a North Vietnamese Army unit ambushed the company.

When Ballard saw a wounded Marine, he moved under a hail of bullets to the injured man and gave medical assistance. As four men prepared to move the wounded Marine, an enemy solider threw a hand grenade, which landed near the injured man. Ballard threw himself on the grenade to protect his comrades from the blast. When it failed to detonate, he rose from his position and continued treating the injured. He currently is a colonel in the Kansas Army National Guard and is the only current member of that group to have received the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Major General Patrick Brady demonstrated conspicuous gallantry in action at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. He won his award for volunteering to rescue wounded men from four sites in enemy held territory heavily defended by enemy forces in Vietnam. On Jan. 6, 1968, when he was a major in the Army’s Medical Service Corps, Brady used three helicopters to evacuate 51 seriously wounded men, many of whom would have died without prompt medical treatment.

Veteran’s parade
San Jose’s 87th annual Veteran’s Day Parade begins at 11 a.m. at the reviewing stand at Park and Market streets. The parade, which starts at noon, will march east on Santa Clara Street toward Market Street turn right and move south past the reviewing stand. It ends at San Carlos and Market. Produced by Upbeat Parades it will be staged between Santa Clara and San Fernando at Delmas and at Autumn between St. John and Santa Clara streets.

Service men and women from all previous and current wars will be present, including those who have fought in World Wars I and II, Korea, Vietnam, Afghan-istan, Bosnia, the Gulf War and the Iraqi War. There will also be re-enactors from the Spanish American and Civil Wars as well as horses, bands, clowns and balloon makers. The parade’s grand marshals are Violet S. Wierzbicki from Santa Cruz and Jean Koehler of Sunnyvale.

The two women served as members of the Women’s Air Force Service Pilots (WASP) during World War II. Their job was to fly all types of planes including fighter planes and bombers from the factories they had been built in to assignment stations. They also used to tow targets for anti-aircraft and aerial gunner practice. WASPS were not recognized as air force personnel until about 10 years ago.

Besides the chance to meet these war heroes, the Veteran’s Day Memorial Dance offers four hours of live music. Tickets are available in advance for $39 per person or $49 at the door. Seniors and veteran prices are $29 in advance. There will be bus transportation available to the American GI Forum for $9.95 a roundtrip ticket. For advance tickets call 1-800-640-7777. For more information, call (408) 294-4444 or e-mail BigBandDance@earthlink.net.