A marine’s salute

When Master Gunnery Sgt. Fred Lemmons retired as operations chief from the U.S. Marine Band, he invited the people who’d been pivotal in his career achievement to the ceremony: his family and his clarinet teacher.

Jay Craven said he was honored to be invited by his former student to the Washington, D.C., event. Then he learned that Sgt. Lemmons planned to turn the tables and honor him.

“He told me to bring my clarinet, and when I asked why, he said he wanted me to play with the Marine Band,” said Mr. Craven.

Sgt. Lemmons was a clarinet student of Mr. Craven’s beginning in junior high, through his years at Brainerd High School and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The student earned his master’s degree in musical performance from Louisiana State University.

He joined the U.S. Marine Band in 1988 as a clarinetist and was appointed to the band’s operations staff in 1998. He served as operations chief for three years.

“The President’s Own,” as the band is known, is America’s oldest continuously active professional musical organization, according to its Web site. Membership is highly competitive with only the nation’s best musicians accepted. Its members encompass the United States Marine Band, Marine Chamber Orchestra and Marine Chamber Ensembles, and perform regularly at the White House.

Sgt. Lemmons was responsible for daily scheduling and logistics. In his 21 years on the operations staff, he oversaw logistics for the funeral of former president Ronald Reagan, the inaugurations of former president George Bush and President Barack Obama, and all performances required for the Commander-in-Chief from inaugural balls to state dinners. His responsibilities included every detail of band performances from supplying the Secret Service, with information for musicians credentials to scheduling buses for transportation.

Mr. Craven said the retirement ceremony in the Marine Barracks Annex was full of military pomp and patriotic music.

There was a flag presentation, sword presentation, reading of commendatory letters (including one from former President Bush) and remarks by Col. Michael J. Colburn, commanding officer of the Marine Band.

“Fred spoke on his experiences with the band. He included me in his talk and what a great influence I’d been on his life. It was very emotional for me,” said Mr. Craven.

Then the band officer invited Mr. Craven up to sit in with the band.

“Fred brought a chair out and put it on the front row right under him,” said Mr. Craven. “Each retiree gets to conduct the Marine Band one last time. Fred picked ‘Washington Grays’ march. It’s a very difficult march, but it has a terrific clarinet part and that’s why Fred picked it.

“I’ve had a lot of wonderful experiences, but this was certainly at the top. I never thought I’d get the chance to play with the U.S. Marine Band,” said the local musician.