Local Marine Band musicians play historic inauguration

This United States Marine Band is known as “The President’s Own.”

We were there in 2017 for their final rehearsal before the Presidential Inauguration.

That’s when we met Clarinetist Harry Ong, who attended Seattle’s Roosevelt High.

“There’s a lot of excitement. You get to see people from all over the country,” Ong, now the senior Gunnery Sergeant in the band, said 4 years ago.

But this year, security measures imposed after the attack on the Capitol will sharply reduce the number of people at the inaugural.

Safety measures imposed because of the pandemic will cut the number of Marine Band members on the platform by 25 percent so that they can socially distance.

But Ong was just as excited when we spoke with him last night from DC, “The inauguration is a celebration of democracy and a celebration of the United States of America.”

Ong and the band have played for Joe Biden before, including the 100-year anniversary celebration of the Star-Spangled Banner in and in this time of COVID and political division, Ong believes the band’s traditional role is especially important.

“This is one of the real big moments that we have to bring people together, not just, you know, here in America, but all around the world.”

Sgt. Ong has 18 years in the band and believes in the value of the “music to give people hope and, and a sense of unity, if we can achieve a sense of that. I think we will have done some good work.”

Cox Media Group