By the time the sun had set there were only two of us left and we were keeping up perfectly with the sorties when my band friend called me over to look at what he had found. On the boxes of food were messages of well wishes written by the children that donated the food to the children of Haiti. One message read, “Dear kids, Hope this food will keep you non starving!” Both of us, 49 year old Master Sergeants, just stood there and cried. We couldn’t even talk. We just kept working, in the dark, staging pallets long after flight operations ceased, until there was no more room to stage any more pallets for the next day’s sorties.

I went back at 5am and worked until I had to report for muster. I continued to go back, only stopping for meals and other duty requirements a few times a day. My friend came back whenever he could but he was the lead guitar player and selected as one of the five that went ashore. When the last pallet was airlifted off the ship to Haiti the Navy NCO told me that we were only going to be allowed to fly in donated cargo for four days before the helos would have to start flying US medical equipment back to the ship so we could set sail for the next country. Any donations that were still on board after four days would not go to Haiti but to another country later in the mission. We did it in three days. In fact, more donated supplies were off-loaded in Haiti than were originally planned. No other country was shorted, though, as the ship was restocked by a cargo ship during transit.

My part in the Haiti airlift and the rest of the mission was small in comparison to the amazing work done by the medical professionals, but I can’t help feel that out of all the things I’ve seen and done in my 26 year career this was, by far, my greatest contribution.

When it comes to a jazzy soulful groove, it doesn’t get much groovier than Donaldson. His distinctive blues-drenched alto has been a bopping force in jazz for more than six decades. His early work with trumpeter Clifford Brown is considered one of the first forays into hard bop, and his first recordings with organist Jimmy Smith led to the groove-filled jazz of the 1960s and ’70s.

Donaldson began playing the clarinet at age nine, and by 15 was enrolled in North Carolina A&T College in Greensboro, where he would later receive a BS degree. He was drafted into the United States Navy in 1945 and became a member of the Great Lakes Navy Band — which gave Donaldson the opportunity to play with older musicians such as Clark Terry, Ernie Wilkins, and Luther Henderson — playing both clarinet and alto saxophone. Following his time in the Navy, Donaldson eventually moved to New York City in 1950 on the advice of Illinois Jacquet. He attended the Darrow Institute of Music on the GI Bill but played at the clubs in Harlem at night. Charlie Parker was initially an influence on Donaldson’s sound, as he was on just about every saxophonist who followed him, but the younger musician eventually developed his own style.

Alfred Lion, co-founder of Blue Note Records, heard Donaldson playing at Minton’s Playhouse and invited him to record for his label. First as a sideman with the Milt Jackson Quartet (later the Modern Jazz Quartet), Donaldson was instrumental in bringing Clifford Brown and Horace Silver to Blue Note, and made the recording with Art Blakey, A Night at Birdland, considered one of the first in the hard bop genre. Donaldson was also instrumental in getting many legendary musicians their debut sessions with Blue Note, including Grant Green, Blue Mitchell, John Patton, Ray Barretto, Curtis Fuller, and Donald Byrd.

During the 1950s, Donaldson spent much of his time as a bandleader touring with a band that featured organist John Patton. Donaldson began using the organ-saxophone format exclusively, which led to his recording on Jimmy Smith’s seminal recording of the late 1950s, The Sermon. He has gone on to employ a variety of other great organists through the years, including Lonnie Smith (along with George Benson on Donaldson’s acclaimed recording Alligator Boogaloo), Jack McDuff, Charles Earland, Leon Spencer, Pat Bianchi, and Akiko Tsuruga. The organ-sax groove sound — which Donaldson called “swinging bebop” — helped, for a time, make jazz as popular as it had been during the swing era.

Donaldson is the recipient of an honorary doctorate of letters from his alma mater — now called the North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University — that also awards an annual scholarship in his name to the school’s most gifted jazz musician. He was also inducted into the International Jazz Hall of Fame in 1996, among other honors.

In replacing Joe Bates, I filled the only position for an enlisted band member from CMF 97 (Army Bands) to be assigned to HQ DA, to the Enlisted Personnel Management Directorate (EPMD), Military Personnel Center (MILPERCEN), to manage accessions, assignments and schooling of Army Enlisted Band members.

This position was located in Hoffman One, 2461 Eisenhower Avenue in Alexandria, VA. I was assigned to the Adjutant General Branch, (although the position actually belonged to the Office of Chief of Staff, Army Bands Office), and worked in a cubicle in the AG Branch Office on the 5th floor.

This position accomplished the work done in EPMD, and also served as a representative and advisor for bands with the Chief, Army Bands Staff Office, EPMD and DCSPER at the Pentagon.

During my time in the position I coordinated with LTC Wayne Shipe, MAJ Jack Grogan and SGM John Cathcart, and later, SGM Lou Hurvitz, all of whom, at that time, worked in the Chief, Army Bands Office (they had an office on the 8th floor of Hoffman One), and with folks at the School of Music.

I was always on the phone speaking to enlisted band soldiers and band commanders worldwide about assignments and personnel needs, and with recruiters coordinating enlistments, assignments and schooling of their musician recruits.

The office of Chief, Army Bands was moved to Ft Benjamin Harrison, IN under COL Jon Kindred during my time in that job, but my position in AG Branch at EPMD (Enlisted Personnel Management Directorate), where assignments, accessions and schooling orders were originated, remained in Hoffman One.

And the acronym, MILPERCEN was changed, first to Total Army Personnel Agency (TAPA), and, quickly, changed again to Total Army Personnel Command (TAPC). I think unofficially we called it PERSCOM.

Yes, it was a one of a kind assignment. But there are other veterans who held the position before and after me. I took over for MSG Joe Bates. I don’t remember who had the job before him. After me, there was SFC Greg Caceres(sp?) and SFC Rickey Lumpkin (02F). I don’t know who took over after them, because I had retired, lost touch with the military and took a civilian job.

I know our trumpets were playing Maynard Ferguson charts in the ’70′s, so women in all female rock bands that can cut the parts is not a new concept – it’s just that we were the best kept secret in the Army.

Thank you for thinking of us with your article. It’s not often a male bandsman even knows we existed and that makes your kind words about us that much more special.