USAFE band member discovers family history on Memorial Day

WWE opens Raw with a Memorial Day 10-bell salute: Raw, May 30, 2016
NORTH AFRICA AMERICAN CEMETERY, Tunisia (AFNS) -- "My entire family always wondered what happened to him, said Senior Airman Colby Fahrenbacher, referring to his great-uncle who went missing during World War II. I always looked for his name whenever I played a memorial.

Fahrenbacher, a tuba player in the U.S. Air Forces in Europe Band, grew up hearing stories about his great-uncle Merle Noffsinger, who served with the Army Air Force. The bands smaller brass quintet, including Fahrenbacher, performed during a Memorial Day ceremony to honor the 2,800 fallen Americans buried in Tunisia and recognized more than 3,000 missing in action. The Memorial Day ceremony served to remember the Allies liberation and reaffirm America"s continued commitment to a free, prosperous and secure Tunisia.

I checked the wall of the missing in action here at Africa"s only American cemetery, and there it was. His name was right there staring back at me. I couldn"t believe it, Fahrenbacher said.

Finding his great-uncles name provided some answers for Fahrenbachers family.

Noffsinger was born March 18, 1921, in Bond County, Illinois. He enlisted with his brother Herschel on the same day, Nov. 24, 1941, as an airplane mechanic and later became a gunner and bombardier on the B-24 Liberator. Noffsinger had flown more than 100 missions and received the Air Medal and Distinguished Flying Cross. He was shot down on a mission over the Mediterranean Sea May 1, 1943. He had just written a letter to his mother April 23, 1943, informing her had had been promoted to the rank of technical sergeant, and that he would be returning home soon.

When Fahrenbacher found his great-uncles name on the wall of the missing, he was excited to be able to share the news with Noffsingers sister-in-law Alvena Noffsinger, who is 92 years old and resides in Vandalia, Illinois.

"My family visited her a lot while I was growing up, and my mother talks to her often," Fahrenbacher said. "She always believed that Merle would return someday. Not knowing for certain what happened to him was tough on her. This will be a very special Memorial Day for her."

Finding Noffsingers name had an impact on the band members as well.

"It was a very emotional moment for Colby and for all of us in the band," said Staff Sgt. Matthew Kirkpatrick, the music director of the USAFE Band"s Five Star Brass quintet. "Having something tangible right there in front of you really serves to memorialize the sacrifices these heroes made so that we may all enjoy the freedoms we celebrate every day."

For Fahrenbacher, honoring fallen military members is a typical part of any Memorial Day ceremony, but learning about his great-uncle created a personal connection.

"This is a Memorial Day I will never forget," Fahrenbacher said. "My great-uncle Merle paid the ultimate sacrifice. He gave his own life for a bigger cause. His memory will stay with me forever."

Source: http://www.af.mil/News/ArticleDisplay/tabid/223/Article/784983/usafe-band-member-discovers-family-history-on-memorial-day.aspx

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Memorial Day: Find Events Around SoCal

Memorial Day Message: Make The Right Choice

It isn"t every day of the week when one witnesses thousands of carnations drifting down from the sky above.

But if you"re at the Palm Springs Air Museum on Monday, May 30, you will see the sight, which is as stirring a Golden State tradition as Memorial Day observances come.

Ready to find your place to reflect, show your gratitude, and honor the day, which is built on the foundation of remembering those who have served? Then make for...

Long Beach: The unveiling of a memorial is always a major moment, and one such moment is happening at Rosie the Riveter Park over several hours on Monday, May 30. The Honoring the Fallen Memorial Wall will make its debut via the reading aloud of all 6,864 names (starting at 6 a.m.). The wall pays tribute to the "nearly 7,000 military service members killed in action since the 9/11 attacks..." and the official unveiling is at 4 o"clock.

Brentwood: Support the early-in-the-day Walk for Warriors by coming out and cheering those making their way around a 3.1-mile route at the Veterans Affair Campus. Can"t join the walk but still want to show your support? Donate at New Directions for Veterans now.

Rancho Palos Verdes: Several memorial parks and cemeteries throughout Southern California will host remembrances, and the Green Hills Memorial Park is the location for one of the largest. It begins at 10 a.m., a "moving tribute to our fallen service men and women," a tribute that will include speeches as well as fly-overs.

Huntington Beach: The Huntington Beach High School Band will play at the Pier Plaza on May 30 as residents gather to remember those locals who gave their lives in service. Bagpipers will also be on hand, and a rifle salute is expected at the 11 a.m. ceremony. A Memorial Day Walk is also part of the day.

Palm Springs: This large celebration revs up at 10 a.m., with speeches, vintage plane fly-overs, medal presentations, and more. The Flower Drop Memorial Service begins promptly at 1 o"clock, when some 3,000 carnations will fall to the area near the airport. Guests may take one home, to remember.

Canoga Park: The city hosts one of the largest of Southern California"s Memorial Day observances each year, in its grand band-filled parade. There are floats, and displays of community and fun, and more, all under the thematic banner of "Saluting the Price of Freedom." The opening ceremony is at 10, with the parade to follow at 11.

Boyle Heights: One especially emotional display of the day happens at Los Cinco Puntos Memorial Park each year, when a 24-hour "stand guard" is held at the memorial found there, an obelisk to those who have served in every war. The vigil began on Sunday morning and will conclude at 10 a.m. on Memorial Day.

Pico Rivera: If you or your loved one served in the Korean War, consider attending the Memorial Day Ceremony at the city"s Veterans Monument on Monday, May 30 at 10 o"clock. While the day is for all veterans and their families, the 2016 observance will include a special tribute to those who served in the 1950-1953 war.

San Pedro: While no specific Memorial Day plans are in the works for the USS Iowa, it has become local tradition for veterans and their families to pay the ship a visit on Memorial Day. It did serve in World War II -- "the battleship of presidents" is its nickname -- and it is open for tours and more on Monday, May 30.

Queen Mary: The battleship"s nearest WWII neighbor, the Queen Mary, has a package deal for visiting both, but if you just want to do the Long Beach landmark, you"ll get in free on May 30 with your military ID. The ocean-liner was called into service during the war, and its historical displays are impressive and moving, both.

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Source: http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Memorial-Day-Find-Events-Around-SoCal-381290981.html

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