OCR Text |
Show 2 Htop,i 16 July 1S99 Buzz win whenever Hill airman sings ir by Lisa Ryan Hilltop Times staff Sl I Every time that SrA. Brian Tuzzolino has sung the National Anthem at a Salt Lake Buzz baseball game, the team has won. And what's more amazing is that he has only been singing for a year. SrA. Brian Tuzzolino sings the "Star Spangled Banner" at Franklin Quest Field in Tuzzolino, a personnel readiness clerk with the 75th and poses with "Buzzy" the team mascot Mission Support Squadron, has never had any formal "Even my family had no idea that I could sing," he voice training. His most recent performance was at said. That's how shy I was growing up about it They 10. the Ogden Raptors game July were completely shocked. He first saw an advertisement for open auditions to mother was a singer in a band in the late 1950's "My in Buzz for Lake Tribune the the Salt last sing year. and my brother John plays the guitar, so we're some"I told my wife Christina about the auditions and she told me to go for it." Tuzzolino said. "Without her. I what musical," Tuzzolino said. 01' Blue Eyes is Tuzzolino's main influence as well V tLl never would have sung in front of anyone. I sang for as artists like Dean Martin, Tony Bennett and Harry I her and she told me how good was." His audition went well despite the fact that he had Connickjr. "Sinatra had incredible stage presence and confiMM never sung into a stadium sound system before. f dence. When he performed, he was in charge and you "The echo was different." Tuzzolino said. "But there Tuzzolino said. knew was "The of voice his it," range was realiy no way to prepare for it. I just concenand being from New Jersey like I am, that trated on each note and blocked out the echo. And now. amazing either." doesn't hurt the echo isn't even a distraction." His favorite Sinatra song is "The Best is Yet To Come." After Tuzzolino sang last year, the Buzz invited him "The Best is Yet to Come, and won 't that be fun, back to sing this season. Several members of his unit "The Best is Yet to Come, the day you're mine. " were in attendance. "The lyric of this song is almost a celebration," TuzIn preparation for his first performance last year, said. "It's a song about how everything is zolino he said he just sang the song over and over again until but that's it's only the start of something now, great "I felt comfortable with it and thought I had all of the great. notes down as best I could." Tuzzolino said. "I like any performer that you can tell that they're "I sing in the shower." Tuzzolino laughed. "IT rehearse their heart and sClil into what they're singing," putting anywhere I can." I with the National But there are a lot of people that still don't know that Tuzzolino said. "And try to do that It try to bring a sense of pride and honor to Anthem. Tuzzolino sings. it." sf f?t Photo by MSgt Larry liollnarl Sari Lake City, prior to a recent Buzz game, xMA f MllUlllllilm Veteran receives war medals 53 years afterward by Lisa Ryan Hilltop Times staff Cecil G. Ash spent 11 months in a German prisoner of war camp and was liberated by Gen. George Patton's army in 1945. And he never received any medals for his courage that is until this year. Maj. Gen. Rich Roellig. Ogden ALC commander, presented Ash with the Prisoner of War and Air Medal at a July 6 ceremony at the Hill AFB Officers Club. It was Ash's son. Dale, who had some contacts at the Air Force Academy, mat was instrumental in helping his father get his medals. Ash said he was never interested in receiving the medals, but Dale wanted them to be able to pass on to his children. Ash. a resident of Provo. at first was hesitant about coming and receiving his medals --but was glad he came to the ceremony after all. This had brought back a lot of memories for me," Ash said. "And I get a chance to see how things in the military are done today. "And anybody who has been in the military has a deep something down inside when that Air Force Song plays." Ash said, pointing to his stomach. "You rise to the occasion. I don't care where you are." Ash's story is chronicled in a book. " . or the Duration," a compilation of stories from World 1 1"ar II veterans who live in L'tah County. Ash's story begins with a bombing run over Munchen-dor- f Airdrome in Austria. May 2 4. 1944. After a successful run. Bombardier Ash's aircraft had taken some flak and the pilot told ev eryone to bail out "I dropped to the floor of the plane and watched the meter that tells you when the bombs are leaving the racks." Ash said. "I watched every bomb leave." Instead of the conventional parachute issued to airmen in those days where the pack was on the front. Ash opted to wear an experimental chute because he could get across the catwalk (near the bombs) with it on. "When I bailed out I started to fall and I saw the fellow above me open his chute, so I figured I'd better pull mine." Ash said. But there was one problem. "I pulled the ripcord and nothing happened." Ash continued. "I was falling fast and I yanked it as hard as I could and the ripcord had broken off and I thought I had broken it But then "pop, it opened." The chute Ash was wearing was secured by nine pins, instead of the usual three pins. So he had to pull all nine pins for the chute to open. B-2- 4 " I He drifted down wind of the field they had just bombed and landed in some trees. He couldn't get out of the chute so he had to swing hard against an embankment to release the pressure on the lock. He started to run and noticed a circle of people coming toward him. They had pitch forks, clubs and a few guns. Most were civilians, except for two German enlisted soldiers. He decided to get rid of his pistol in case they shot him with his own weapon. "I finally worked the gun out of the holster and dropped it into my pant leg and kicked h out of the bottom, covered it with curt and walked a few yards away from it" Ash said. The two German soldiers searched him and were happy to take Ash's two first aid kits. At this point in the war, medical supplies were scarce for the Germans. Ash had stocked them with extra morphine and penicillin. After leaving Austria. Ash spent a month at an interrogation camp in Frankfurt His interrogator asked him a lot of questions, but all Ash gave them was his name, rank and serial number. He was then taken to Sagan. actually in Poland, to a prison built for downed American airmen. He lived in the West Compound of Stalag Luft number three. During this time, young Ash read a lot of books. Ash and his fellow prison-er- s had to march to another camp because Russian artillery fire was close. Photo by Gregg wlxom Veteran Cecil G. Ash, with his wife Zola, received the Prisoner of War and Air Medal for his courage and service during World War II. At left Is Bombardier Ash Nov. 9, 1943. They ended up in a camp near Munich. A month before being liberated, the Allied Forces were getting close and the camp members were used as a shield. But then the German artillery fire was gone. By April 29, 1945, the prisoners were evacuated from the camp to board a flight to France. But they ended up staying at the camp because there was no counter attack by the Germans. The most exciting day for Ash came on the second day of the liberation. He was in the latrine when someone shouted. "General Patton is in the camp." "So I ran out of the building and around the corner," Ash said. "I hit this big man, 2 or 3, about 200 pounds. I bounced of f of him like a brick wall and landed on my backside. Then I saw the pearl handle on his revolver and the stars. Patton took my hand and pulled me to my feet "Are you all right son?" Patton asked. "Sure, sir." Ash answered. Patton walked away with a lot of prisoners following him. After retiring from the military. Ash went on to receive a PH.D in biology and soils from the University of Wisconsin. He worked for the Army for the next 30 years, becoming a GS15. He retired from the Army in 1980. He was then hired to write the regulations to implement the Congressional Environmental Policy Act (Some information provided by "For the Duration. ') |