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Colonel John R. Bourgeois, USMC (Ret.), was 25th Director of “The President’s Own” United States Marine Band. His acclaimed career spanned nine presidential administrations, from Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower to Bill Clinton. He was appointed Director of the Marine Band in 1979, and remained there until his retirement from active duty in 1996. Seems he has a story or two to tell.<\/p>\n
Poetrooper sends.<\/p>\n
By Ed Timperlake<\/strong><\/p>\n Col. John R. Bourgeois, USMC (ret.) has just had his autobiography published: Play On! A Marine’s Musical Journey from the Bayou to the White House. Colonel Bourgeois was the twenty-fifth director of the Marine band, known as the President’s Own. Since its founding with the birth of our country, there have been only twenty-eight directors, including the legendary John Phillip Sousa. As he points out in his autobiography, the Marine Band is the oldest musical organization of any type in the United States and “[t]he Director of the Marine Band is the music advisor to the White House[.] … He is the authority regarding proper ceremonial music and protocol for state occasions and other ‘in house’ activities.”<\/p>\n As former Marine commandant Charles Krulak said with a profound grasp of history, “[o]nly two names stand alone as the epitome of professionalism, musical acumen, creativity, and leadership: John Phillip Sousa and John R. Bourgeois.”<\/p>\n As the title says, John Bourgeois made his was from a wonderful part of America alive with all kinds of music; New Orleans and southern Louisiana, to enlist in the United States Marine Corps during the Eisenhower Presidency. The reason why this book is so significant in today’s revisionist virtue-posturing cancel culture, enforced by many lesser lights writing in our current American arts and letters forums, is that with grace insight and dignity John Bourgeois’s journey as Director brought him into direct contact with many presidents. There is a very powerful uniquely American historical legacy captured by his life’s journey.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n The good Colonel deserves an award for serving in the White House during the Clinton years, and that’s all I’ll say. Read the rest of he article here: The American Thinker<\/a><\/p>\n Thanks, Poe.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"