The Papa John’s Star Spangled Celebration, organized by John W. “John Boy” Pace, was held Saturday night, September 21 at Oak Grove High School Performing Arts Center. The event was a salute to veterans of all military branches of service and a benefit for the Mississippi Armed Forces Museum at Camp Shelby in Hattiesburg.
Actor and playwright, Gary Grubbs, along with B-95 Radio host, Andy Webb, served as MCs for the evening. Also performing was the Oak Grove High School show choir and ensemble under the direction of Ashley Bolling. A singing Captain America (Jeff Holland) appeared on stage to entertain the audience.
The highlight of the evening was the performance of the Victory Belles from the National WWII Museum in New Orleans. With songs such as “In the Mood,” “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” “The Trolley Song,” “Chattanooga Choo Choo,” and “As Time Goes By,” the rich three-part harmony of Lexi (in Red), Hannah (in White), and Charis (in Blue) took the audience back to the sound of America’s war time sweet hearts, the Andrew Sisters.
Serving as a red, white, and blue stage backdrop for the event were Quilts of Valor handmade by the Pine Belt Quilters of Hattiesburg. A Quilt of Valor was presented to Brigadier General Jeffrey Hammond and US Marine Corp Corporal Madison DeLoach for their service to our country and participation in the community.
According to Pace, the event raised $2,464 for the museum.