For Release: May 14 , 2007
With the war in Iraq now in its fourth year and thousands of U.S. troops still stationed in Afghanistan, the brave military personnel who put their lives on the line to serve the country are a vital concern for many Americans this year. The National Memorial Day Concert honors all those men and women who have served , or lost their lives serving, in the U.S. military . The concert airs live from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol, Sunday, May 27 at 9 / 8 p.m. C T on KET1 before an expected on-site audience of more than 300,000. It can also be seen overseas on American Forces Radio and Television Network by U.S. military personnel in more than 175 countries\~and aboard more than 200 U.S. Navy ships at sea.
T his year's event will focus on the men and women who have been injured in the line of duty and will examine the history of the b urial ground of Arlington National Cemetery. A ctors Gary Sinise and Joe Mantegna co-host this tribute to America's heroes. Gen . Colin Powell will lead a timely examination of the impact of the Iraq war on wounded soldiers and their families, especially as they contend with long-term disabilities and vastly changed expectations for the future. The program will also look at Arlington's Section 60, which now serves as the final resting place for those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Once again , the National Memorial Day Concert will feature uplifting musical pe rformances, documentary footage, dramatic readings and a line-up of dignitaries, actors and musical artists, including Powell, who will ask the nation to lend its support to the long-term wounded and their families; singer and songwriter Natalie Cole; Academy A ward-winning actress Dianne Wiest; and countr y music sensation Josh Turner , among others. T he U.S. j oint c hiefs of s taff will play a special role in the concert, along with an Armed Forces Color Guard and color guard teams from each branch of the armed services provided by the Military District of Washington.
National Memorial Day Concert (2007) is a c o-produc tion of Jerry Colbert of Capital Concerts and WETA / Washington, D . C. More information about KET programming and education services, as well as how to support KET, can be found at www.ket.org.