MOUNT VERNON, Va. - The Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps alumnus Donald Francisco played the fife for the Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall-based ceremonial unit for more than two decades. Yet retirement from the military has given the veteran fifer the opportunity to still tell the Army story through music.
Now a historical interpreter and fifer at George Washington's Mount Vernon, Francisco's audience included the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall during the royals' March 18 visit to the northern Virginia estate. The circumstances behind the impromptu concert were complete happenstance following a wreath-laying ceremony at Washington's tomb. With fife in hand, Francisco performed "God Save the Queen" for the appreciative royal couple.
"Basically, my job was to play background music-just to be heard, not to be seen," Francisco said of his role in the royal visit to Mount Vernon. "If we were free, we could go down to the tomb ceremony. I chose to watch the tomb ceremony. When he finished laying the wreath, he walked past my way.
"He just asked me about music and my uniform, and I showed him a picture when I was with The Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps when I played at The White House for the Queen, his mother," he added.
Francisco played for Queen Elizabeth II in 2007 and was involved with hundreds of heads of state ceremonies at the White House during his 22-year career with The Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps.
Since retiring, Francisco is a firm believer that he and his fife are still goodwill ambassadors for the military.
"I play for veterans of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines and Coast Guard," he said. "We have large veteran crews that come through. I'm able to play their service songs, and I'm able to relate to the stories they tell. We're all connected."
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