Arlington, Va. (June 27, 2018) - - 100 years of "Mateship" was celebrated between Australia and the United States at Twilight Tattoo in Conmy Hall at Joint Base Myer - Henderson Hall.
This special presentation of the hour long military pageant was hosted by Gen. Joseph Dunford, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Dunford was joined by His Excellency Joe Hockey, Ambassador of the Commonwealth of Australia to the United States, Senator the Honorable Michaelia Cash, Australian Minister for Jobs and Innovation, and Lt. Gen. Angus Campbell, Chief of the Australian Army.
This Twilight Tattoo performance included the songs "I Am Australian" and "I still call Australia Home" and Australian Soldiers performed alongside their American counterparts from the 3rd Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard).
The American and Australian armed forces have a long history of working together and fighting alongside one another from the time of World War I through contemporary conflicts.
The 100th year of Mateship is celebrated on July 4, as this date marks the first time Australian and American troops fought side by side in battle, at the Battle of Hamel on the Western Front in France during the First World War.
Since that date, a century ago, Australian and American Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen have served alongside each other in every major conflict.
Today, United States Marines are stationed in Darwin and Australian and American forces are working together in Afganistan, Iraq and Syria.
According to the Australian Embassy, the mateship forged in battle is the bedrock of a unique contemporary relationship across many shared fields of endeavour.
Twilight Tattoo is an hour-long military pageant featuring Soldiers from the 3rd U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard) and The U.S. Army Band "Pershing's Own" and is performed on Summerall Field at JBM-HH.
Audiences experience a glimpse into American history through performances by the U.S. Army Blues, vocalists from the U.S. Army Band, the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, and the U.S. Army Drill Team.
All Twilight Tattoo performances are free and open to the public. For more information on group reservations, contact MDW Public Affairs at (202) 685-2888.
Twilight Tattoo performances begin at 7 p.m. Pre-ceremony pageantry begins at 6:30 p.m. Performances are located at Summerall Field or inside Conmy Hall on JBM-HH depending on the weather so please check the http://twilight.mdw.army.mil/home web site prior to attending a show for location changes.
There are no shows on July 4 and July 11.
There are three remaining shows: July 18, July 25, August 1
**Tentative schedule for planning purposes only. Dates and times are subject to change. **
Social Sharing