Christmas music filled the interior of the 101st Airborne Division headquarters building Dec. 7 as the 101st Abn. Div. Band performed for the annual Division Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony, supported by Fort Campbell Morale Welfare and Recreation.
“This event is a great way for us to kick off the holiday season,” said Catherine Walker, special events manager for Fort Campbell MWR, for whom this is the 12th year of supporting the tree lighting ceremony. “MWR assists division with events like these. We’re here to support Families and Soldiers. On behalf of Fort Campbell MWR, we hope the Families have a fabulous holiday season and we look forward to this event again next year.”
Families arrived more than half an hour early to wait in line to visit with Santa Claus at his special 101st Abn. Div. workshop.
“I asked Santa for a Moana doll,” Elise Eddins, 4, daughter of Capt. Monique Eddins, Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 1st Squadron, 33rd Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Abn. Div. “I liked meeting Santa.”
After chatting with Santa, each child picked out an early Christmas gift that was donated by Operation Homefront.
“This is the fifth year we have been giving out toys to kids at this event,” said Operation Homefront volunteer Lisa French. “Operation Homefront does this event to help support the Families and Soldiers. It’s all about giving back to the military community. For me, the best part is that one Soldier who comes in and you see the joy on [his or her] face knowing you helped out – that makes it worth it.”
Walker credits sponsors for supporting events like the division tree lighting ceremony that promote a sense of community for the Army Families. Without sponsors, she said, events like this would not be as grand.
As the sun set, hundreds of Family members and Soldiers gathered around the un-lit Christmas tree on display in the atrium of division headquarters.
“The holiday season is a time to be thankful. Thankful that we live in such a great community – Fort Campbell, Clarksville, Hopkinsville and Oak Grove,” said Brig. Gen. Todd Royar, division deputy commander-support. “This community supports Fort Campbell like no other. What a great night.”
Jasmine Bays and daughters; Julia, Mia and Laura, joined Royar to flip the switch to turn on the lights of the Christmas tree, which marks the beginning of the holiday season for the division.
Bays is the wife of the late Sgt. William Bays, D Company, 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Abn. Div., who died June 10, 2017, from wounds sustained in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, while supporting Operation Freedom’s Sentinel.
Following the tree lighting, the 101st Abn. Div. Band’s Brass Quintet, accompanied by percussionist, Sgt. Daniel Falter, played “Silent Night.”
“I enjoy making a difference,” Falter said. “I get a lot of satisfaction from something that is meaningful to me. We in the band truly love what we do, making music, and we can share that with the community. Seeing their reactions to things we like to do makes it special. Doing events on post is more meaningful to me because we get to support the Families and our local community. On post we get to share our music with those who may otherwise have never heard the band.”