Tops In Blue continues to inspire audiences

  • Published
  • By David Porter
  • LAAFB Services
Some 550 music enthusiasts braved the chilling night winds of the Pacific on a Memorial Day weekend to hear Tops In Blue perform on the Fort MacArthur Parade Grounds this past Saturday, May 25. 

Commemorating the Air Force's 60th Anniversary as an independent service, this year's show, The Fly-By, continued the group's grand tradition of dynamic, high-energy entertainment. 

Lt .Gen. Michael Hamel, Space and Missile Systems Center commander, introduced the group. This year marked the first time in recent history that the general public was invited to hear Tops In Blue perform on the base. The audience included a large number of area dignitaries. 

Tops In Blue is unique in that it is an all-active duty U. S. Air Force special unit made up of talented amateur performers selected for their entertainment abilities. It is one of the oldest and most widely traveled groups of its kind. Its popularity has earned the group the title of "America's goodwill ambassadors around the globe." 

The Fly-By is the Tops In Blue 2007 musical salute to the courageous men and women who have served the Air Force since it became a separate service 60 years ago. It is filled with high-tech staging and special effects equipment. 

"This year's show continued Tops In Blue's tradition of quality entertainment that has consistently inspired the Air Force family," said 61st Mission Support Group Services' Director Paul G. Freund. "I was pleased not only with the show itself, but with the turnout of the local community on an important holiday weekend."