American Freedom Festival: San Diego 2012

3rd Annual American Freedom Festival San Diego
May 26, 2012
USS Midway Museum

In the Party of the Year celebration for our Veterans and military, the American Freedom Festival San Diego kicked off the Memorial Day weekend with a huge bang with World Classic Rockers and Three Dog Night.  What a night!!

SMA (R) Tilley got things started with USS Midway Museum President and CEO, RADM (R) Mac McLaughlin, welcoming the crowd and giving us a brief history lesson on this wonderful monument – the USS Midway.  It is such a gorgeous and appropriate backdrop for this great event.

Bagpiper Larry Samuels led us in the National Anthem and Pastor David Plank gave our invocation.  Laurel Tsirimokos wrote, directed and narrated our traditional tribute to our military with a moving flag ceremony featuring the cadet ROTC corp.  It was a wonderful way to set the tone for the event.

Our beloved friend, supporter and board member, actress Karri Turner, introduced World Classic Rockers. Hit after hit by the original performers from Steppenwolf, Boston, Santana, Journey and Lynyrd Skynyrd had the crowd on their feet from the first note.  Everyone raved about their performance. 

SMA Tilley then brought to the stage, the President and CEO of our presenting sponsor, SKYDEX – Mr. Mike Buchen and his wife, Carol.  Their generosity and patriotism was even more evident this evening as he presented us with a check for $20,000.  Together they presented $50,000 to Veterans Village of San Diego, Big Brothers Big Sisters of San Diego County, San Diego Armed Services YMCA, Got Your Back Network and United Through Reading.

The crowd’s anticipation of our headline act, Three Dog Night, was at feverish pitch. They were about ready to explode.  Sam Bass, midday announcer from our media sponsor, KYXY, took the stage to introduce this iconic act.  And no one was disappointed.  They delivered a memorable set featuring some of the classic hits in rock history. 

After their set the crowd issued a collective “WHEW”! as they caught their breath from this high energy and high voltage evening from World Classic Rockers and Three Dog Night.

A big shout out goes out to the USS Midway staff and crew for their amazing help and support of this event, to all our sponsors who helped make the event possible and to our audience and military who made it all worthwhile. 

The American Freedom Foundation has created a marvelous tradition aboard the USS Midway Museum on Memorial Day.  With memorable evenings like this, we know it will continue for a long time to come!