Photo: Esther A. Orr, WWII Veteran

PARK CITY, Utah — Esther A. Orr is looking forward to celebrating her 105th birthday in June. She got an early start to her celebration at the concert by the Jazz Ambassadors, a 19-member traveling big band of the United States Army Field Band. This free concert was hosted by Park City Performing Arts at the Eccles Center at Park City High School.

Esther A. Orr enlisted in the United States Army during World War II shortly after the Attack on Pearl Harbor, motivated by a strong desire to help her country. She served as a Staff Sergeant in the Ordnance Department at the Pentagon, working under Colonel Pagter in the Small Arms Division. During her time there, she not only met Dwight D. Eisenhower when he visited the Pentagon but also her husband, Captain Donald F. Orr. Her story reflects a life of service, patriotism, and dedication to her country. “This was a very nice program. Now I have even more to remember,” said the 104-year-old veteran after the concert. She was accompanied by her daughter, Bev Pacal, who is well known in Park City for her decades of work in the Park City School District, and jokes that her mother still scolds her.

The Jazz Ambassadors are traveling across the country by bus to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States of America. They started their tour in Seattle with this program entitled “This We’ll Defend”. Short videos highlighted the contributions of the US military during different wars and conflicts. The band performed songs reflecting the music of the times, ranging from the Tuskegee Airmen’s unofficial motto, “Straighten Up and Fly Right” by Irving Mills and Nat King Cole, to “Manic Depression” by Jimi Hendrix.