By Wendy Cai

The words “army band” typically generate images of young men playing the piccolo, marching with a battalion during the Revolutionary War.  Very few people realize that the United States Army once employed a full symphony orchestra. 

From 1952 to 1962, there existed the 7^th Army Symphony Orchestra (7ASO) that performed solely in Europe.  The orchestra was formed in Germany to serve as “America’s Musical Ambassadors” as a way to let the Germans (and the rest of Europe) know that Americans were just as artistically refined as their European counterparts. 

Westerville resident Mel Ponzi was part of the 7ASO for two seasons from 1956 to 1957, playing the string bass.  After he graduated from The Ohio State University with a double major in string bass and tuba in 1954, Ponzi went off to West Point and joined the band.  Within months, he was transferred to Germany and that’s when his journey with the 7ASO began. 

During his two-year stint with the orchestra, Ponzi had the opportunity to travel throughout Europe and perform for troops of all nationalities.  He remembers his most memorable performance—playing in 1957 at the American Army Barracks. 

“It was an unannounced concert, and when we got in there the conductor told us we were going to be playing Mendelssohn, which hadn’t been played in Germany since before World War II because he’s Jewish,” Ponzi recalls. “I think it was almost a trap to single out the remaining Nazi soldiers because when we started playing, about 20 people stood up and left.”

Ponzi left the orchestra in July of 1957, at the end of his tour of duty, but that hasn’t stopped him from playing.  He has been very active with the OSU Alumni Band, playing the tuba, and has even dotted the “i” of Script Ohio during half time at the band reunion game in 1988. 

His 7ASO days are far from over, however.  In 2006, Ponzi hosted the 55^th Anniversary Reunion in Columbus, complete with a concert at Otterbein College. 

Four of the original conductors, Sam Adler, John Canarina, Ralph Lane and Edward Alley, are plated to make an appearance at this year’s reunion.  Adler was the very first conductor and Canarina wrote and published a book in 1998 called Uncle Sam's Orchestra: Memories of the Seventh Army Symphony.

The 7ASO has been putting on reunions and concerts since 1977, its 15^th anniversary.  They have gone to places all across America like Portland, Oregon and Washington DC.  Ponzi, his wife, and a group of 15 other 7ASO members even took a cruise together in 2007 to the Caribbean. 

“I have met so many great people from being a part of the 7ASO,” says Ponzi.  “These are friends that you know will stay with you always.  It doesn’t matter how far apart we are, Florida, Portland, New York, we will always find time to get together and have a good time.”

Wendy Cai is a contributing writer for Westerville Magazine.