The patriotic music group rolled into Indianapolis on Tuesday and made American Legion National Headquarters their first stop.
The 4TROOPS tour bus rolled into Indianapolis on Tuesday, where the music group’s first stop was The American Legion National Headquarters.
Meredith Melcher, Ron Henry, David Clemo and Tony Gentilo – filling in for Daniel Jens, who’s on a temporary leave of absence – enjoyed a guided tour of the office of National Commander Jimmie Foster, the Emil Blackmore Museum and the National Executive Committee’s meeting room. They also saw a display dedicated to the memory of Past National Commander Harry Colmery, architect of the original GI Bill of Rights.
Arrangements for the tour were made during the Legion’s 92nd National Convention in Milwaukee, where 4TROOPS performed in concert. During the visit, Gentilo – a former sergeant who served in Kuwait and Iraq with the Army Material Command Band – became the newest member of The American Legion.
4TROOPS will perform tonight at the Murat Theatre in Indianapolis as part of the quartet’s 60-city fall concert tour. While in town, group members signed copies of their first and only book, “4TROOPS: The Mission is Music,” at a local Barnes and Noble store.
The book features 120 photographs, biographies and personal stories of the four soldiers, as well as background on how they came together as a group and recorded their self-titled debut album, released May 11.
A former captain, Melcher served as a platoon leader in Iraq, overseeing ambulance evacuations of wounded Americans and Iraqis. Jens, a former sergeant, enlisted after 9/11 and did a tour in Iraq before becoming a finalist on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent.” Henry served with the 101st Airborne in Iraq and retired as a staff sergeant. Clemo, also a former sergeant, provided communications and logistics support for the 18th Airborne in Afghanistan.
Tomorrow, 4TROOPS will head to Milwaukee for a Friday night performance. Other November stops will include Jefferson, Wis., Effingham, Ill., Baton Rouge, La., and Newberry, S.C.
Sony Music will donate 50 cents from each sale of 4TROOPS’ albums in the United States to organizations that support veterans and their families. The donations will be split equally among The American Legion’s Legacy Scholarship Fund, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund (IFHF) and the USO.
For a list of 4TROOPS tour cities and dates, click here.
4TROOPS’ debut album is available for purchase online at the 4TROOPS Store, Amazon, iTunes and Barnes and Noble.
- Troops