Illinois Army National Guard's 144th Army Band Gets Downpour of Support from Beecher, Illinois

The farming community of Beecher, Illinois, doubles, even triples, in size every July 4 drawing people from throughout the region to celebrate our Nation's Independence in this slice of Americana on the prairie.
The 250th Birthday of America was no different, except the rain, a lot of rain.
But there was the Illinois Army National Guard's 144th Army Band marching and playing Patriotic music through the downpour.
The band played on - and sounded great - as about an inch of rain and high winds descended upon the community. The crowds of spectators huddled under tents as children played in puddles - well attired in bathing suits. They all cheered as the band and an Army National Guard truck from the 2nd Battalion, 122nd Field Artillery Regiment weaved its way through the neighborhoods of Beecher, a community that refused to allow a little rain, well, A LOT of rain, spoil America's 250th Birthday Party.