Parents visit San Francisco to see son play with 1st Marine Division Brass Band during Fleet Week
The 1st Marine Division Brass Band performed at Noe Valley Town Square on Tuesday night – And it was extra special for one marine.
Sgt. Cameron Wanser was one of the stars of the show. He grew up in Pleasant Hill and started playing the saxophone when he was about 10 years old.
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"Before you even join the marine corp, especially as a MEOPer, which is a musician essentially. You have to audition, you have to meet a certain level in order to get in," Wanser said.
That's just one of the steps he went through to get here.
"Once you meet that requirement, you go to boot camp. After that, you go to marine combat training. And then you would go to the school of music where you would learn even more, and you have to pass that in order to be in a situation we're in. We're in the fleet," he said.
His mom and dad were watching from the front row.
"My heart is full right now," said Chrissy Wanser, who was recording the performance.
Chrissy and Randy Wanser are Cameron's parents. They live in Texas now, but they used to live in the Bay Area.
"We've hardly missed a show since 4th grade. We're not going to start missing them now. We're kind of like a groupie," Randy Wanser said.
Kids were captivated by the music too, sometimes walking to the front to dance. The band even played personally for kids who were curious like Amrah.
"It's great music. It's great to see them in the community. It's great to see the military is an active part of society as well," said Saurabh Sharma, Amrah's dad.
The band received loud applause at the end, and there were warm hugs between Cameron Wanser and his family and friends afterward. For him, he was happy to have the opportunity to play.
"It's amazing. It's why I joined – to play for the people," he said.
