FORT MYERS, Fla. (WINK) — One question completely changed the course of one Southwest Florida veteran’s military service.
Denny Black was drafted during the Vietnam War and thought he knew where he was headed. But the Army found out he could play music, and nearly six decades later, the music has never stopped.
Music has been the soundtrack of Black’s life. But back in 1967, it may have also changed it.
“I was in the infantry, and most of the orders were infantry, and you’d be going to Vietnam,” Black said.
Black had been drafted. He finished basic training in El Paso and was waiting to find out what came next.
Then his drill sergeant asked one last question.
“Towards the end, he said, ‘Oh, I forgot. Does anybody play a musical instrument here?’ And I go, ‘Hey, I do,'” Black said.
Black didn’t just play. He had a bachelor’s and master’s degree in music, so instead of a rifle, the Army put an instrument in his hand.
“He said, ‘I’ve got a spot in our band right here in El Paso for you if you’d like.’ And I said yeah. I mean, I wasn’t too excited about having a rifle and going to Vietnam. I mean, I would have done it, but this was — I thought, oh my gosh, this is great,” Black said.
Black eventually joined the Fifth Army Band in Seoul, South Korea, playing alongside other musicians and performing for dignitaries including President Johnson.
“The Fifth Army band was phenomenal,” Black said.
Decades later, the uniform is gone. The orders are gone. But the music never left.
Black still performs across Southwest Florida. This Saturday, he’ll trade the stage for a seat on Honor Flight Mission 30.
“It changed my life for good, and so I’m very appreciative to having served in the service. So I feel blessed about it, quite honestly,” Black said.
From a drill sergeant’s one simple question to a lifetime of music, Black’s story shows how a single moment can shape everything that follows.