'Singing Trooper' Gives Patriotic Lift to Elks Commemoration
 Photo by Keith Bona
Dan Clark, 'The Singing Trooper,' moved Elks members to tears on Sunday at the annual observance of the nation's fallen servicemen and -women. |
Usually held outdoors at the Elk on the Trail Memorial, the event was moved to the lodge at 100 Eagle St., where nearly 200 Elks and guests from across Massachusetts and New York and representatives from the state police from the Cheshire barracks came to honor
the nation's fallen soldiers.
Each lodge, some from as far away as Hyannis, brought a floral wreath to be placed next to the Elk on the Trail Memorial, located on Whitcomb Summit in Florida. The usual doves of peace and 21-gun salute had to be passed up, but the event was made memorable by the powerful vocals of a special guest.
Dan Clark, "The Singing Trooper," recognized for his patriotic and Irish songs, entertained the crowd with stories and tunes. With his military and law enforcement experience behind him, Clark is now a full-time entertainer and continues to travel the country. During his tenure with the state police he performed at more than 2,500 federal, state, local and military functions and for five years could be heard on "Radio Disney" as promoting safety for children as "Trooper Dan."
In 1988, then Gov. Michael Dukakis heard Clark sing at the funeral for a fallen officer and introduced him to Kitty Dukakis' father, maestro Harry Ellis Dickson of the Boston Pops. Five years later, he was invited for his first appearance with the Pops to sing "America the Beautiful" on the occasion of the song's 100th anniversary. He and Dickson performed many times together and he was later profiled in People Magazine and appeared on the "Rosie O'Donnell Show" and the "Donnie and Marie Show," where he sang "Danny Boy" with Donnie Osmond. He retired from the state police in 2005 to pursue a singing career.
"I saw tears in the audience when he told the story of 'Danny Boy' followed with song," said Exalted Ruler Doug Merrick. Clark ended with a hymn from each of the military branches. As a hymn was sung, veterans from those branches stood proud and were applauded by those in attendance.
"My son was so moved by his patriotic songs he was thrilled to get an autographed CD to hear it all again," said
Elk member Keith Bona.
Several Elk members spoke during the hourlong ceremony with poems, letters from fallen soldiers, and expressed gratitude to those serving today.
