If someone were to ask me, "What is the most memorable JAS event for you?"
I could answer without hesitation. It is the JAS Monument Dedication Ceremony.
It was held on 19th November 2018.
This event marked the 60th anniversary of JAS.
JAS Yamaguchi presented a monument to JAS Iwakuni.
During the ceremony, I was responsible for operating the P.A. system and taking photos and videos.
I was so nervous that I couldn't capture the scene during the Japanese national anthem.
As always, the schedule was not provided in writing, and nobody informed me.
Consequently, I faced difficulties due to a lack of information, such as the number of speakers scheduled to give speeches.
The only thing I knew was that I had to play both national anthems—the American anthem first, followed by the Japanese anthem—from my iPhone.
- How many seconds should there be between both anthems?
- When do I have to press the button to play it?
- What if I accidentally play the wrong song?
- I think the media are going to be present, don't you think?
I couldn't sleep well the night before the event.
At that time, I was accustomed to operating the P.A. system for small events, so I didn’t have any issues with tasks like wiring. Just to be sure, I checked their equipment three days in advance. The president, Bobby, had the same thought and checked the equipment in his own way.
We were on the same page again.
I deleted all the songs from my iPhone except for both national anthems a few days before.
The day before the event, Bobby called me to delete all songs without anthems.
This way, we each did our best in preparation from our respective positions.
On that day, I took the day off from work for this event. When it was all over, I felt very satisfied, and the event was a success. I felt great being there in the moment. Even now, when I look back, I feel proud that I was a part of it.