R2C2H2'S RESPONSE TO THE HARLEM HELLFIGHTER ARTICLE AND THE AMERICAN LEGACY EDITOR'S REPLY TO R2C2H2'S RESPONSE

THIS IS A LETTER I WROTE WEDNESDAY MORNING (9/7/05) CONCERNING AN ARTICLE THE AMERICAN LEGACY MAGAZINE JUST DID ABOUT JAMES REESE EUROPE...THIS IS WHAT THE EDITOR OF THE MAGAZINE HAD TO SAY ABOUT IT, NORMALLY SHE ISN'T GOOD AT RESPONDING TO MY E-MAIL, BUT SHE RESPONDED TO ME THIS MORNING!!!
TAKE CARE
R2C2H2
P.S. YOU CAN ALSO PURCHASE AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF R2C2H2'S BOOK, JAMES REESE EUROPE: JAZZ LIEUTENANT BY SENDING A $20 CHECK OR MONEY ORDER TO THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS:R2C2H2/ RONALD HERD IIP.O. BOX 751341MEMPHIS,TN 38175TO PURCHASE A COPY ONLINE PLEASE CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINKS:

Amazon Book Purchase

James Reese Europe: Jazz Lieutenant

Note: forwarded message attached.


website address: http://www.ther2c2h2.com/r2c2h2.html

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Subject: RE: MY RESPONSE TO THE JAMES REESE EUROPE PATHFINDERS ARTICLE
Date: Wed, 7 Sep 2005 10:46:52 -0400
From: "Peterson, Audrey"
To: "ronald herd ii" rcherdii@yahoo.com

Thanks for your letter. Unfortunately, the Pathfinder articles are typically pretty short,else we could have fit much more about Mr.Europe,but thank you for filling us
in!
Best wishes,
Audrey Peterson, Editor

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From:ronald herd ii
Sent:Wednesday, September 7, 2005 3:06 AM
To:Peterson, Audrey
Subject:MY RESPONSE TO THE JAMES REESE EUROPE PATHFINDERS ARTICLE

DEAR AMERICAN LEGACY MAGAZINE,
THANKS FOR THE ARTICLE...I WISHED THAT THE ARTICLE HAD MORE,HIS ACHIEVEMENTS DESERVED MORE RECOGNITION THAN CAN BE PUT IN JUST TWO PAGES...MR.LANDER DID NOT EVEN
MENTIONED THAT JAMES REESE EUROPE WAS GIVEN THE FIRST PUBLIC FUNERAL FOR A BLACK PERSON IN NEW YORK CITY HISTORY,HAS A LEGION POST (JAMES REESE EUROPE LEGION
POST 5)NAMED IN HIS HONOR IN HIS HOMETOWN OF WASHINGTON,D.C....RECRUITED REED PLAYERS FROM PUERTO RICO FOR HIS HARLEM HELLFIGHTERS MILITARY BAND,OR THAT
HIS GROUP WAS THE FIRST BLACK MUSIC GROUP TO RECORD A MUSIC RECORD...HE DID NOT EVEN TALKED ABOUT HOW EUROPE WAS AN INSPIRATION FOR THE GREAT GEORGE GERSHWIN WHO
WHEN HE WAS 7 YEARS OLD USED TO LISTEN TO A YOUNG EUROPE PLAY PIANO AT BARON WILKINS NIGHTCLUB IN HARLEM WHILE SITTING OUTSIDE ON A CURB,OR HIS INFLUENCE ON THE GREAT BLACK MUSICIANS WILL MARION COOK(ANOTHER D.C. NATIVE) AND WILLIE 'THE LION' SMITH
(A MEMBER OF THE HARLEM HELLFIGHTERS) WHO WOULD LATER BECOME IMPORTANT MENTORS TO THE INCOMPARABLE DUKE ELLINGTON (A D.C. NATIVE)...I HAVE JUST WRITTEN,
ILLUSTRATED AND PUBLISHED A BOOK ABOUT EUROPE ENTITLED JAMES REESE EUROPE: JAZZ LIEUTENANT BY R2C2H2 WHICH WAS RECENTLY NAMED TO THE SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTE'S JAZZ
BOOKS FOR KIDS AND YOUNG ADULTS LIST...PEOPLE CAN PURCHASE A COPY FROM HTTP://WWW.AMAZON.COM ...YOU CAN ALSO VISIT MY WEBSITE AT HTTP://WWW.THER2C2H2.COM TO FIND OUT MORE INFO ON THE BOOK AND OTHER BLACK HISTORY
RELATED PROJECTS I AM WORKING ON!!!
JAZZLISTICALLY YOURS,
R2C2H2 a.k.a. Ron Herd II
Memphis,Tn
rcherdii@yahoo.com