Surviving an earthquake, watching a classmate attempt an escape, and having guns pointed at them are just some of the many memories former members of the Midland University Clef Dwellers vocal music group have carried with them for 50 years from their USO tour.

Many of those members will be able to share those experiences during Homecoming weekend Oct. 17-20. More than half of the 15 members who made the trip are expected to return for a reunion, which will also feature a performance with the current Clef Dwellers.

For more than 80 years, United Service Organizations (USO) has worked to provide entertainment, such as actors, musicians, and comedians, to members of the United States Armed Forces and their families. In 1974, 15 members of the Clef Dwellers, along with Gene Nelson, Associate Professor of Music, spent more than seven weeks in Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Guam, and the Philippines performing for U.S. servicemen. 

The Clef Dwellers, who were formed by Nelson in 1963, had taken previous USO tours to the Caribbean, Europe, and to the Northeast Command.

Group members left Fremont on July 21st and did not return until Sept. 9th. In those seven weeks, they built lifelong friendships and memories, many of which will be re-visited on Homecoming weekend.

“It was a life-changing experience for me,” said Cindy (Pace) Nabity ’75, who played piano for the group. “It was my first time away from mom and dad and it really helped me mature as a person.”

Nabity recalls many challenges during the trip, including arriving at a base where their arrival was unexpected, resulting in guns being pointed at them. There was also surviving an earthquake in Japan, as well as some less-than-ideal living conditions at various locations. “I was so grateful that I went,” Nabity said. “We had to go through a lot, but it was all worth it.”

Lon Olson ’76, was a singer and trumpet player for the group. He remembers one of his bandmates attempting an “escape” from one of the military compounds. “We were staying in this compound surrounded by concrete walls and we were told to stay in the compound,” Olson said. “We had a bandmate, who was pretty adventurous, and for some reason he decided he was going to attempt to climb over one of the walls. Well, it didn’t take long before they caught him and brought him back.”

It was a busy schedule for the group as they performed about 50 shows during their time, each to a different audience, which resulted in constant travel. Each show would generally last about an hour and would include a mix of contemporary hits, classic tunes, and patriotic songs.

During their travels, they got to meet dozens of military personnel, some of them very high-ranking officials. One such person was Rear Admiral George Morrison of the U.S. Navy. Not only was Morrison a decorated military man, he was also the father of legendary Doors frontman, Jim Morrison. George and Jim had an estranged relationship and Jim had passed away three years earlier of a suspected overdose.

“He was stationed in Guam and I remember going to his house and having a long visit with him,” Olson said. “Here was a guy who had all this power, but you could tell his heart was broken from losing his son. I remember he kept asking us what the drug culture was like in Nebraska, probably trying his best to encourage us not to use drugs.”

The group performed for all branches of the military and Nabity said no matter the audience, they always felt a warm reception. “We always felt very welcome and I think they appreciated having us there,” she said. 

Both Nabity and Olson have worked to preserve the memories of their trip. Nabity has a scrapbook filled with memorabilia from the tour while Olson kept a daily log of their activities.

Nabity is looking forward to performing with the newest version of the Clef Dwellers, as well as reuniting with some old friends. “Our plan is to sing Oh Happy Day, which was our closing song. I don’t know if what we’re doing could be classified as a performance,” Nabity added with a chuckle. “But we all have a love of music in common, so it will be fun to sing with them.”

Olson is excited to see former group members, many he hasn’t seen since the last reunion 25 years ago. He’s also grateful for the experience they all got to share in half a century ago.

“I remember having a great measure of gratitude for all the people who were serving our country,” Olson said. “Many of the soldiers were our age, but we were able to come back home, while they stayed to serve our country. I knew I grew up a lot that summer and just thinking how lucky we were to live in the United States.”