The Magic of Patriotism

William entertains a group of local Iraqi children in one of the many shows he put on while serving in Iraq

The Magic of Patriotism is a show which encourages children to learn more about American history, and what it means to be an American.  Using magic as a learning tool, audiences will learn many facts about our Nation and the patriotic symbols that define who we are. At the end of each trick there is a quick “check on learning” where a child gets to tell what their favorite part of the trick was, and what the favorite thing they learned was.  Each volunteer will get a small American flag to keep as a special souvenir.

Routines/tricks include lessons on the American flag and what the colors represent, the value of freedom, respect for others and their different beliefs, the celebration of diversity and patriotic symbols of America i.e. The Bald Eagle, The Statue of Liberty, and even good ol` apple pie.  All are taught with magic helping to move the stories along.  The show also features live birds and rabbits which will “magically” appear and disappear during the show.

How is William Scott Anderson qualified to teach a lesson on patriotism?

A little Iraqi girl looks astonished during one of William's overseas performances

William S. Anderson has been performing magic since the late 90’s.  He spent his first 5 years in the Army as a military police officer, with 2 years spent teaching the D.A.R.E. program at 5 different elementary schools in and around Fort Lewis, Washington.  He is a volunteer firefighter and a nationally registered paramedic in his home town of Canby, Oregon.  He was honorably discharged from the service in the summer of 2001.

William poses with a group of Iraqi's after the show

After the attacks on September 11th, William was back in uniform with the Oregon National Guard going through medic training and then off to Afghanistan where he worked on a medical evacuation helicopter as a flight medic.  Shortly after returning home from Afghanistan “William was selected to attend flight school for the U.S. Army.  He took a year and a half off of college and went to Fort Rucker, Alabama where he trained to become a UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter pilot.  He currently is a medical evacuation pilot for the Oregon Guard.

Where's William? The crowd loves the Illusions of Anderson

During his most recent deployment to Iraq William came up with a new idea for a show.  Though his primary focus in magic has been large theatrical stage productions he invented the roll of “Sergeant Stripes” (Stars & Stripes) and developed an educational show for children.  Taking many of the tricks he learned years ago, and reinventing them to deliver a strong message about taking pride in who you are, and respecting those that came before you.  William has spent the last 14 years in the military, has worked in law enforcement and the fire service, is a veteran of 2 wars, and has traveled with the military throughout Asia, Europe, and all over the United States.  He truly knows what it means to be an American, and he would love to share this with your audiences as well.