WWII vet hears his symphony for first time

■ A World War II veteran was able to hear a symphony he wrote 67 years ago for the first time, when the U.S. Army Orchestra premiered it in Washington, D.C. Retired Col. Harold Van Heuvelen, 93, was inspired by his experiences as a soldier to write a symphony in 1945, but it languished on the shelf for decades and was never performed. When his son Bob found the music in the early 2000s, he launched a campaign to have the Army play it. Its premiere this week drew rapturous applause and a standing ovation for the composer.