Here's the Story of Marine Who Helped Lady Gaga to the Podium during Presidential Inauguration
On the Inauguration Day of President Joe Biden, Marine Corps Capt. Evan Campbell stole the scenes as he helped iconic singer Lady Gaga to the podium right before she belted the national anthem.
There were several unforgettable moments as the 46th US President Joe Biden was sworn-in during the Presidential Inauguration ceremony on January 20, 2021.
However, one of the unexpected viral scenes was captured when Marine Corps Capt. Evan Campbell walked singer Lady Gaga to the podium before singing the national anthem.
Several pictures capturing the moment quickly made their way to the internet as social media memes, with many people in awe of the elegant Marine.
During a recent interview with Task & Purpose, Campbell revealed what makes him most proud of the day is how he was able to give the Marine Corps a great representation. In his words:
"The biggest thing for me is when those memes came out — you know, find someone that looks at you the way she looks at a United States Marines — I took a lot of pride in that."
Campbell, 30, is from San Antonio, Texas, and joined the Marine Corps in 2013. He is the son of a career Marine, and he has revealed joining the Marines was something he wanted to do his entire life.
He served in Iraq in 2016 and was later deployed to Syria from 2017 to 2018. He is currently assigned to Marine Barracks Washington, where he serves as a White House social aide.
The 30-year-old Marine met Lady Gaga 15 minutes before they were meant to walk down to the podium.
Lady Gaga arrives to sing the National Anthem during the inauguration of US President-elect Joe Biden on January 20, 2021 | Photo : Getty Images
Despite his family pedigree and his many years of service in the Marines, Campbell remained anonymous to the world until he escorted famous singer Lady Gaga down a flight of stairs during President Biden's inauguration.
However, Campbell was not initially billed to escort Lady Gaga. A last-minute change had to be made after the inauguration organizers found out about the dress the singer was planning to wear. While speaking to Marine Corps Times, Campbell explained:
"There was some concern with Lady Gaga's, obviously very beautiful but very large dress, that she might have difficulty coming down the stairs."
Campbell, who was scheduled to work at the distinguished guest area on the inauguration day, was eventually chosen to walk Lady Gaga to the podium because he was the tallest of the available service members.
The 30-year-old Marine met Lady Gaga 15 minutes before they were meant to walk down to the podium, but they struck up an instant rapport and even prayed together shortly before her performance.
It turned out to be an excellent performance by the award-winning singer, and Lady Gaga later declared, "It was the honor of my lifetime," during an interview with People.
Meanwhile, Campbell is definitely enjoying his time in the spotlight, but his experience with the songstress has also made him a fan on a personal level.