Couple's passion for pyrotechnics spans nearly three decades

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SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- “It brings the community together. You know, it's the Fourth of July.”

Chaiowa Chende and his family are celebrating this holiday weekend taking in the red, white, and "boom."

"We used to go hunting when they were little just like this one him so, it's his time now. The programing it's not like the old school way. Run here go light it up there,” said Chende.

Helping usher in the new digital age of fireworks technology, its James and Janae Potter who celebrated 40 years of marriage on July 2nd.

“My wife always gets fireworks on her anniversary. Who wouldn't want that right?” said James Potter.

The duo has worked side by side for Melrose Pyrotechnics, based out of La Porte County, for nearly three decades.

Potter says he and his wife work hard. "My wife has been doing it for 28 years, and I've been doing for 29 and we mostly do shows together. She's my driver and we work our butts off doing it." He said,

The Potters have it down to a science.

The show—all programmed and digitized for safety and accuracy.

"Well we put an electric match to the shell, then my wife is taking it over and plugging it in to what they call a module, which goes back to the computerized board. Between the both of us, we've got almost 60 years between us." He continued.

And the results are breathtaking.

"Roar of the crowd. You go to a small town and that's what you are there for, to entertain the crowd,” said Potter.

Whether your 40th or your 1st Fourth of July, fireworks are for the fans who find the phenomenal in the flashes in the night sky.

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