Contact: Bethany Shipp

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Nine current and former members of Mississippi State’s Famous Maroon Band experienced the opportunity of a lifetime as they performed this month as part of the 80th anniversary D-Day ceremonies in France.

The Maroon Band participants joined more than 160 college band students and alumni from across the U.S. to form the D-Day 80th Anniversary Collegiate Mass Band, the first of its kind assembled in honor of World War II’s Normandy Invasion. MSU Associate Director of Bands Craig Aarhus served as the southeast region assistant director and conducted one of the ensembles.

“This mass band was an incredible chance for students and band alumni from around the country to come together and honor the Greatest Generation, and I’m proud that Mississippi State was so well represented in the group,” said Aarhus. “It was an honor to participate in these events and especially to have World War II veterans present. I am very thankful for the opportunity to have been part of the 80th anniversary commemoration of D-Day, and I know the memories of these experiences will stay with me and with our students for the rest of their lives.”

Band members rehearsed in Washington, D.C., prior to their arrival in France. They performed in front of thousands gathered for the D-Day festivities in Sainte-Mère-Église, the first town in France liberated by American paratroopers in 1944. The band also performed at the Brittany American Cemetery in Montjoie-Saint-Martin.

“This trip was not just about visiting places I’ve never been or meeting new people—it was about those veterans,” said MSU junior architecture major Shelby Dehart of Chesapeake, Virginia. “They sacrificed so much for us and experienced horrors that not many people understand today. It truly was an honor to be able to thank those still here with us and to remember those who are not.”

The band performed music representative of the time period that connected with the French audience, such as “In the Mood,” and “Can’t Buy Me Love,” recorded by the Beatles in Paris. During the parade, they played “Strike Up the Band” and music from the film “The Longest Day.” At Brittany American Cemetery, the band joined other music groups to perform the U.S. national anthem and John Williams’ “Hymn to the Fallen” from the film “Saving Private Ryan.” The cemetery is the resting place of 4,404 fallen service members, and its Wall of the Missing is inscribed with 500 names.

“It’s extremely humbling to think about how many in those memorials and cemeteries were the same age as us (18-22), many even younger than that,” reflected MSU junior kinesiology/sports administration major Rowan Russell of Forest. “They carried out arguably the singular most critical event in modern history, so the least we could do was play some pretty music for them. It was extra special getting to be a part of the 80th because it was likely the last big anniversary for most of those veterans who are still alive.”

The experience was very meaningful for MSU band alumna Lori Burt, who works with veterans as a social worker and whose father was a WWII Navy veteran.

“I had the great privilege of meeting Hector, a 98-year-old veteran who was part of the D-Day invasion,” Burt said. “He told me that he saw a news reel about the war in a movie theater in New York City, and when he came out, he found a military recruiting station and signed up to serve on the spot. He said that we have the greatest country in the world, and he would do it all over again in a heartbeat. It was very touching to hear his story and reflect on what these men did for our country. The experience brought back remembrances of my dad who served stateside and who died 46 years ago.”

In addition to performing, the trip offered students a chance to learn without boundaries as they explored the U.S. capital and Normandy, visiting World War II museums and historic sites. They also toured iconic locations in Paris, including the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre Museum.

Maroon Band participants included:

—Lori Burt, 1987 sociology graduate, Saginaw, Texas

—Kara Chandler, senior interdisciplinary studies major, Booneville

—Sebastian Coleman, junior animal and dairy sciences/pre-veterinary major, Greenville

—Kyler Colip, junior aerospace engineering major, Aurora, Colorado

—Shelby Dehart, junior architecture major, Chesapeake, Virginia

—Christopher Powell, junior mechanical engineering major, Atlanta, Georgia

—Rowan Russell, junior kinesiology/sports administration major, Forest

—Rachel Stoner, junior biochemistry major, Madison, Alabama

—Wesley Thomas, senior mechanical engineering major, Madison

The mass band was organized by eight collegiate band leaders across the country, including Aarhus. Learn more about the staff and parade at https://www.ddayparade.org/collegiate-band-staff.

The Famous Maroon Band, housed in MSU’s College of Education, is the largest collegiate band in the state. Learn more at www.msuband.msstate.edu.

Mississippi State University is taking care of what matters. Learn more at www.msstate.edu.