TROUTVILLE, Va. –
Virginia National Guard Soldiers assigned to the Troutville-based 29th Infantry Division Band conducted a unique and historic annual training in June 2024, helping commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day, both here in the United States as well as in Normandy, France, where a contingent of the band retraced the movements of their predecessors during World War II.
Led by Chief Warrant Officer 3 Donald Carlson, the 29th ID Band commander, nine musicians traveled to Normandy, France, where, over the course of eight days, they performed music at 22 different D-Day commemoration ceremonies, from the shores of Omaha Beach inland to Saint-Lô, all steeped in the 29th’s WWII history, as well as the 29th ID Band’s. In 1944, in the days following the initial invasion, the band served as litter bearers and assisted with mortuary affairs in addition to performing music to entertain Allied forces.
“I attended the 70th Anniversary of D-Day in 2014 and the lasting impact on me was that the French and British citizens are profoundly grateful for the U.S. Soldiers contribution to the liberation of Normandy, France, and Europe,” said Carlson. “I wanted my Soldiers to experience that so that they could more fully understand the history of our unit, the 29th Division, and Virginia Army National Guard.”
During the eight days the “Normandy Winds” spent performing in France, they supported ceremonies at the National Guard Memorial overlooking Omaha Beach in Vierville-sur-Mer and at the World Peace Statue in Grandcamp-Maisy, which included a performance at the Sergeant Frank Peregory Memorial. Peregory, a Virginia National Guard Soldier, was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for heroic actions taken during the fighting.
The band also visited Saint-Lô, a town synonymous with the 29th Infantry Division and the Virginia National Guard. It was there, in preparations to liberate the town, where Maj. Thomas Howie was mortally wounded. Howie’s remains would eventually be placed on the hood of a truck so he could be the first to enter Saint-Lô. A photo of his flag-draped remains atop rubble in the town would become famous, but because of regulations his name could not be released, so he became known as the “Major of Saint-Lô.”
It was in Saint-Lô where the 29th ID Band, in 1944, began the tradition of playing the Beer Barrel Polka.
“The 29th ID Band was requested to play something uplifting and the tradition of performing of the "Beer Barrel Polka" emerged, serving as a much-needed respite from the horrors of war,” said the band’s Sgt. 1st Class Erin Casey.
Maj. Gen. James W. Ring, the Adjutant General of Virginia, as well as Maj. Gen. Joseph DiNonno and Command Sgt. Maj. Timothy Hawley, the 29th ID command team, attended several of the band’s performances in France.
“As time marches on and the ranks of those who experienced D-Day firsthand grow thinner, the importance of monuments like the National Guard Monument on Omaha Beach becomes even more pronounced,” said Casey. “They serve not only as physical markers of history but also as educational tools, ensuring that future generations understand and appreciate the sacrifices made by previous generations. The overwhelming support and appreciation from all the generations of France highlighted their dedication to remembering, honoring, and educating their children to continue that legacy.”
Back in the United States, a 23-member ensemble, led by 1st Sgt. James Bradshaw, began their D-Day commemoration support during a concert at the Tuskegee Airmen National Historic Site in Tuskegee, Alabama, home of the first training facility for Black pilots in the U.S. Army Air Corps. The original training facility, Moton Field, was located at Tuskegee University, originally founded by Booker T. Washington who, coincidentally, was born less than 30 miles from the 29th ID Band’s home station in Troutville, Virginia.
From there, the ensemble traveled to New Orleans for performances at the National World War II Museum. There, they performed music for a re-enlistment ceremony for Soldiers assigned to the 4th Infantry Division. The 4th, stationed at Fort Carson, Colorado, also participated in the D-Day landings at Utah Beach. One of the Soldiers re-enlisting was the grandson of a D-Day participant.
“Being able to perform for the 80th Anniversary of the D-Day invasion at the WWI Museum in New Orleans was an experience that our soldiers will never forget,” said Bradshaw. “The ceremonies that day were a humbling reminder of the sacrifice our soldiers gave during WWII and on D-Day.”
The ensemble performed several more concerts at the museum, including a concert for surviving WWII veterans, as well as Fifes and Drums performances, a crowd favorite according the unit. In total, the performances reached more than 4,000 people, including live audiences and viewers on live streams.
“Often, the band is occupied on missions to provide music for different functions yet, on this tour members of the band were able to have time to reflect on the legacy of their unit’s history, particularly in regard to WWII and D-Day,” said Casey. “In the National WWII Museum, bandsmen came across countless personal accounts of heroism, sacrifice, and courage on the part of soldiers of the 29th ID. Not only that but very often, while wearing the ceremonial version of the unit patch in the museum, people would approach the unit and recount stories of their father, uncles and grandfathers who served in the 29th during WWII.”
Bradshaw said he’s proud of the 29th ID Band’s historic D-Day missions.
“I believe the 29th Division Band did an outstanding job representing the 29th Division, VaARNG and the Army by being able to provide musical support and dedication in Tuskegee, New Orleans and in Normandy at the same time for all the service members that fought during WWII and D-Day.”
Carlson agreed, and said the importance of their band mission can’t be overstated.
“I am continually reminded by the Soldiers and civilians both as participants and audience members how important the music is to make the ceremony even more impactful,” said Carlson. “The Soldier/Musicians of the 29th ID Band whom I have the privilege of leading are as affected by the music they are making and the meaning of the ceremonies which feeds our souls and results in musical performances far better than we are otherwise capable.
“It is not possible to put into words what we do but it is evident by the looks on the faces of the audience and comments we receive that music is the element that bonds us all together as humans.”
Read more about the 29th ID Band at https://ngpa.us/28962.
(Additional reporting by Sgt. 1st Class Erin Casey and Sgt. Ed Knoeckel)