Associate Director of Bands Tony Falcone, along with 13 current and former members of the Cornhusker Marching Band, experienced the opportunity of a lifetime as they performed as part of the 80th anniversary D-Day ceremonies in France last June.
The Cornhusker Marching Band participants joined nearly 200 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. The mass band was organized by seven collegiate band leaders from across the country, including Falcone. The band also split into three regional groups, one of which Falcone co-conducted.
“When I got the call asking me to be one of the Directors two years ago, I was astonished,” said Falcone. “The trip will be memorable to me for several reasons. I have family connections to D-Day and to stand on the ground where so many gave so much was incredibly meaningful to me. It was a privilege to work with what I consider to be among the best college marching band directors in the country and to meet so many band students from across the country. I also had the opportunity to bring my family so they could experience all of it.”
Luke Partsch (B.A. Music and History 2024), who will begin law school at Nebraska this fall, said this was a unique experience that demonstrated the power of music.
“I have had opportunities in the past to interact with and perform with musicians my age from around the country, but this trip was a truly unique experience,” he said. “We had plenty of time to share stories of our varied band backgrounds, and that really made me feel like a part of a wider musical community. I got to learn about other ensembles’ traditions, tales and styles. But what separated this trip from others I have taken was the gravity of what we were there for. All of those different experiences had come together for a serious purpose. It was quite emotional and really conveyed the deep power of music.”
Seeing the remaining World War II veterans present for the ceremony was an emotional experience.
“As they explained to us in our rehearsals in D.C. before we left, most of the remaining D-Day veterans were in their upper 90s, if not already 100 years old. This was probably the last big event with veterans present,” he said. “A few were there at each of our stops, and it was very emotional to watch those brave men be wheeled out to massive applause. D-Day was one of the greatest military achievements of all time, and one of my degrees was in history. It is hard to describe how moving it was to be there and witness those men, either alive or buried in front of me, be honored. I am so grateful to have been able to play what little part I did in those celebrations.”
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.
“We had two days of concerts while we were there. The first was a very serious and very moving performance at the Brittany American Cemetery for their Liberation Memorial Ceremony,” Partsch said. “I cannot overstate the emotions of playing ‘Hymn to the Fallen’ in front of those rows of crosses with the veterans sitting next to me.”
The second day of concerts in Sainte-Mère-Église was part of a festival.
“We split up into smaller pep bands for the performances where we were buzzed by old planes,” Partsch said. “We ended the day by marching into the city at the front of their parade, surrounded by French people cheering and waving American flags. Getting to experience both the joy and solemnity of D-Day was incredible.”
In addition to performing, the trip offered students a chance to experience 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.
UNL participants included:
Sarah Aymond
Matthew Bigge
Molly Coughlin
Zach Felton
Kelly Haug
Kendra Jones-Spath
Wendy O’Flaherty
Luke Partsch
Ethan Rohr
Griffin Schleimer
Leah Shaw
Nick Spath
Max Wanser
Learn more about the event at https://www.ddayparade.org/.