13Jun09 7:00pm Saturday Michigan Time

16 hours ago we climbed on the double decker bus one last time for the ride to the Amsterdam Airport.  Now (7:00pm Michigan Time) both groups (two seperate flights) have safely landed in Detroit and two buses are bouncing down westbound I-96 (the highways in Europe were WAY smoother!) for City on a Hill in Zeeland, Michigan.  The second bus should be rolling into Zeeland around 10pm.  I believe the first bus is two hours ahead of us based on the flight times out of Amsterdam.

Thanks for all your support and the band looks forward to seeing ALL of you at our Welcome Home Concert 7:30pm next Tuesday, 16 June 09, at Kollen Park in Holland, Michigan!!!

We’ve packed our bags and are about to climb on the bus headed for Amsterdam airport.  What a WONDERFUL trip.  Keep watching the blog for additional photos and videos.

Please join us for our Welcome Home Concert Tuesday night, June 16, at Kollen Park in Holland, Michigan!

Watch for this thank-you in an up coming issue of the Holland Sentinel.  www.hollandsentinel.com

Following is a message from our internationally reknown director, Thom Working:

“Tonight was our final performance and another amazing experience!  The band has played so well -  but we’ve also had very meaningful and emotional experiences at the gravesites - like the one today at Wassenaar where many Dutch Resistance fighters were executed.

We’ve had a great time traveling but we’ve also grown so much emotionally and have such a greater appreciation for the sacrifices in WWII.  It’s difficult to explain to the people at home how appreciative the people here still are 65 years later.

We’re so proud to represent our country in honoring the brave men and women who have sacrificed so much for us all so many years ago.”

-Thom

With the performances behind us, all that’s left is to tour Amsterdam and travel home.  Hopefully I’ll be able to upload some additional photos while traveling…

All travelers are well and I believe everyone had black socks on at the concert tonight.  (Right, Jack?)

Clear your calendar and plan to attend our first summer concert in Holland, Michigan this coming Tuesday, June 16 at 7:30pm at the Henry P Vander Linde Bandshell in Kollen Park!  We’ll be playing many of the songs from our Tour of Europe.

After a marvelous concert in Middleburg with the Middleburg Muzik Korps, we survived the two hour bus trip to our hotel in Rotterdam.  Sorry for the blogging absence the last couple days.  I had internet issues at our last hotel but its much better here so hopefully I can catch a few things up in the morning.  If nothing else, I’ll continue to add photos, video, and audio to the blog after returning to the States.

It’s 2am here and we’ve been in the hotel for just under an hour now.  Time to think about sleep.  In case you are wondering, everyone appears to be doing fine.  No casualties and no major oversights involving music, instruments, or uniforms.  However, one band member continues to await the arrival of her luggage.  (Hopefully it was waiting here for her!)

General Dwight D Eisenhower spoke to his troops on June 5, 1944 in anticipation of the largest military mobilization in the history of the world.   He spoke of the skill of his troops, the nobility of their mission, and their commitment to persevere.

The following morning, after the invasion was well underway, President Roosevelt paused to offer a prayer for the Allied Forces.

Forty Years after the D-Day Invasion, President Ronald Reagan visited Point du Hoc and spoke about the determination and sacrifice made by the soldiers who were committed to freedom.

On June 6, 2009 President Obama spoke on the steps of the memorial at the American Cemetery in Normandy, France in commemoration of the 65th Anniversary of the D-Day invasion.

On June 7 and 8, 2009 the Holland American Legion Band performed a concert and participated in a wreath laying and flag waving ceremony at the Normandy American Cemetery and toured the grounds at Point du Hoc.

Click here to listen to excerpts from the presidents’ speeches.

8Jun09 2:25pm Normandy Time

Note from our director Thom Working:

This has been such an amazing experience. The reception of the French in Normandy has been really exhilarating. Standing ovations and many encore numbers.

It’s hard to describe how warm and open – and thankful even after 65 years – the people of Normandy are towards Americans.

The band has really outdone themselves, playing at a professional level!!! The Legion Color Guard adds a dimension which is so appreciated by both us and the audiences.

We also had the great honor to be a part of raising the flags and laying the wreath at the Normandy American Cemetery yesterday (Sunday) before our concert. The band members also split up into small groups to lay a rose at the base of the cross on each of the Ottawa-Kent county soldiers buried there. A very moving day!

The group has been working very hard with several performances a day for the last two days. Now onto Paris for a of R & R.

-Thom

Holland Legion Band at Normandy American Cemetery where President Obama spoke the day before.

Now you can listen to the our performance of the Star Spangled Banner at the Concert Hall in Saint-Lo, France on 06Jun09.

Click here to be taken to the AudioMemories.org podcast of the performance.

Actually, the entire parade was WWII re-inactors.  Before our final concert in the village of Carentan, (I’m guessing about the size of Zeeland, Michigan) we had the good fortune of witnessing the Liberation Parade.  This was more of a military review than parade.  The narrow sidewalks lining the narrow streets were full of local french citizens celebrating the liberation while the 16-22ish year old re-inactors marched in formation with fully equipped vintage jeeps and small tanks.  Change the clothing worn by observers and remove a few contemporary cars from the street and we might just as well been in 1944.

I’m sure that I have never seen Old Glory waving in as many places as I’ve seen the past two days or the Star Spangled Banner played as frequently.  I can honestly say the people of Normandy, France could do Memorial Day and the 4th of July way better than we’ve ever done in the United States!

http://www.ot-carentan.fr/iso_album/carentan_3v_dday_65th.pdf

If you look close on the program listed above you can see our concert listed on June 7.

We started our day today by placing flowers at the graves of ten Michigan service men on the Normandy American Cemetery in Colleville-sur Mer situated on a cliff overlooking Omaha Beach. While experiencing the amazing power of the perfectly straight crosses and impeccably manicured grounds, we witnessed two flag raising ceremonies with WWII veteran Ray Lokers from Hamilton, Michigan raising the first flag and the Holland American Legion Color Guard raising the second followed with a spontaneous a cappella singing of the Star Spangled Banner. [Color Guard member Cynthia’s uncle is buried in Normandy – verify details] The flag raising was followed by a wreath laying ceremony.

Before we began our 45 minute concert in front of the Memorial where President Obama spoke yesterday, RCA Pastor Bob VanVoorst shared a meditation from [insert passage].

(In response to several posted comments, we did not see President Obama yesterday as we were in a different town. However, I did get to use the wifi inside the big top tent at the official military secured media center yesterday, so that was cool!)

Our concert at the D-Day Museum in Arromanches was cancelled due to rain. Pretty crazy to see the images and actual structures floated from England and intentionally sunk offshore to form an artificial harbor! (I hope you’re taking some time to google details of our performance locations as we’ve seen some amazing things!)

It this moment, we’re waiting in downtown Carentan for a police escort to guide our tour bus through the narrow streets to our concert location.

The concert will be followed by a dinner at nearby St. Come du Mont in re-enacting camp.

Tomorrow Paris!!!!

(Correction: Sorry for my misplaced punctuation, spelling and grammar. Fatigue, power issues, and internet failures are my only excuse!!!)

The following is a message from our Director Extrodinairre Thom Working:

Saturday Afternoon - Normandy Time

We just had our first concert in Ste Mere Eglise right outside the church where John Steele’s parachute caught on the steeple.  I’m so proud of this band!  They played so well.  We had a large and very appreciative audience.

Now back to Saint-Lo to play at their D-Day ceremony and then a concert in their auditorium.   Tomorrow we play atthe Normandy Cemetary, Arromaches, and Carentan.

This band is doing such a great job!  Be proud of them - They represent you well!!!

-Thom

Holland American Legion Band unloading tour bus for first concert in Normandy at Place de l'Eglise where Paratrooper John Steele's parachute was caught on the steeple during the D-Day Invasion on June 6, 1944.

Click here to learn more about John Steele’s and Saint Mere Eglise, the first village liberated by the US forces on June 6, 1944.