Honor Flight veterans to get a musical welcome and thank-yous from Battlefield Band Aug. 7

On Wednesday, August 7, members of Battlefield High School’s Marching Bobcats will greet and thank about 100 Honor Flight veterans at the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.

“We strive to honor the courage, sacrifice, and bravery of the D-Day heroes by keeping the memory of D-Day alive,” said Normandy Campaign Co-Chairman Don Shanks, who is also an Air Force veteran. “The students and their families look forward to thanking the visiting veterans personally.”

A news release noted, “Over the course of the past few months, the Battlefield Marching Bobcats have written and collected thank you notes addressed to our veterans at both the school and various events in the Haymarket, VA, community. From school children to retirees, the band has collected nearly 1,700 thank you notes. We look forward to handing them to U.S. veterans visiting Washington, D.C., and expressing our gratitude for their sacrifices.”

The students and their families will be at the World War II Memorial to greet the Honor Flight Veterans around noon, on Wednesday, Aug. 7, and will be wearing their grey BHS Normandy t-shirts.

The band has been invited to play at the Normandy commemorative ceremonies in France in 2014. A committee is raising funds for the trip.