Raritan HS Marching Band In France Taking Part In 80th D-Day Commemoration

HAZLET, NJ — As world leaders gathered Thursday in Normandy, France, to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day, a group of high school students from Hazlet was among those paying tribute to the soldiers who gave their lives during the Allied invasion on June 6, 1944.

The Raritan High School Marching Band is one of 10 high school bands from across the United States that were invited to participate in the 80th anniversary events. Their eight-day trip to France includes performances at multiple locations in Normandy, including a tribute at the American Cemetery ceremonies at Brittany and Omaha Beach.

There were 2,501 U.S. soldiers who died at Normandy during the Allied invasion, more than half of the 4,414 Allied troops killed that day. There were more than 5,000 U.S. soldiers injured in the invasion, which was the beginning of the liberation of Europe from Nazi tyranny during World War II.

The band, which fundraised for more than a year to fund the trip — it cost $6,000 per student — has been sharing photos from its trip on the marching band's Facebook page.

Day 2 took the group to Normandy, where the students and staff walked the beach and saw the memorials to the Allied soldiers who gave their lives and fought to break the German grip, turning the tide in the European theater of the war.

"Memorable, reflective, amazing ... just a few words that come to mind," the update on the band's Facebook page said. "Visiting Utah and Omaha beaches was awe inspiring, the quaint towns of Bayoux and Honfluer are rich with culture and reverence and we soaked it all in."

Follow the marching band's journey on its Facebook page.

• See photos of the sendoff here.
• Day 1 of the trip
• Day 2 of the trip
• France June 5 2024 - Utah Beach, Bayeux and Honfleur
• Brittany American Cemetery Ceremony 6-6-24

The marching band had support from all over Hazlet, including receiving a $15,000 donation from Hazlet Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 4303, along with donations from American Legion posts and VFW posts across New Jersey.

See the list of donors here.