Hillsborough County band to honor fallen D-Day soldiers in Normandy: 'Not just another concert'
Band prepares for trip to Normandy
A community band from Hillsborough County is traveling to France to perform at historic ceremonies commemorating D-Day.
RIVERVIEW, Fla. - A community band from Hillsborough County is traveling to France to perform at historic ceremonies commemorating D-Day.
They held their last concert in Riverview on Thursday night to get ready for the big trip.
Band heads to Normandy
What we know:
The Eastern Hillsborough Community Band is preparing to travel to Normandy, France next week.
Band members will play music during upcoming D-Day anniversary ceremonies on the historic grounds.
The group will join a mass band performance featuring the national anthem, "God Bless America" and John Williams' "Hymn to the Fallen" from the movie "Saving Private Ryan."
Musicians share reflections
What they're saying:
Band members expressed deep appreciation and humility regarding the invitation to play at the historic site.
"We feel very honored and blessed to be able to be asked for this because we never knew we would be honored to play at something this wonderful, because D-Day celebrations are very meaningful and historic, and it's going to be a wonderful experience for all of us," Kim Mckamey, the founder of the Eastern Hillsborough Community Band.
A military veteran in the band noted that visiting the location has been a personal dream ever since watching the opening scenes of "Saving Private Ryan."
"It's amazing as a veteran," Frank Carroll said. "I always said, 'Man, I would like to just go there and see that place for myself.' And then to find out that we're invited to go participate in the ceremony is going to be a tremendous thing for me, to not only am I going to go there and see it, but I'm participating in the ceremony."
The veteran added that the upcoming performance carries immense emotional weight.
"It's not just another concert,"Carroll said. "This means the world to me. I'm getting emotional thinking about it right now because I understand what was sacrificed on that beach."
Local pride on display
Why you should care:
The upcoming trip offers local musicians a rare platform to serve as international ambassadors.
Group members noted that the journey builds a unique camaraderie while allowing them to represent Eastern Hillsborough County on a global stage during a deeply meaningful historic milestone.
Details left unshared
What we don't know:
Organizers have not yet announced the exact schedule of performances or the specific coordinates of the ceremonies along the Normandy coast.
It remains unclear how many total musicians from other regional organizations will round out the mass band.
Honoring History
What's next:
The D-Day commemorative ceremony is on June 6.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from on-camera interviews with members of the Eastern Hillsborough Community Band, who explained their performance preparations and shared personal reflections on the historic significance of the trip.