The Serrano High School Diamondback Singers and Late Nite Snake Bite Jazz Band came together to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the D-Day landings with a Salute to D-Day Concert.
The concert took place on Thursday evening, May 30th, in the Serrano Performing Arts Center. It honored America’s fallen heroes while celebrating the American spirit that ended WWII in 1944. June 6th, 2024, will mark the 80th Anniversary of the D-Day landings in the Battle of Normandy, which was a turning point in the war and a pivotal moment that marked the Allied invasion of Nazi-occupied Europe in France.
The concert began with a video of General Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Order of the Day, an order issued to encourage Allied soldiers and distributed to the 175,000-member expeditionary force on the eve of the invasion. The hopeful letter expressed prayers, gratitude, and strength for the Allied forces, saying, “The tide has turned! The free men of the world are marching together to victory!”
After the video, the Diamondback Singers took to the stage, led by their Choir Director, Jonathan Dolan, to perform the National Anthem. The choir was well prepared given their successful patriotic performance just a week prior when they were invited to perform at a Memorial Day celebration in Washington, DC, at the world-class Kennedy Center. The choir also performed American classics such as “Song for the Unsung Hero,” “Danny Boy,” “Stars and Stripes Forever,” and the “Armed Service Medley,” where veterans and those currently serving in the armed forces were asked to stand when they heard the anthem for the branch they served.
The Late Nite Snake Bite Jazz Band also performed big band music from the 30s and 40s that encompassed the American spirit during that time, which helped to win the war. The band performed songs by jazz legends such as Glenn Miller and Benny Goodman, including songs like “In the Mood,” “Moonlight Serenade,” and “Sing, Sing, Sing.” Serrano Band director Daniel Minick mentioned how personal this concert was to him since it was his grandfather, a pilot who fought in WWII, who encouraged him to pursue music by giving him his clarinet so he could participate in band.
Daniel was also a former student of Heritage teacher Todd Anton, who proudly hosted the event and found it important to bring the Salute to D-Day Concert to the Tri-Community. Mr. Anton’s father was a WWII veteran, invigorating him to become a WWII historian. Tood Anton has written several books about the war, worked on countless movies and television shows highlighting the war, and also serves on the Board of Trustees of the National World War II Museum in New Orleans. Todd Anton has also worked hard to serve our veterans by hosting the Annual Veteran’s Dinner in Phelan each November.
Todd also offers a High Desert World War II adventure in June 2025. The trip will include a tour of the “Easy Company of the 101st Airborne Division in WWII” and planned visits to London, Normandy, The Bulge, Germany, Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest, and Austria. Spots are filling up fast, so please email Todd for any questions or further information at [email protected].
This Salute to D-Day Concert would not have been possible without their proud sponsors of the Phelan Pinon Hills Community Service District, the Tri-Community Kiwanis Club, and the Greatest Generation Education organization. Funds from this event directly benefit the Serrano choir and band programs, where Todd Anton proudly provided a $2000 check to the music programs for their wonderful work and exceptional talent. Lastly, honor and recognition were given to all veterans and service men and women of the US Military Armed Forces.
