High School Student Choir Rises Up & Honors Fallen WWII Soldier With Emotional Performance

May 02, 2022 by apost team

Once in a while, unexpected acts of kindness and love happen that can lead to an incredibly emotional scene. Usually unplanned, such acts end up touching the hearts of everyone who witnesses them. 

One such story comes from a woman named Diane Cupp, who was traveling with her husband back in 2016 from Frankfurt, Germany. During her flight, she witnessed a moving moment that she will never forget and was able to record it to show everyone what an incredible moment can look like. 

The Delta Air Lines plane that Cupp had boarded had made a stop in Atlanta for a layover. During this time, the pilot announced that a US Army private would be exiting the aircraft first. This was because the private had a special duty transporting the remains of a WWII soldier, a job that he took very seriously.

The experiences of WWII soldiers are some of the most difficult ones yet. All soldiers who have faced the harrowing pain of war know the trauma that comes from serving. Every day is a life or death situation, and even if a person survives, they have ti go through the grief of losing the people they have served with. 

High school students who were traveling on the same flight as Cupp were able to understand exactly what it meant that a fallen soldier from WWII was finally coming home. The students, who were part of the choir, decided to pay tribute to the fallen hero by singing “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.”

It isn't often that we see impromptu touching performances for a fallen soldier, but when it does happen, it is extremely emotional for everyone involved. When the remains of a WWII soldier were being carried off a commercial flight, high school students paid their own tribute to the soldier's service. 

According to TODAY, as the private stood to his feet to leave the plane with the remains, a group of high school students spontaneously stood up and began singing “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.” Cupp said that she was not on her original flight. However, she knew that she was there for a reason after her experience. 

"It was so emotional,'' Cupp told the publication. "I was just so proud of the young people who started singing and the respect that they showed. My heart just melted."

The group of students were a part of the Iowa Ambassadors of Music. The Iowa Ambassadors of Music is a choir and band of 350 students and had been on a 16-day concert tour across England, France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Italy and Liechtenstein, according to the Newton Daily News.

All of the students were traveling back home to Iowa after spending two weeks touring Europe and performing in concerts. There were 160 total students on this flight, with 60 who were part of the choir, as reported here by Woman's Day.

Cupp also told TODAY that the soldier's remains had been found on a battlefield in either Germany or France and had been identified through DNA testing.

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Ironically, Cupp, a retired director of a juvenile court, was returning home after spending time in France and Germany, where she, along with her husband Robert, a retired judge, on a 16-day tour of World War II. This is almost parallel to the 16 days that the high school choir had been touring across Europe. While the students had a completely different path from the Cupp family, it goes to show that such coincidences can be quite incredible. 

The video is only 70-seconds long, but it has made its rounds worldwide and has garnered millions of views. In fact, the original Facebook post that Cupp had uploaded has gathered more than 250,000 views and had also been shared tens of thousands of times.

Johnson City Press reported that a medical issue with her husband forced the couple to have to change flights, which led them to witness this beautiful moment. In the end, Cupp was happy that she was able to witness this touching performance.

"I was on that flight for a reason,'' Cupp claimed. "All the emotions from our trip of visiting concentration camps and a cemetery for American soldiers, I was just overwhelmed when they made the announcement about the soldier and (the choir) started singing."

Cupp also added, "Right now, we're a nation that's so divided that it's just one of those moments where everybody comes together." 

"There were tears in people's eyes and tears in mine."

This flight turned out to be a truly unique experience for Cupp and her husband. The fact that he had spent so long touring important sites of WWII gave her a new perspective about what had happened to the soldiers and how this unexpected tribute was truly poignant. 

Now you can watch this incredible show of patriotism for yourself. What kind of feelings did this inspire in you? Let friends and family experience it too - this performance should not be missed by anyone.