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Central band director Jeremy Schutter, left, and students Hailey Steckelberg, Annabelle McDaniel and Louis Manhart stand in formation with a guard after laying a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Sunday, July 5. Courtesy photo.
Extreme heat nixed the Aberdeen Central High School Marching Band’s chance to be part of the National Independence Day Parade in Washington, D.C.
But, that doesn’t mean there aren’t lasting memories from the trip.
Citing safety concerns, organizers canceled the parade around 9:30 p.m. Friday, July 3 after the National Weather Service issued an extreme heat warning for the Washington area. The temperature was around 100 by noon the next day.
The annual July 4 parade includes invited bands, floats, military units, giant balloons and many other participants. Central was selected because of its performance at the National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C., in 2024.
Jeremy Schutter, director of the Central marching band, said it was an honor to be invited to a unique celebration honoring the nation’s 250th birthday.
MORE: America250 Gallery: Aberdeen area celebrates United States’ milestone birthday
The band left Aberdeen around 5 a.m. Tuesday, June 30 and arrived in D.C. the following day. Schutter said the travelers spent most of their time in Washington sightseeing, including at the Smithsonian museums, national monuments and Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington.
During the trip, the temperature in the D.C. area reached as high as 105 with a heat index of 115 to 120.
While students were disappointed the parade was canceled, they still made the most of their time in the country’s capital.
“With all setbacks, you find other things to do,” Schutter said. “Since we had some of that open time, we were able to go into the (National Gallery of Art), and that was not a place we expected to be able to get into and see at all while we were on this trip there. So, the kids got to see some really fine artwork in place of the parade.”
Students were part of wreath-laying at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
He said the highlight of the trip was being asked to participate in the wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. The tradition honors the sacrifices of veterans and service members.
Students Hailey Steckelberg, Louis Manhart and Annabelle McDaniel, along with Schutter, were part of the wreath-laying team. They were required to meet with the Army personnel for some brief training beforehand, then placed the wreath at 9:15 a.m. on Sunday, July 5.
“It’s a very unique experience, a humbling experience, an honored experience. With all the trips that we have taken out to D.C., this is the first time we were selected for something like this, and this alone is going to create memories that none of us will forget,” Schutter said.
Central High School students and chaperones make pizzas in a church kitchen after their bus broke down in Iowa. The school’s marching band traveled to Washington, D.C., for Independence Day. Courtesy photo.
Bus broke down in Iowa
The band’s adventures began before it even arrived in Washington. The bus broke down in Colfax, Iowa, stranding members there and setting them back about six hours.
It was the start of a common theme during the trip — making the best out of an unfortunate situation.
Schutter said that although it might seem like a negative, it was actually a positive experience for the students. There was a small, local church that took them in, fed them and lent its gym space while they waited for the bus to be repaired.
“That was an awesome thing for our kids to see,” Schutter said. “How, as adults and community members, we can reach out to help others who are maybe having a moment of distress.”
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The group returned to Aberdeen on Tuesday, July 6, capping a weeklong adventure with many hours on the bus.
Before the trip, band members dedicated a couple mornings each week to practice. They meet from 9 to 10 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Schutter said the band worked hard to create a good performance. Even though classes were out for the summer, the rehearsals weren’t hard to coordinate.
“We put a practice schedule out to the kids in December, so they knew when we were going to practice. They were able to turn that into employers to make sure that they were available those couple hours each week,” he said.
