Students serenade Army private escorting WWII soldier's remains back to US

(Reuters)

A high school choir found a special way to honor a soldier who fought in World War II—and the man transporting his remains back home to the U.S.

On July 18, the Iowa Ambassador of Music Choir was traveling on a Delta flight from Frankfurt, Germany to Atlanta. When the plane landed at Hartsfield–Jackson International Airport, the pilot announced that an Army private would be deplaning first so the soldier, who was transporting the remains a fallen WW II veteran, could continue on his trip to Houston.

As the veteran’s remains were being carried off the plane, the Iowa Ambassadors chorus broke out into an impromptu performance of the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” to honor the solider.

Diane Hollifield Cupp, a passenger on the flight from Tennessee, began recording the serenade. “Listen how beautiful !! Will bring a tear to your eye,” she posted.

The video, posted July 20, has since been viewed over 210,000 times on Facebook and shared throughout many social media platforms. Many have commented that the performance gave them “chills” and called the song a “beautiful tribute” to honor a man who served.

The choir students features in the video are part of a group of 350 musicians from across Iowa returning home from a three-week tour in Europe.

“It was absolutely beautiful, to see the respect that these kids had, I just had to capture it,” Cupp told Atlanta’s Channel 2 Action News. “It was an awesome treat for me and something I will never forget.”