Sousa Archives Honors America’s Veterans Past and Present

John Philip Sousa served as the director of America’s U.S. Marine Band (i.e., The President’s Own) between 1880 and 1892, and after the country declared war with Germany he was later commissioned as a lieutenant in the U.S. Naval Reserve to serve as the Director of Music for the Great Lakes Naval Training Station band during World War I.   As the Sousa Archives honors and recognizes the tremendous sacrifice of the many veterans who have served and continue to serve honorably during times of need, we invite our viewers to  listen to Sousa’s Semper Fidelis march that was written in 1888 and was performed in 1953 by the University of Illinois Concert Band under the direction of Mark Hindsley who served in the U.S. Air Force between 1942 and 1946.