American Expeditionary Forces Band performs at annual Military Through the Ages event at Jamestown, VA

The American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) Band of the Doughboy Foundation performed at the annual Military Through the Ages event at Jamestown Settlement in Jamestown, Virginia, on March 15 and 16, 2025. This marked the second year the band participated in this event.

The two- day event showcased special demonstrations of military equipment used in the air, on land, and at sea, accompanied by various military musical performances from the Revolutionary War, World War I, and II eras to the present day. Artillery- firing demonstrations displayed cold steel, black powder, and modern weapons, ranging from a 17th century artillery piece to a 105mm howitzer.

Hoplites, Vikings, knights, privateers, sailors, and soldiers portrayed military encounters worldwide from Greek times, the medieval period, the Hundred Years’ War, the War of the Roses, the American Revolution, the War of 1812, the Napoleonic Wars, and the American Civil War. Reenactors representing World Wars I and II, the Vietnam War, and Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada guided visitors through the 20th century. The Virginia Army National Guard 111th Field Artillery and the Virginia Defense Force represented the present day.

As part of the Doughboy Foundation’s educational outreach, the AEF Headquarters Band has been re-established to honor and recreate the music of the World War I era. The band performs music that would have been heard at the AEF Headquarters in Chaumont, France, between 1918 and 1919. The musicians wear reproductions of Doughboy uniforms, complete with the AEF HQ insignia on their left shoulders, authentically representing the soldiers of that time.

The AEF Headquarters Band’ s repertoire includes iconic pieces such as John Philip Sousa’ s marches, “Over There,” “Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag,” “Keep the Home Fires Burning,” “K- K- K- Katy,” “Alexander’ s Ragtime Band,” and “It’ s a Long Way to Tipperary.” The band also performs works by notable composers like Irving Berlin, George M. Cohan, Percy Grainger, and Kenneth Alford, as well as music by African American composers James Reese Europe, W. C. Handy, Noble Sissle, and Eubie Blake.

The AEF presented several sit-down performances and roamed throughout the grounds of the Jamestown Settlement, performing music from World War I.