Recently a choir group from Iowa, including a director with ties to Mid-Prairie High School, honored a military member during a flight and video is going viral. The Iowa Ambassadors of Music Choir was flying back from Frankfurt, Germany, following their tour. Their plane had a member of the U.S. military on board, who was transporting the remains of a World War II veteran. As they were landing, flight attendants approached Luke Johnson, who was one of the directors for the choir, asking if they wouldn’t mind singing a song for him. Johnson, a 2003 graduate of Mid-Prairie High School, led the choir in the singing of the Battle Hymn of the Republic when they landed in Atlanta, Georgia.

Several other people on the flight recorded the impromptu performance using their cell phones, and within a week the video went viral. Johnson said he had no idea they were recording, and when he found out the video had spread so quickly he was floored. He said you hear horrible things going on in the world every day, and it’s nice to know positive things can be just as meaningful and be represented as well. He added other people on the flight joined in with the song, and afterwards there was a positive surge of energy from the whole plane. Johnson said the veteran they sang to was overwhelmed by the gesture, and gave them all a heartfelt thank you.