When the famed St. Augustine High School Marching 100 traveled to France in June to participate in the D-Day 80th anniversary commemoration, Aulston Taylor, President of the school, was asked by the Normandy planning committee if a band member would like to speak; since Jude Villavaso is the school’s student French ambassador, Mr. Taylor asked him if he would like to take on the challenge. 

 This incredible journey started when the non-profit organization Historic Programs invited Don Francisco, 83′ St. Augustine graduate, to participate in the 80th anniversary of D-Day. Francisco had a career in the army as a musician and thought there might be a way to include current St. Aug students to the experience; he suggested the idea to Marching 100 band director Ray Johnson Sr., who was drum major when Francisco was a member of the band.

A French-speaking sophomore from the Gentilly area of New Orleans, Jude wrote and delivered a keynote address in both French and English in front of 2,500 attendees, honoring the Allied soldiers who lost their lives during the Normandy landings on June 6th 1944. “I was very nervous in the days leading up to my speech and even in the moments before I began to speak,” admits Jude. It didn’t last long however. “Once I began to deliver my speech, all of my nervousness began to fade away and it was replaced with happiness and excitement.”

Here is Villavaso’s address: 

“Today we come together in memory of those who gave their lives for the protection of freedom in Europe and around the world. The soldiers that lay in rest here gave the most valuable gift not only to their contemporaries but to me, my friends, and generations to come. For that, they will never be forgotten. Although not physically with us, these soldiers live on through all of us. It is our duty to them to know our history, continue to tell their story, and commemorate D-day.

While reflecting on what occurred on D-day, I realized there are many similarities between those who fought here and the values instilled in us at St. Augustine High School. Values such as selflessness, courage, loyalty, and brotherhood are what these servicemen displayed on June 6, 1944. The young men of St. Augustine High School will honor the men of D-Day and the values they upheld by displaying those same characteristics in everything we do. It is with my deepest honor and gratitude that I am able to give this address to pay homage to some of the bravest in our History. Thank you.” 

In addition to the address, Villavaso facilitated the communication between the St. Augustine’s guests and French speakers; he translated between St. Aug chaperones and the French workers who transported the instruments, assisted with hotel arrangements, ordered food for fellow students, and translated the band director’s introductory and closing remarks to the listening audience. 

The weeklong trip included visits to Omaha Beach, Utah Beach, and the Brittany American Cemetery, as well as the Jardin d’Acclimatation in Paris. “It was special because members of my school made friends with various people while in France. This experience opened a lot of doors.”

Villavaso illustrates at its best what Louisiana’s French immersion education can do. He attended Audubon Charter School where he picked up on French fairly quickly and eventually did well enough to understand and speak the language. In 2022, he took part in a student exchange program between New Orleans and the French city of Orléans. “It helped to kick off many of the things I am involved in now, regarding French”, explains Jude.

In 2023, he transferred to St. Augustine High School, where he continued to study the language. He speaks French often with his cousin who earned a PhD in French from Tulane University. “He has a natural love for the language and the culture,” says Jude’s mother Chloe. “He’s just drawn to it. He studied very intensively for six months before he went to Orléans with Audubon Charter. To see what he can do blows me away.”

Villavaso enjoys sharing his passion for French language and culture and seeks any opportunity to educate people about the historic bond that New Orleans shares with France and help them appreciate it.  He plans to study French in college and to incorporate the language into a career, potentially through work in a francophone country. He will continue to participate in student exchange trips and would like to visit other French-speaking countries like Morocco. 

Jude’s ancestry includes Louisiana French ties on both sides of his family. His father Branden has childhood memories of his grandparents speaking French.  “You knew something was going on because when they started to talk in French, that means they didn’t want you to hear what they were talking about,” he explains.  Jude’s mother, Chloe, also comes from New Orleans French-speaking lineage. “Unfortunately, the language wasn’t passed down to us,” she says. “What I’ve been told is that it was hard for people who spoke French in that it was looked down upon.  They wanted to assimilate and blend in with English-speaking people.” 

Jude’s success in French immersion and cultural exchange have allowed him to reestablish those familial links to French heritage. “It’s like he’s revitalizing a part of our heritage,” shares his father. “That really does make me feel good. And hopefully he will inspire others because you don’t want the language to die here. It’s just refreshing to see it.”