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All 21 members of the US Arizona band perished in the Dec 7, 1941 attack at Pearl Harbor. They were working near the ships magazine passing up ammo when the magazine blew up.

According to what I was told when I toured the Arizona Memorial some years ago, they had the morning off because they won a "battle of the bands" Sat night, featuring all the bands of ships that were in port.


SK

According to recent VFW publication, this story is true---------------Another interesting musical fact from the publication; 34 Army musicians have been awarded the Medal of Honor-------didn't say whether or not any were TUBA players.

Brown Mule wrote:According to recent VFW publication, this story is true---------------Another interesting musical fact from the publication; 34 Army musicians have been awarded the Medal of Honor-------didn't say whether or not any were TUBA players.

According to the roster of Medal of Honor winners maintained by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Herman Pfisterer, a bugler with the 21st Infantry Division during the Spanish-American War was the last person holding the rank of musician to win the Medal of Honor.

The vast majority of musicians who were awarded the Medal of Honor were drummers or buglers (many in their early teens: the second Medal of Honor ever awarded was awarded to Willie Johnston, a drummer in the 3rd Vermont Infantry, who was 11 years old at the time of the action for which he was cited) who served during the Civil War or Indian Wars, so it's doubtful that any of the recipients were tuba players.

As we approach veterans day and Pearl Harbor day in 2 months, I would like to thank all of you military musicians, past and present, for" standing in the gap" so that we have the many " freedoms" to enjoy.