Nacogdoches High School’s band performed patriotic music at Pearl Harbor during a Memorial Day week trip to Hawaii.
One hundred twenty-six students and 19 adults left Nacogdoches a little more than a day after graduation. The group toured island attractions and performed on a pier near the battleship USS Missouri, within sight of the USS Arizona Memorial, where more than 900 sailors and Marines remain entombed.
The Nac group toured the Memorial on their second full day in Hawaii. The next day, the band performed as part of the Missouri’s Battleship Education Program, NHS Band Director Jacob Weems said. The band’s patriotic music was performed in front of visitors gathered nearby as well as several service members.
After performing on the pier, the group also went on board the Missouri, the battleship where documents of surrender were signed in Tokyo Bay on Sept. 2, 1945, bringing World War II to a close.
During the trip, seniors presented Weems with an engraved baton. They also hiked up Diamond Head.
The band also brought NISD Superintendent Dr. Gabriel Trujillo on the trip. Trujillo, a veteran of the U.S. Air Force, provided narration for the band during its performance at Pearl Harbor.
“Dr. Trujillo did such a great job with his narration,” said Weems. “It was very moving.”
Earlier this year, Weems invited Trujillo to go along on the trip to serve as narrator. Trujillo was grateful for the opportunity.
“The NHS band made a wonderful performance,” Trujillo said. “I was thrilled to be included and to get the opportunity for a week or more to rehearse with the band students. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see our students perform in such a beautiful setting.”
