USS Arizona Band 22

On the morning of December 7, 1941, the "day that will live in infamy", the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. During the attack the USS Arizona (BB-39) was struck amidships by an armor-piercing bomb that penetrated the Arizona's ammunition spaces. The explosion that resulted left a sinking ship. In all, of more than 1500 officers and crew, 1177 were killed in action. 900 of those killed are still interred in the Arizona Memorial.

When the attack took place, the band members along with Bandmaster Fredrick W. Kinney reported to their battle station in the ammunition spaces. All 21 musicians were killed in the explosions.

The Battle of Music 1941 began on September 13, 1941. It was held at Bloch Arena every two weeks and featured four Navy bands at each competition. The first and second place winners were to compete in the semi-finals, with the first and second place winners of the two semi-final contest to compete in the final contest to be held on December 20.

Arizona's band competed in the first contest of September 13. The winners of that contest were the bands from Arizona and California. Arizona's band competed in the first semi-final contest held on November 22. Winners of that contest were the bands from the Marine Barracks and Arizona.

The second semi-final contest was held on December 6. Winners of that contest were the bands from Pennsylvania and Tennessee.

Therefore, the final contest scheduled for December 20 would have featured the bands from the Marine Barracks and Arizona, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.

Not only did the contest of December 20 not occur, that is actually the date that all the families of the Arizona band received their first "Missing in Action" telegrams.

After the attack, the surviving members of the other bands agreed unanimously to award the Battle of the Bands trophy to Band 22, and further to retire the trophy. It is now on display at the USS Arizona Memorial.

BANDMASTER, FREDRICK W. KINNEY, MUS1c Age 31, Ashland, KY
NADEL, Alexander Joseph MUS2c "Alexander the Swooze" Age 20, Astoria, Long Island, NY		MOREHOUSE, William Starks MUS2c "Killer" Age 19, Wichita, KS
BANDY, Wayne Lynn MUS2c "Buck" Age 21, Waynesville, MO		WILLIAMS, Clyde Richard MUS2c "Oklmugee" Age 19, Okmulgee, OK
BRABBZSON, Oran Merrill MUS2c "Buttercup" Age 19, East Meadow, Long Island, NY		BURDETTE, Ralph Warren MUS2c "Chowhound" Age 20, Plainfield, NJ
RADFORD, Neal Jason MUS2c "Brick" Age 26, Newark, NE		SHAW, Robert K MUS2c "Peepee" Age 19, Pasadena, TX
SCRUGGS, Jack Leo MUS2c "Scrooge" Age 22, Long Beach, CA		HUGHES, Bernard Thomas MUS2c "Bee" Age 19, Athens, PA
WHITSON, Ernest Hubert Jr. MUS2c "Ernie" Age 23, Cincinnati, OH		MCCARY, William Moore MUS2c "Swede" Age 17, Shades Mountain, AL
HAAS, Curtis Junior MUS2c "Curt" Age 21, North Kansas City, MO		HURLEY, Wendell Ray MUS2c "Lady-killer" Age 22, Marion, IN
FLOEGE, Frank Norman MUS2c "Flat-Foot Floogie" Age 20, Harvey, IL		SANDERSON, James Harvey MUS2c "Sandy" Age 21, Lindsay, CA
COX, Gerald Clinton MUS2c "Jerry" Age 19, East Moline, IL		CHERNUCHA, Harry Gregory MUS2c "Cherry & Mad Russian" Age 19, North Merrick, Long Island, NY
WHITE, Charles William MUS2c "Whitey" Age 21, Bountiful, UT		LYNCH, Emmett Isaac MUS2c "Rusty" Age 25, Louisville, KY

Photographs from USS Arizona’s Last Band:
The History of U.S. Navy Band Number 22 by Molly Kent .
Used by permission of the author

This page is respectfully dedicated to their memory.

(Book by Molly Kent, NMA member and sister of band member Clyde Richard Williams)

Send mail to admin@navymusicians.org with questions or comments about this web site.