Uintah High Marching Band and Orchestra to perform in Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade

The Uintah High Marching Band and Orchestra will be marching in the annual Pearl Harbor Memorial Parade in Oahu, Hawaii this December 7 to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

According to Brian Gibson, the Director of Instrumental Music at Uintah High School, this is the third year their band has been invited, and the first time that the orchestra will be accompanying them on the trip.

“We were there for the 75th year when Park City represented the USS Utah,” Gibson said.

Utah Pipe Band and American Heritage Dance will also be representing the state of Utah in the parade.

The parade will follow Kalakaua Avenue to Kapiolani Park in Waikiki on the evening of December 7. In a meaningful event for WWII Veterans and Pearl Harbor survivors, the event aims to educate and inspire young Americans as well. The parade will feature people from every state in the nation.

“I’m a huge history buff, so I love going to this parade,” Gibson said. “This will be my third trip, for this parade, with the band.  Being a living memorial for this particular event in history is an honor. I love the fact that I can help give my students the opportunity to experience this.”

The band is making its last minute preparations to make the trip to O’ahu including covid prevention measures.

“I’m a little worried about the COVID mitigations and a student getting quarantined right before we go,” Gibsons said. “But know it will be a life changing experience for these students.”

The theme of this year’s parade is “remembering our past while celebrating that once bitter enemies can become friends and allies.”

In 1941, Pearl Harbor was attacked by Japanese forces killing 2,403 Americans and damaging or destroying 19 U.S. Navy Ships. December 7 is remembered as the “Day of Infamy,” and marked the U.S. entrance into WWII.