MUS2c Neal Jason Radford

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http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=radford&GSfn=...

Many boys who dreamed of being professional musicians learned of the The United States Navy School of Music, but admission entailed meeting rigorous entrance requirements and tests as well as a six-year enlistment; the usual enlistment was four years.

As the USS Arizona's band was becoming known it was gradually accliamed to be the best band in the Pacific fleet. The boys in the band were excited in September 1941 that there was to be a Battle of Music with the eighteen Navy and Marine bands in Hawaii. At each contest four bands were pitted against each other and as the contest moved forward the US Navy Band Number 22, of the USS Arizona, progressed to the finals which were scheduled for December 22nd.

The contest trophy in the "Battle of Music" was awarded posthumously to members of the USS Arizona band by vote of all competing orchestras.