High School Band To Perform Veterans’ Tribute Inspired By Composition from 20 Years Ago

ADA, Minn. (KVRR) — Twenty years ago, Ada-Borup West Band Director Richard Tuttle honored area Marines with a composition titled, The Black Sands of Iwo Jima. The performance included video interviews from area veterans. But not long after the performance, the footage was lost.

“I think my plan was to take that stuff and make something. A video or something, but then everything just crashed and it was just gone,” said Richard Tuttle.

Last October, while cleaning, Tuttle found a video of a 2005 KVRR News story about the project. After watching it, Tuttle and his students decided to honor the 80th anniversary of the battle.

“My students, I was telling them about it, and through sharing with it, they prompted me to resurrect the piece, so to say, bring it back. I had to redo it .. from that score, and then I tailored it to the band,” said Tuttle.

The resurrected composition is now titled “Islands in the Pacific,” to honor everyone who fought in Iwo Jima and served in the Pacific Theater in WWII.

“This is less about feeling bad about the loss. And yes, there was a great sacrifice. Just like Louis Hauge Jr, 21 years old, and he lost his life in Okinawa. Living a life of gratitude and actually the kind of life that he dreamt of that he sacrificed for. I think it is one of the best ways to honor what they did,” said Tuttle.

Tuttle is currently looking for pictures and biographies of World War II veterans from the area who served in the Pacific Theater.

The performance will take place at the Spring Band Concert on Wednesday May 13 at 6pm in the high school gym.