The Stewarts Creek High School band has been selected to represent Tennessee in performances commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the Attack on Pearl Harbor and in the Waikiki Holiday Parade, which will be held in 2016.

The band and its supporters received the official announcement via video from retired Maj. George Westover during the band's quarterly family and community night celebration, band director Michael Chester said. Westover, who is retired from the United States Marine Corps, is one of the few surviving veterans who served aboard the USS Tennessee during the surprise attack on the morning of Dec. 7, 1941. At age 95, Westover now resides in Donelson, and sent his salutations and congratulations to the band members on their accomplishments following the announcement.

"What an amazing chance for the students to honor the memories of the fallen and pay homage to the historic legacies of the remaining few survivors," Stewarts Creek High School principal Dr. Clark Harrell said.

Harrell, himself a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force, serves as a chaplain in the Tennessee Air National Guard. Harrell knows from his experiences in active duty tours Operation Desert Storm and Operation Enduring Freedom that opportunities to serve the community are so vitally important, especially when it comes to veterans, he said.

"This is more than just an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the students, but rather a chance for the young men and women of the Stewarts Creek High School Band to connect with living history through the shared experience of music."

In less than 17 months of existence, the members of the Stewarts Creek High School Band are no strangers when it comes to sacrifice, dedication, hard-work, team building, servant-leadership and performing for the community, Chester said.

"With such notable accolades as four members of the band program selected for the TMEA Tennessee All-State Band and Orchestra, 13 members selected for the MTSBOA All-Middle Tennessee Bands and Jazz Bands, performances at the Murfreesboro Jazz Festival, and several other performances for the Smyrna community, the opportunity to serve as ambassadors for Rutherford County Schools and the State of Tennessee will be a great honor for the students and a chance for them to connect history, giving back to those who made the ultimate sacrifice," Chester said.

More information about this historic performance -- including opportunities for the community to support the students -- will be released in the coming months, Chester said. In the meantime, Stewarts Creek High School Band is preparing for its upcoming spring concert, held at Stewarts Creek High School on Thursday, March 6 at 6:30 p.m. The event is free and open to the community.

About Rutherford County Schools

Rutherford County Schools is an award-winning school district and an education leader in Tennessee. The district is comprised of 46 schools and more than 41,000 students. The mission of Rutherford County Schools is to empower today's students to grasp tomorrow's opportunities.