Please click here to view a student eulogy for George Durham recorded at the East Hawaiʻi Veterans Cemetery No. 2 in 2026: https://youtu.be/XbfrAkhA3zo

Biography

Early Life 
George David Durham was born in Port Arthur, Texas, on April 10, 1925. His father, George Sr., an electric welder in the oil refinery business, managed the family household alongside his wife, Flossie. 

Sometime between 1930 and 1940, the family moved to Washington, D.C. There, Durham attended Anacostia High School. In high school, he participated in choral, orchestra, regular band, Battalion band, the Phi Alpha Epsilon-Gamma Fraternity, the Chevrons Club, and football. He graduated in 1943.
Homefront 
When the United States entered World War II, Washington, D.C., was quickly transformed. Thousands of new workers flooded into the city to help run the massive war effort. The housing market in D.C. was not equipped to handle this influx, as construction had slowed during the Great Depression and then halted when materials and labor were diverted to the war effort.

One of the most drastic changes to Washington during the war happened on the National Mall. The federal government built rows of plain, boxy government buildings along the Mall to house war workers. Locals called them “tempos.” Temporary housing was also constructed in front of the National Gallery of Art and on the grounds of the Washington Monument. Some of these buildings remained until the 1970s.

Washington residents also had to get used to sudden blackout drills to practice for possible enemy attacks. On August 18, 1942, the Washington Senators were playing the Philadelphia Athletics at Griffith Stadium when a surprise blackout drill happened. To the 6,000 in attendance, this was a stark reminder, even in the middle of a baseball game, that the country was at war.

Military Experience 
Durham joined the U.S. Marine Corps in January 1943. By 1944, he was assigned to the regimental band of the 26th Marines, 5th Marine Division, as a drum major. Durham’s unit trained at Camp Tarawa, a major Marine installation on Hawaiʻi, for the Battle of Iwo Jima. Camp Tarawa was used for small-arms practice, an artillery range, and other purposes to support the ongoing war with Japan in the Pacific.

On January 4, 1945, Durham’s 28-piece regimental band embarked at Hilo, Hawaiʻi. Their first stop was Pearl Harbor, where the unit remained from January 5 to 27 for training, lectures, and rehearsal landings. They set sail for Iwo Jima, stopping at Enewetak Atoll, Marshall Islands, and Garapan Harbor, Saipan, for fuel and supplies. On February 19, 1945, the unit arrived on Iwo Jima.

In a 2003 interview, Durham recalled his time in the Battle of Iwo Jima, with these words, “As we approached Iwo Jima, we were amazed by the tremendous bombardment by our battleships, rocket firings by smaller ships, and air attacks on the island. We wondered how anyone could survive that fantastic onslaught of bombs, rockets, and shells! . . . It was hard for us to come to grips with what was happening. It wasn’t fear or confusion; it was just a new experience, and unforgettable.” His band was directed to move off the beach and dig in. He noted how difficult it was to dig foxholes in volcanic sand.

Durham did not witness the historic flag raising on Mount Suribachi due to his unit’s location, but he later described seeing it flying, saying, “It was an inspiring moment for us. It still is. Those of us who experienced that event will never forget it.”

The 5th Division fought on Iwo Jima from February 19 until March 26, and sustained the highest casualty rate among the three Marine divisions involved in the invasion. 

After the war, Durham became a member of “The President’s Own,” a band that performed for the President of the United States and the Commandant of the Marine Corps. On February 8, 1947, Durham married Jean A. Gough in Washington, D.C. In 1949, their son, Michael, was born. While serving, Durham attended Catholic University in Washington, D.C, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in 1950 and a master’s degree in 1952. 

Upon his appointment as a warrant officer, Durham left the band to join the Fleet Marine Corps field band music program as a band officer. Here, he played tuba and string bass. Durham retired from the Marine Corps in 1965.

Veteran Experience 
Durham went on to earn his doctorate from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. At some point, he and Jean divorced, and he moved to Hilo, Hawaiʻi.

Durham worked as the band director at Hilo High School and later as a professor in the Performing Arts Department at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, where he donated instruments. He also played tuba in the Hawaiʻi County Band. In addition, he founded a Kanda Bayashi ensemble affiliated with Kanda Myojin Shrine in Tokyo, Japan. While in Japan, Durham married Yoko Watanabe, and they had one daughter, named Joan.

Commemoration 
Warrant Officer George David Durham passed away on June 26, 2015, at his Hilo residence at the age of 90. He was laid to rest at the East Hawaiʻi Veterans Cemetery No. 2 in Hilo. His commitment to music reminds us that we should all follow our dreams and do what makes us happy. 

This profile was researched by Jemma Balberde, Odette Chutaro, Mason Espaniola, Sophia Hunter, Kamakani Ke-A Kahana, Michael Miller, Harper Powell, and Jones Ybarbo, mentored by Hilo Intermediate School teacher Ms. Pualeilani Fernandez, as part of a Veterans Legacy Grant Program led by National History Day in the 2025/2026 academic year.

This profile was funded by a grant from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. The opinions, findings, and conclusions stated herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.



Bibliography

Primary Sources
“2d Surprise Test Better Than No. 1.” The Washington Daily News [Washington, D.C.], August 19, 1942. Newspapers.com (1040510620).

Durham Family Records. Courtesy of Eliseo Queja. 

George D Durham Junior. U.S. Marine Corps Muster Rolls, 1798-1958. Digital Images. Ancestry Classroom.

George David Durham Jr. U.S., Navy and Marine Corps Registries, 1814-1992. Digital Images. Ancestry Classroom.

George Durham. U.S., School Yearbooks, 1900-2016. Digital Images. Ancestry Classroom.

“Miss Gough Married to Sergt. Durham.” Evening Star [Washington, D.C.] February 9, 1947. Newspapers.com (867982167).

Office of Student Services, Admissions Office. 1997-1998 General Catalog. Hilo: 
University of Hawai'i at Hilo, 1997. https://hilo.hawaii.edu/catalog/documents/UHH_Catalog_97-98.pdf.

Texas. Jefferson County. 1930 U.S. Census. Digital Images. Ancestry Classroom.

“To Men 18 and 19 Who Want Action.” The Galveston Daily News [Galveston, Texas], November 16, 1942. Newspapers.com (20274156).

United States Marine Band Office of Communication. The 75th Anniversary of the Flag Raising at Iwo Jima. Washington DC: United States Marine Band, 2020. https://www.marineband.marines.mil/Portals/175/Docs/Programs/022320.pdf?ver=2020-01-30-080112-743. 

Washington, D.C. 1950 U.S. Census. Digital Images. Ancestry Classroom.

Secondary Sources

“Dr. George David Durham, Jr.” Dodo Mortuary, Inc. & Crematory. Accessed October 22, 2025. www.dodomortuary.com/obituary/3248881.

“Explore by Timeline: World War II (1941-1945). U.S. General Services Administration. Accessed April 17, 2026. https://www.gsa.gov/real-estate/explore-historic-buildings/explore-by-timeline/world-war-ii-19411945. 

Farrar, Kate. “15 Vintage Victory Garden Pics - Modern Farmer.” Modern Farmer. January 24, 2014. Accessed November 17, 2025. https://modernfarmer.com/2014/01/15-victory-garden-pics/.


“George David Durham, Jr.” Star Advertiser [Honolulu, Hawai’i] June 26, 2015.  https://obits.staradvertiser.com/2015/07/18/george-david-durham-jr/.

“George David Durham, Jr.” Find a Grave. Updated January 15, 2017. Accessed December 12, 2025. ​​https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/175386124/george-david-durham.

“George David Durham Jr.” Veterans Legacy Memorial, National Cemetery Administration. Accessed November 1, 2025. https://www.vlm.cem.va.gov/GEORGEDAVIDDURHAMJr/408883. 

“Kansha Donor List.” Legacies Volume 19, Issue 3: (Summer 2013): 1-15. 
https://www.kaimukihawaii.com/newsimages/jcch_summer_2013_newsletter.pdf. 


Ka Lono Hanakahi Volume 18, Issue 1: (September 2002): 1-12. https://hilo.hawaii.edu/pdf/kalono/kalono-2002-09.pdf.


“Marine Band Members Who Fought at Iwo Jima.” United States Marine Band. February 19, 2020. Accessed March 30, 2026. www.marineband.marines.mil/News/Article/2087283/marine-band-members-who-fought.


McGirl, Siobhan. “Surprise Blackouts Sweep the East Coast.” World War 2.0. Accessed April 17, 2026. https://blogs.shu.edu/ww2-0/1942/08/21/surprise-blackouts-sweep-the-east-coast/. 
	
Springate, Megan E.“Victory Gardens on the World War II Home Front.” National Park Service. Accessed November 10, 2025. https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/victory-gardens-on-the-world-war-ii-home-front.htm.


Swain, Claudia. “Standing Room Only: DC’s WWII Housing Crunch.” Boundary Stones. Accessed April 17, 2026. https://boundarystones.weta.org/2014/04/08/standing-room-only-dcs-wwii-housing-crunch. 

“‘Temporary’ War Department Buildings.” National Park Service. Accessed April 17, 2026. https://www.nps.gov/articles/temporary-war-department-buildings.htm. 

“Battle of Iwo Jima.” The National WWII Museum New Orleans. Last Modified 2025. Accessed February 20, 2026. www.nationalww2museum.org/war/topics/battle-iwo-jima.

Thomas, Paula and Lara Hughes. “The Big Island Press Club: Then and Now.”  Ke Ola, 2017 Nov.-Dec. 
https://keolamagazine.com/then-now/big-island-press-club.

“History of UH Hilo,” University of Hawaii at Hilo. Accessed November 1, 2025. https://hilo.hawaii.edu/chancellor/history-of-UH-Hilo.php. 

“World War II Temporary Buildings.” Histories of the National Mall. Accessed April 17, 2026. https://mallhistory.org/items/show/58. 

“Yoko Watanabe Durham.” Dodo Mortuary, Inc. & Crematory. Accessed October 22, 2025. www.dodomortuary.com/obituary/yoko-durham. 



Durham’s marker at the East Hawaiʻi Veterans Cemetery No. 2, April 10, 2026. Courtesy of Pualeilani Fernandez.

Durham's marker at the East Hawaii Veterans Cemetery.

Students from the Hilo Intermediate School gather to honor George Durham, April 10, 2026. Courtesy of Pualeilani Fernandez.

A color photograph of students standing in front of a Columbarium.

Durham in Kando, Tokyo, playing with the Kanda Bayashi Hozonkai, May 1994. Courtesy of Eliseo Queja.

A color image of an elderly White man in traditional Japanese clothing playing a drum on his knees.

The entrance to the University of Hawai’i at Hilo, 1991. University of Hawai’i.

A color image of a stone entrance that reads University of Hawaii at Hilo lined with palm trees.

Durham leads students from Hilo High School at the Rose Bowl Parade in Pasadena, California, 1971. Courtesy of Eliseo Queja.

A color image of a large high school band on a parade route.

George Durham, while in training in Hawaiʻi, 1944. Courtesy of Eliseo Queja.

George Durham, while in training in Hawaii, standing next to a tent.

The ribbons and medals George Durham received over his many years of service. Courtesy of Eliseo Queja.

A color photo of several ribbons and medals.

George Durham playing the tuba in the Marine band. National Museum of the Marine Corps.

A black and white image of a young White man playing the tuba dressed in uniform.

Durham with the Battalion Band at Anacostia High School in Washington, D.C., 1942. He was a 1st Sergeant. Ancestry.

A black and white photo of a large band in uniform standing on the steps outside a building.

The 1930 Census shows the Durham family living in Port Arthur, Texas. National Archives and Records Administration.

A page from Durham’s personal scrapbook commemorating his appointment to warrant officer, November 15, 1957. Courtesy of Eliseo Queja.

A black and white photo of a young White man in dress uniform.

GEORGE DAVID DURHAM JR

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