Larry MacTaggart (b. 1958) was born in Illinois, went to college at the University of Arkansas, and began a short stint as a music educator in Nebraska after graduate study at the University of Nebraska. He joined the US Air Force Band program in 1985, where he served in various roles, from band member to arranger to human resources program manager, until his retirement after 27 years. These positions took him to all 50 states and several countries. He has composed dozens of works for band along the way. He is featured at Wingert-Jones, Cane River Music, the Wind Repertory Project, and the US Air Force Band.
About his Elegy for the USS Arizona (2011), MacTaggart writes:
U.S. Navy Band #22 held the unique distinction in that its members were formed together, trained together, and transferred together. In May of 1941, these Navy musicians were assigned to the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. On the morning of December 7th, 1941, all 21 members of the USS Arizona Band, ranging in age from 19 to 31, perished in the attack on Pearl Harbor. Elegy is a tribute to the lasting legacy of the members of the USS Arizona Band, entombed with over 1,100 other sailors in the sunken wreckage of the Arizona. A solemn snare drum begins and ends the piece, and the familiar strains of Eternal Father Strong to Save are used to create a moving tribute to all veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.
I added those links, which are worth following for further context on this band and their story.
Elegy has a presence at Wingert-Jones, J. W. Pepper, and the Wind Repertory Project. Check out a performance, and follow along in a preview score:
Elegy quotes Eternal Father Strong to Save, also known as the United States Navy Hymn:
and Taps:
The documentary A Band to Honor tells the story of the USS Arizona band: