elphaba01

St Vincents Cadets: THE great grandfather of modern drum corps!!!! Mickey Petrone, Jim Donnelly and Vinnie Cerbonne led the way into the 1950's with St Vincents Cadets and their modernazation of junior drum corps. Many times State and National Champions of the VFW and American Legion (Their last title was in 1956), they pretty well set the bar for the decade . They held their own against Holy Name/Garfield, Blessed Sacrament, St Josephs and the Audubon Bon Bons when NJ was the epicenter of junior drum corps. They have a history book which may still be available from the parish in Bayonne. It was written by an alumni whom I believe is now a Catholic Priest. They "Vinnies" were named "Junior Corps of the Decade/1950's" by DCA in 1989 Corps was disbanded at the end of the 1961 season. Their last appearance at a "Nationals" was at the VFW in Miami where they placed tenth. All honors to the "Big Green Band"!!!!!!!!!!!!! Elphaba

"The Great Plains": Casper Troopers, Troopers Cadets, Argonne Rebels, Hutchinson Sky Ryders, Denver Blue Knights, Denver Eldoradans, Witchita Scarlet Lancers, Salina Silver Sabers, Tri VEL Raiders, Frontiersmen, Enid Legionettes, Plainsmen, and the Seventh Cavalry. The US Air Force had drum corps at Lowry AFB and the "Enlisted" NCO drum corps at the USAF Academy. Both are long gone. 🎺 Elphaba

"Twelve Pack Staffs": We had about the same "Rationing" with the Royal lancers (CT). We had Joe Genero writing with Artie Hlywa & Ray Ludee teaching horns and drums and Bob Condon and Ed Woods on drill up to 1964. Hy Drietzer was hired for the 1965 & 1966 marranging, with Hylwa & Ludee stil on their captions. Vinnie Radtford was hired to write the drill, and I "believe" Condon & Woods still worked with us. I'm amazed I can still remember any of this!!!!!!!!!!!!! Elphaba

"Worst Show": Probably the entire 1964 (This is going back "A Bit") season. Our program was going on year 2+ and it was showing. Our Parochial rival, (From where we had actually come) whacked us big time in a Spring standstill, and our two cross town rivals hammered us at the Penn Jersey Championship and seasons closer in CT. The corps underwent a top to bottom makeover music wise (Hy Drietzer took over as writer/instructor) and 1965 was our best and most successfull season with wins over all the other "City" corps and a sixth place finish at the World Open. Great memories..............😎 Elphaba

"Argonne Rebels" Truman did indeed write some of their charts as did Brian Pennington. Sandie Opie was the horn instructor, and she was one of THE best in the business. Elphaba

"Drum Corps Drill": Almost anything prior to the "Staging & Dance" era qualifies. 27th Lancers had some great drill by Zengali as did Star of Indiana. Santa Clara's drills by Trooper alum Pete Emmons were always great (And trend setters) as were those of Jim Jones written for the Troopers. Elphaba

Spirit of 76": While I don't dispute the Blue Devils win, I do give tons of credit to the fab comeback of the Madison Scouts. There are not too many corps that can dump thier show mid season, go into camp, come out with a new production and fight their way back into contention clawing their way into a second place finish in the championship night show. Their "Off the Line" production of that show is on YouTube. I get goosebumps every time I watch it. Elphaba

"Great Years": Great indeed, I believe it was THE "Greatest" due to what was almost "Parity" between the league leading junior corps. Of the almost dozen plus contenders almost all of them had beaten the rest of the pack at least one time over the course of the season and at seasons end the championship titles were spraed around pretty well. 27th Lancers had the Shriners, Dream and World Open, Blue Rock won CYO and US Open, Anahime Kingsmen the "Mid America", Argonne rebels the American Legion Nationals, and Santa Clara the VFW Nationals. Elphaba

"Power Plus": G BUGLES BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ❤️ No amps required (Or needed)!!!!!!!! 😖 Elphaba

"One More Alumni": Blessed Sacrament Golden Knights. Been around for a good long while, 😎 Elphaba

"Longevity": Caballeros in Finals EVERY YEAR since 1966!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ❤️ Elphaba

"No Rings": 27th Lancers 1975. (Fab "Comeback season", just no room left at the top) Muchachos 1974 (Actually a better corps than 1975 Placement in Prelims may have hurt them). Troopers 1974. (Faded at Nationals after beating the pack early on). Troopers 1973 (Only corps to beat Santa Clara that year) Elphaba

"Feeling Olde": Remember the first year Ralph Silverbrand fronted Hawthorne: 1957. 😀 Remember being taught by Mr Joe Genero (1962/64) and Mr Hy Drietzer (1965-66) on horns. 😎 I am definitly "Olde". 😪 Elphaba

"Garfield Alumni Corps": I believe there already IS an "Holy Name Cadets" Alumni drum corps. Are they going to be a part of this undertaking? Elphaba

"Macy's Part Deux": The 1950's had a slug of corps marching for Macy's also. They included Blessed Sacrament Golden Knights, St Vincents Cadets, Holy Name/Garfield Cadets, Audubon Bon Bons, New York Skyliners, Hawthorne Caballeros, and Reilly Raiders. Elphaba

"Macy's Parade": Racine Scouts, NY Knickerbockers, Hawthorne Muchachos, an St Kevins Emerald Knights all have been in th Macy line of march. Elphaba

RIP Wes Hobby": Fran has pretty well said it all. Wes Hobby set the bar for all the drum corps announcers that came after him We are very much diminished by his passing. RIP Elphaba 😢

"Yankee Rebels 1969": The old Baltimore Yankee Rebels senior corps did a Civil War show, (The first of it's kind BTW), way back in 1969. They called it "Requiem for an Era" and it was written by none other than Truman W. Crawford, a serving officer (And Commander) of the USMC drum and bugle corps. The show was greeted with standing ovations, and a benchmark production for it's time. Garfield Cadets did an "America the Brave" type of show in 1971 & 1972, and Casper Troopers did a "Custer's Last Stand" feature in 1971. The Madison Scouts did a "Pirates of Lake Mendota" a few years back, complete with sword fights and a pirate captin being done in by his first mate. All of those shows were tremendous crowd faves. Elphaba

"One and Done" Royal Crusaders & Dutch Boy Elphaba

"St Rita's/Shoreliners": I "Believe" a large group of people frothe Milford Shoreliners went to St Rita's for that season. There was no formal "Merger" Elphaba

"Prize Money": The VFW's top dollar award for first place in the juniors at 1961 Nationals was $1,000.00. I remember the actual descending prize monies list they published in Drum Corps News. I wish I could find that issue. 😩 Elphaba

SCV STAFF: UNREAL. Neither of the ENTIRE DRUM CORPS that I marched in had that many people teaching or ON THE FIELD!!!!!! Elphaba

Old Time Staffs: We (Conn Royal Lancers) WAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYY back in 1962-1966 had one horn instructor/write and teach, one drum instructor and one drill man. St Anns (1957-1962) had one drum instrctor one horn instrctor and one drill person. Senior people in sections woked with their sections. The drill person also taught the color guard. Elphaba

"Bridgeport, Bridgeport": The old Park City had several: From my day (1950's 1960's): Bridgeport PAL Cadets, St Rapheal's Buccaneers, Conn Royal Lancers, Scarlet Knights, St Ann's Loyalaires, St Raphael's Musketeers (Bucc's Cadets corps), St Raphael's Marrionettes, Notre Dame All Girl, Colonades (All girls), and from accross the river the Milford Police Cadets/Shoreliners. Up route 8 a bit were the Trumbull Cadets and the Trumbull Troubadors. Elphaba

"St Rose Scarlet Lancers": Hailed from a suburb of Boston called Chelsa. Chick Corea marched with them. Bob Gaff of Yankee Rebels solo fame and BHOF charter member did also. There is a posting of a 1960's recoring of them on YouTube, and a small synopsis of their history. There is a Facebook site called "New Englend Drum Corps" which may have some information also. Andy Lisko can probably give a much more detailed report on them Elphaba