Tokensoul

I haven't seen a live show in many, many years. As I watched this year's show I didn't have any preconceived ideas of who is better. I just watched. There were things I liked, and some things I didn't like, about each corps. But when it came to all out beauty and elegance I knew that the Blue Devils' show was the best. I watched the prelims and I saw the Blue Coats win. When I saw them all I came home and told my wife that regardless of their current placement the Blue Devils would win. And they did!

Did Joe Gabrielski ever end up marching with the Bridgeport Hurricanes? I know he really liked them when he was in college. Or did he just go from Crusaders to being a judge?

You're probably right Fran. Even though I stopped marching in 69 I still stayed with the corps until around 1972. After that I started life in the real world.

I believe I met Micky Petrone when I was with the corps. He was talking to our director John Latko (deceased) and John introduced him to those who were standing nearby. It was probably at either the VFW or American Legion States in Wildwood. On a side note, my wife is related to Msgr. Wojtycha. He was my wife's grandmother's cousin. He was always mentioned at family gatherings. My wife's maternal family name is Zablocki. I met him also at St. Vincent's church the day John and his wife Yolanda got married.

Yes, I knew John Aritano. I marched with the Crusaders from 1959 through 1969. I knew that he was associated with the Sunrisers. In fact, after I left the corps some of the younger members went on later on to March with the Sunrisers as well. I don't know which of the songs were John's but If Who Will Buy was one of them, I was the soloist at the start of the song. We used it off the line in those days.

When I marched with the Crusaders from Manville, NJ our corps director was John Latko who marched with Vinnies. He had the best collection of old records (78s) of the corps I even had the privilege to listen to.

Mountain in the Clouds by Miroslav Vitous

I was ten years old. My Father was slowly dying from cancer and my mother thought I needed an activity that took me out of the house a few days a week. My uncle was involved in the local D&B corps so he took me there one day. I was always kinda shy but he talked me into joining. Before I knew it I was going home with a soprano horn. I ended up marching for 10 seasons (1959-1969). I got pretty good as a horn player and was the corps very first soloist. Drum corps has always been, and will always be, in my mind and in my heart.

Did NOT marry my drum corps sweetheart. The best thing that ever happened to me. Got married years after drum corps and have just passed 43 years marrried. Now I'm wondering if, maybe, I should have married the drum corp gal (ha ha ha)!

Does anyone remember St. Vincent's Cadets from Bayonne, NJ?

Marched against them for many years. Couldn't stand them. Not in the same class as better NJ corps (Garfield, SAC, St. Lucy and later on Bridgemen)

Blue Rock, Wilmington DE

I would like to see a corps do a tribute to the music festival Woodstock. It was the first time that, on American soil, 500,000 young people came together for a weekend of music, peace and love. It was the most defining cultural event of the late 1960s.

I marched in a junior drum and bugle corps from 1959-1959. In those days New Jersey, where I lived, was a hot bed of some of the greatest corps ever to hit the field of competition. I was in a small, home town, corp that competed often against those corps in both the VFW and American Legion state and national competitions. Most of my tenure was pre-DCI. We, the Sacred Heart Crusaders of Manville, NJ, never beat the likes of The Cadets, Blessed Sacrament, St. Lucy, Muchachos, Bridgemen, etc. but we all looked up to them for what they were. They were the cream of the crop of the truly National corps. I feel badly for this year's troupe. As talented as these kids are they have been let down by those responsible for putting them in the best possible position to win. From start to finish the show is confusing in concept and lacking in execution. I hope this year is an anomaly for the Cadets. I also hope that the powers that be learn the lesson of this year. BE THE CADETS! Forget trying to amaze the world with a concept that, for the most part, goes over everyone's head. Go back to the basics of great music and great drill. Make 2020 a redux year. The Cadets have a great history of music and marching. Reach back and use what worked into next year's show.