elphaba01

"Bridgeport's Barnum Parade": While probably not the "Grand Daddy" of July Fourth parades Old Bridgeports Barnum Festival cross town trek is up pretty high on the family tree. Featuring almost every senior corps from the Appleknockers to the Yankee Rebels (Who had performed in the preceeding evenings "Parade of Champions, and that shows winner leading the march) as well as every junior corps in the Fairfield County area (and beyond) and even Alumni units such as The Caballeros and Archer Epler Musketeers the parade was a mainstay of drum corps activity in the area. Sadly the Barnum's drum corps competion is only a memory, and the parade a shadow of it's former self. Elphaba

"Judged Harshly": Indeed they were, "Back in the day....that is "My Day". It was "Get in on the field, opening night " (Usually in May, back then), ready or not, complete or not. The "Evaluation Show", was your first number on your first night. Best of luck to all corps. Break a leg. Elphaba

"Air Force Corps Members Lost" The US Air Force Bolling AFB Drum Corps lost four marching members when a C-119 cargo aircrft transporting corps members crashed in Maryland in 1954. RIP Elphaba

"Back in the Day"; The old senior Baltimore Yankee Rebels actually had a pooch mascot that they brought to contests with them named "Hamiliton's Confederate Lady". At one show the dog took a dislike to one of the NY Skyliners drum majors (I can't remember which one) and got a lilltle fiesty at "retreat". Scared him really good. The Yankee Rebels also were known for bring two horses to contests and having a uniformed Union and Confederate cavalryman, complete with flags and sabes ride around the track prior to the corps comming "Off the Line". Great memories...... Elphaba

"Ancient DCA Attendance": 1965: Six corps showed up at Milford's Jon Law HS for the "Innaugural", and I watched them all from the sideline at the "50". Fab night of top senior corps and their soloists right in my face. 1966 and 1967 had ten corps in the Final, with a "Prelim" in 1967 for position. All ten went forward. 1968 had some 18 in Prelim, with 10 in Finals. Stats courtesy of CorpsReps. Elphaba

"Drum Corps Tradgedies": I understand that in 1970, a bus carrying members of the Skokie/Norwood Park Imperials went down a cliffside on the corps way to the VFW Nationals, which that year were held in Miami Florida. Any other details? Elphaba

"East Coast Dead": RIP Elphaba

"Go West Young Men": If my memory isn't completly gone. I recollect that after Pete Emmons aged out of the Troopers, he migrated to the Kingsmen before his many years stint with the Santa Clara Vanguard, and then to Blue Devils, wher he he has been in an admin capacity ever since. Several other Trooper alums, Fred Sanford, Jack Megan among them also departed for California's drum corps. I'm sure Frank D can set us straight on all of this "Westward Migration". Elphaba

1974 DCI "Upset": Madison pretty well dominated the season that year, and actually were favored to win it all. Santa Clara declined their "Going on last at Finals" as defending champion option and preceeded the Kingsmen and Madison Scouts (Who had beaten them in Prelims) in the appearance order in the night show. The rest, as they say, is history. Elphaba

"Drum Corps Watershed": 1970. The Mid West tour by the Santa Clara Vanguard. Almost "Out of Nowhere", they managed to defeat all three reigning National Champions : VFW, Racine Kilties, American Legion the Chicago Cavaliers and World Open/CYO Casper Troopers, as well as several other nationally prominant units such as the Chicago Vanguard, Garfield Cadets, Blue Stars, and Madison Scouts. After this, things would never be the same. Elphaba

"Ancient History": 1964, VFW Finals: Almost out of nowhere Racine Kilties upset EVERYONES (Beating ALL the "faves", which included the Chicago Cavaliers and Royal Airs, Boston Crusaders St Kevins Emerald Knights, and Blessed Sacrament) applecarts and marched away with the VFW National Championship. If this wasn't an instance of the "Great unknown", I don't know what is. I very much doubt something like this will ever be seen in DCI. Elphaba

"Hy Drietzer": Hy had three corps that he had either instructed, or written for (Or both) in the 1968 World Open Finals. DesPlaines Vanguard, St Joseph Patron Cadets and the CMCC Warriors. Both the Vanguards and the CMCC used arrangements of "Man of LaMacna" that Hy had penned for them. Elphaba

"Closing the Spread": Actually, you guys did a lot better than "Nine Points". CorpsReps has you at: 1. 86.381 St Kevins Emerald Knights 2. 82. 626 Blessed Sacrament 3. 76.583 St Raphaels Buccaneers 3. 76.583 St Patricks Cadets 5. 74.916 Audubon Bon Bons 6. 74.196 Skokie Vanguards If my memory serves me half way correctly, Blessed Sacrament had a four point flag violation penalty which resulted in the spread and the loss. I also recollect that the instructors from the Garfield Cadets were a big chunk of the judging panel. My Dad took us to that contest to see the Skokie Vanguards who were just staring to use Hy Drietzer's music. Belated congrats on closing the "Spread". Elphaba

1963 Blessed Sacrament Golden Knights: The top junior corps of that season, far and away the "Best of the Best", and their main East Coast competion, St Kevins Emerald Knights, Garfield Cadets and Boston Crusaders were no slouches. Won almost all their contests, against the top of the card junior units, and came away with the American Legion, National Dream, and the first World Open Championship titles. Great memories. Elphaba

St Catherine's Queensmen: One of my all time fave junior drum corps. As the album (Brass by Night ) says, they did the most to break the stranglehold the North Jersey corps had on area competion with their wins over Blessed Sacrament and the Garfield Cadets. Billy Hightower was their great baritone solist in "Tin Roof Bues", and went to to the Sunrisers in 1963 with a solo in "Sing Sing Sing". Great memories. Elphaba

"Utica's Best": Remember the Magnificent Yankees? Great corps. Elphaba

"Missing You, Missing Me": Miss ALL of the above. The "Theme" thing "MAY" have been started by the old Archer-Epler Musketeers senior corps back in the mid 1950's, with their "King and I" show, complete with the late Vince Deagan as the "King". My old junior corps, the CT Royal Lancers had a "theme" show, "South Pacific" written by Joe Genero, that we played in 1963 and 1964. Also miss our old Bridgeport CT hometown all girls corps the Notre Dame HS and Colonades juniors. Miss Drum Corps News summer editions with writers like Boston's Ed Rooney who were the "Walter Winchells" of the activity, and photos by Moe Knox. Elphaba

"Military Marchers, the 1960's": I remember seeing corps armed forces members home on leave, marching in their military uniforms back in the Viet Nam war era. There was a picture of Skyliner Sol Anthony marching with his corps in his Army tans in DCN, and Frank Dorritte marching with Sunrisers in his. Elphaba

"Downstate": Bellville Black Knights, very strong corps in the late 1950's and early 1960's, competed successfully against the Mid West powers of the day, and several times VFW Nationals Finalist, survived into the DCI era. Elphaba

"Wyoming Senior Corps": Wyoming had, and may very well still have, a senior corps called the Seventh Cavalry. They called Sheridan WY home. They attended the American Legion Nationals way back in 1961 and placed tenth. Elphaba

"State of Maine": (From my era): The Andrews Sabers and Bath Buccaneers. I understand the Sabers made a trip to France in the early 1960's. "New Mexico": The "Dukes of Albequrque" Elphaba

"Alaska": "The Corps of the North". Mid 1960's drum corps from Fairbanks. Elphaba

New Jersey Part Deux: Hawthorne Muchachos and Newark Woodsiders. Hawthorne's junior needs no introduction, Woodsiders were a Newark junior corps that received an influx of St Vincents Cadets members (And Vinnies director drill instructor Mickey Petrone) after the corps was disbanded in the fall of 1971. Woodsiders competed very successfully in regional action. Another corps that did well in regional competition was St Patricks Cadets of Jersey City. Their Bobby Thompson taught drum line more than held their own against their local big gun rivals. Blue Rock could also be considered a "Jersey" corps as they held Veterans sponsorships in both NJ and DE. They are EASILY the best corps to ever herald from the "First State". Elphaba

Bengal Lancers: I recall the corps from Trumbull, winning the World Open Class "B" Championship in the early 1970's. I also believe they folded right after they won the title. The Joe Genero taught St Aeden's Emerald Cadets had a good run in the early 1970's, and the parish corps from St Raphael's was resurected in 1970 or 1971 as "Golden Buccaneers" and competed until 1975 or so then was merged with St Aeden's Emerald Cadets of New Haven for a season, known as the "Emerald Buccaneers". Elphaba

"Most Succesfull Connecticut Juniors" Pre DCI: St Raphael's Buccaneers, Bridgeport PAL Cadets, Connecticut Royal Lancers (All several times Finalists at the World Open in that era, PAL Cadets a VFW Finalist in 1965 & 1967 both St Raphaels and PAL Cadets Champions at State and Circuit levels). Milford Police Cadets Shoreliners, State and several Circuits champion in later part of decade, succeeded the Bridgeport corps as "Leader" after all the above mentioned units had disbanded after 1968. Open to suggestion for Connecticut corps that were successful later on. Elphaba