Bleu Raeders

[MikeD]

Wow! You guys did Miami two years in a row! VFW was in Miami in 1970. Guess your director was scoping a retirement location :)

Well, I think he is living in Florida now! :P

You are right...Miami two years in a row. Talk about HOT!!!

At least in 70 we stayed in a hotel on the beach...hornline used to arc up in the ocean, as a matter of fact, for rehearsals.

What was neat in 71 in Dallas was staying at a Holiday Inn where the Cowboys were also staying for their summer training. We used to rehearse on a field next to the hotel, and some of them would come over and watch. I had been a Cowboy fan since around 1968, so I was in heaven! Seeing guys like Bob Lilly...Jethro Pugh...Calvin Hill...George Andre...newly acquired tight end Billy Truax (from the Rams)....amazing. Made big old me feel absolutely small! They used to come into the restaurant for breakfast and order a big steak, 6 eggs, potatoes, toast...etc...and just 'Dallas Cowboys' to the check when they were done!

[Bleu Raeder]

Can't imagine practicing in that heat and humidity all the time. For this Northerner, it was excruciating. We got to New Orleans late at night and stayed at the Ramada Inn at the Airport. Woke up at 6:00 am for breakfast and practice and stepped out of the motel door into a solid wall of hot, damp, sticky air. So glad I showered. I'm sure it's a wonderful place, but I vowed never to return. :)

Practicing in the climate of the Gulf Coast served us well...we really did not know any different and it made us really tough. Encountering the dryer climates usually took some fair adjustment, most of the horn-line would suffer cotton-mouth the first 3 or 4 days once we arrived in the midwest (Wheaton, Ill. was typically our first stop and as I recall Wheaton 'adopted' us). this was the early 70's and we took water breaks but no one was as hip about hydration as they are now.

Marching Mardi-Gras parades was usually an intersting experience, it was either cold and humid or hot and humid. Again, being the 70's, things were different. More drunks, people would throw stuff in contras, people would try to march along with us and grab sticks...it was a madhouse of a different kind. I can recall marching over a dozen parades one year between band and corps.

[Jumpin2drums]

I was taught by Marty Hurley 74 & 75 in the Southern Rebels, and was hired for the 1979 and 1980 seasons to write durm parts and instruct the Bleu Raeders drum line. I perform in GNODCA's unit Echoes, and we currently use the Bleu Raeders cadence. Marty had published the Bleu Raeder's cadence.

With Marty's permission, I re-wrote and emailed him his lost cadence (stuck in my memory) used by the Southern Rebels. I am forming a new GNODCA unit, 10/20/07 called "NOVA". We will be using that Southern Rebel cadence.

[Bleu Raeder]

With Marty's permission, I re-wrote and emailed him his lost cadence (stuck in my memory) used by the Southern Rebels. I am forming a new GNODCA unit, 10/20/07 called "NOVA". We will be using that Southern Rebel cadence.

I wish I was home....I would certainly be active in GNODCA.

[Bob J]

Practicing in the climate of the Gulf Coast served us well...we really did not know any different and it made us really tough. Encountering the dryer climates usually took some fair adjustment, most of the horn-line would suffer cotton-mouth the first 3 or 4 days once we arrived in the midwest (Wheaton, Ill. was typically our first stop and as I recall Wheaton 'adopted' us). this was the early 70's and we took water breaks but no one was as hip about hydration as they are now.

Marching Mardi-Gras parades was usually an intersting experience, it was either cold and humid or hot and humid. Again, being the 70's, things were different. More drunks, people would throw stuff in contras, people would try to march along with us and grab sticks...it was a madhouse of a different kind. I can recall marching over a dozen parades one year between band and corps.

Hi Bleu

I actually grew up in Wheaton Ill. The show there was at Wheaton North HS, about 1/2 mile up the street from where I lived. I could hear the drums from my house, but my parents never dragged my butt up there to see the show, even though I think they went. I think one of the corps (could have been you?) stayed at my church while they were there. I never really saw a corps until the PBS broadcast from '77 or '78. Too bad, I would have been ripe for picking in those days...

[Bleu Raeder]

Hi Bleu

I actually grew up in Wheaton Ill. The show there was at Wheaton North HS, about 1/2 mile up the street from where I lived. I could hear the drums from my house, but my parents never dragged my butt up there to see the show, even though I think they went. I think one of the corps (could have been you?) stayed at my church while they were there. I never really saw a corps until the PBS broadcast from '77 or '78. Too bad, I would have been ripe for picking in those days...

That is too bad, wish you could have come down to the practice whether it was us or not. Lots of good corps at the time, Des Plaines, Blue Stars, Guardsmen. I think that Phantom was there a couple of times and may have won the show once. Too bad that some of these smaller contests are not on CorpsReps, it would be interesting to see.

I do not recall staying at a church, so it had to be a competitior. We stayed at a high school where the water system was fed by a cistern....and the water in the showers was always frigid at best. It was so cold that we would almost run in and then run out, it would certainly take your breath away. Part of rookie initiation had to do with those very cold showers. If you put your toothbrush in your mouth too fast after running it under the water it would make your teeth hurt.

I also remember some family (forgive me for not remembering their names) with a swimming pool that always hosted a party for us. I am sure we ran them broke on food those nights. Every year they would set up a movie screen and show Super 8's of the shows (those would be priceless now) out by the pool. It was awesome.

We would also go to Dixon to march in a show that had a carnival...maybe a strawberry festival or something like that (the brain is a little foggy for those details) just after the Wheaton show. It was a great show.

Edited October 17, 2007 by Bleu Raeder

[regiment militaire]

That is too bad, wish you could have come down to the practice whether it was us or not. Lots of good corps at the time, Des Plaines, Blue Stars, Guardsmen. I think that Phantom was there a couple of times and may have won the show once. Too bad that some of these smaller contests are not on CorpsReps, it would be interesting to see.

I do not recall staying at a church, so it had to be a competitior. We stayed at a high school where the water system was fed by a cistern....and the water in the showers was always frigid at best. It was so cold that we would almost run in and then run out, it would certainly take your breath away. Part of rookie initiation had to do with those very cold showers. If you put your toothbrush in your mouth too fast after running it under the water it would make your teeth hurt.

I also remember some family (forgive me for not remembering their names) with a swimming pool that always hosted a party for us. I am sure we ran them broke on food those nights. Every year they would set up a movie screen and show Super 8's of the shows (those would be priceless now) out by the pool. It was awesome.

We would also go to Dixon to march in a show that had a carnival...maybe a strawberry festival or something like that (the brain is a little foggy for those details) just after the Wheaton show. It was a great show.

I remember we called the dad, "Wheaton Willy".

Edited October 19, 2007 by regiment militaire

[Bleu Raeder]

I remember we called the dad, "Wheaton Willy".

Do you remeber the school that we stayed in? Completely redefined the term "cold shower".

[Bob J]

Probably Wheaton Central. Built around the turn of the century. Football great Red Grange played ther, so that sort of dates it.

[iamnivtop]

I just remember that they had a smokin' drum solo in '72 (hope that's the right year) the triples came forward and really showed their stuff. Crowd went crazy!