TennTux Posted December 2, 2013 Share Posted December 2, 2013 Ray and Nancy, They weren't perfect days, but "Happy Days". When Ted Sasso and I were both teaching Long Island Circuit corps in the mid-'60's, we would designate out ""favorite kids". I wanted Ray Fallon, but since I was not an official instructor of the Oceanside Legionnaires (just an adjunct helper), Teddy got him. I then chose Tom (later "Bunyon") Mc Carthy of the Seaford Golden Hawks. Both of them made us look good. Wow... Another great story I did not know.... Thanks FTD!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayfallon Posted December 2, 2013 Share Posted December 2, 2013 Glad you reminded me about Bunyon tonight. I've been feeling a tiny bit nostalgic. What a great guy! I came back from overseas and plugged myself into Nassau Community College so I could earn some credit while I tried to crazy glue my brain cells back in place. Here was this lumberjack playing the Hayden and Hummel Concertos absolutely flawlessly. The only thing he seemed to care about as much as his trumpet was his Blue GTO. So one day he shows up for class in a Sunrisers jacket... I'm like... "huh" We talked and he started to do this full court press.. ya see... I went to the Hofstra "fog" show the week I came back from overseas in 1974 and I didn't get it... Sun was dreadful and all the shows had changed so enormously that I thought I would just stay "aged out". McCarthy hounded me for weeks until Sun's first rehearsal for the 1975 season and of course I went - you couldn't say no to Tom. The rest isn't as much history as a paperback novel or maybe a comic book, but McCarthy relaunched my drum corps habit, which to date has never been completely extinguished. There's so much more about Tom though - his earnestness, his positivity - his pristine technique - his desire to be the best. Tom, like Pete China, was one of a couple of engines that when Dennis Delucia was added to the mix, powered the Sunrisers from a poor 10th place to an amazing 1st in just two years, and established the corps of the decade for the '80s. Indiana was the right school, and he went on to put his stamp on the Cavaliers and more. His passing was one of those way too many that we've endured over the past few years. You definitely got the better end of that deal. A great player, great guy - even a great ####ing mechanic!!! The ######## even had a better BEARD than I did! Miss you Bunyon. You were a giant in a forest of pygmies. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted December 2, 2013 Share Posted December 2, 2013 I should have a new Unsociable Media site called something like "Blunder" where you just type and mistype anything that comes to mind..."you didn't like our service? Go #### yourself!" stuff like that. Did that the old fashioned way over the phone with one of my in laws a few months back. Things have been stressful with passing of their parents and seems all frustration... yelling... accusations... etc keep getting dumped our way. My wife ended up in tears once too often and I finally said "If you don't like the way we're running our lives...". Safe to say I'm off the Christmas card list and on the #### list. Life goes on and time to go get Mr C a card to let him know we're thinking of him.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted December 2, 2013 Share Posted December 2, 2013 correct "THE Don" which is what you get when you give a bass drummer those old and LOUD and dangerous wooden mallets... bass drummer to be feared, strong back and weapons in his hands nah we're pussycats. til you #### us off Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayfallon Posted December 2, 2013 Share Posted December 2, 2013 Did that the old fashioned way over the phone with one of my in laws a few months back. Things have been stressful with passing of their parents and seems all frustration... yelling... accusations... etc keep getting dumped our way. My wife ended up in tears once too often and I finally said "If you don't like the way we're running our lives...". Safe to say I'm off the Christmas card list and on the #### list. Life goes on and time to go get Mr C a card to let him know we're thinking of him.... Make sure you get one of the "Large Print" cards... Jimmy isn't as young as he used to be... In fact he isn't as young as most Redwoods used to be... (or as tall) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted December 3, 2013 Share Posted December 3, 2013 Make sure you get one of the "Large Print" cards... Jimmy isn't as young as he used to be... In fact he isn't as young as most Redwoods used to be... (or as tall) Thanks Ray, hope the print is big enough and funny enough... Bunch of bad jokes like: When a doctor says: "I want to run more tests" They really mean: "My BMW payment is coming due". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran Haring Posted December 3, 2013 Share Posted December 3, 2013 It was a great childhood... we got told "No" a lot. But, we traveled and got to see plenty. For example: We went to all the important landmarks and learned all about the battle of Gettysburg... how they lived / ate... etc... Went to see Gettysburg several times when I was a kid. My dad was big on taking day trips on the weekend... basically, we would go to wherever a tank of gas would take us. Gettysburg, New York City, the Jersey Shore (many, many trips to the Shore), and so forth. It made for some fun times and good memories!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayfallon Posted December 3, 2013 Share Posted December 3, 2013 I talked to Jimmy for about 15 minutes tonight - great spirits - funny as always - filled me in on something that shouldn't have made me laugh because it's so ####ing scary but we both laughed for about 2 minutes: Jim was feeling badly for a couple of days before the actual "event"... when it happened he had made a commitment to play "Taps" at a memorial service outside. He could barely get over to the venue, swears he could barely walk. Of course he got through "Taps" before he gave out and needed help to get out of there. Is that the ultimate place for someone who has dedicated his life to music, and specifically for honoring our passed on comrades with his music? I told him he should have a plaque made "Almost bought the farm while playing Taps - a true bugler to the end (almost)" Seemed hilarious, fitting, honorable, and typical all in one (get this) breath. I hope I'm half the man this little guy has proven to be. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Ream Posted December 3, 2013 Share Posted December 3, 2013 Went to see Gettysburg several times when I was a kid. My dad was big on taking day trips on the weekend... basically, we would go to wherever a tank of gas would take us. Gettysburg, New York City, the Jersey Shore (many, many trips to the Shore), and so forth. It made for some fun times and good memories!!! my dad was big on weekend trips too...wherever Shore or the Rebels were playing LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayfallon Posted December 3, 2013 Share Posted December 3, 2013 my dad was big on weekend trips too...wherever Shore or the Rebels were playing LOL I'm imagining that by now everyone in the activity has heard my dad's immortal quote, or actually quotes about drum corps. He said, in his usual flat dead serious Irish immigrant tone "If it (a drum corps show) was across the street and free I wouldn't go" Quote 2 - when he was in his late 70s and I played a recording of some line that I had worked or written for or both and was particularly proud of... I asked "so... if it (a drum corps show) was across the street and free, would you go now?" Same flat delivery... a little less Irish by then (it came back with a vengeance before he passed on at 90) "No.... but now I might sit on the front porch." Never saw a show, or a rehearsal, or a parade. Played music his entire life (the accordian, especially the little button jobs they played in Ireland - sang too - good Irish tenor - surprise!) Maybe he didn't like drums? Didn't do a lot of traveling to be near corps with my dad... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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