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The history of the Westshoremen


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Weird part with 1984 was being in the 6 week corps and hearing the following:

"They left the corps #### them"

"The corps did not exist when they joined Reading, how could they leave something that did not exist"

Response was this TOTALLY blank look like the anger turned off the thought process.

Same person with the blank look joined WSM Alumni after swearing they never would for reasons I won't get into. Saw the person at the first year they joined and had that hand caught in the cookie jar look. Still talk to this person but rather not anymore for a few reasons

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You were part of the main problem.... there was some edict written somewhere that stated I was never permitted to march or play while a Ream was in the corps! :tounge2:

i vetoed that rule in 1989

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I also think there is some law somewhere that says I am only allowed to get involved with women who are Westshore alums. :tongue: First Barbara, now Brenda!!!

gotta make up for 82 somehow

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after 3 minutes watching the drums, i didnt miss playing. Plus Fran didnt make Sadie cry!

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Evidently, George, and I frankly have a disconnect as to why they would be, and I was contemporary to the situation that caused it. It was the right choice to make, period, and I see no reason why anyone would have any reason whatsoever to criticize it.

Ben is a real goombah to me from corps and always will be- so did Steve Rook, and he's also a real goombah. Doing Bucs never changed my feelings and affections for both of them.

I had a talk in 1981 with Cam Bruce (I'm still feeling upset over that loss) I still remember about this very subject and he really opened my eyes then and even though I never left the Westshore realm as a Drum Corps performer, It led me to respect and understand anyone who did and why doing things like that could be an important game changer for anyone who did for their betterment.

They were great people, really into marching, professional in every sense even Ricky...lol. I marched next to Joe in the baritone line in 84. Great Guy, a good friend.

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Mid 1990s re-invented myself job wise and started taking Unix Administrator courses. Got sent to Columbus and as I walk in the classroom I hear a familiar voice. Dang if it ain't Rick so we say hi to each other. Then 3.. 2.. 1.. we both say "what the #### are you doing here?". Hadn't seen each other since corps days and never knew the other was in the computer field.

Weirder was think that was the trip Hershman and I were on the same plane Pittsburgh to Harrisburg. He left before I could talk to him.

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People are still ticked off? after all these years?

Yeah...a few.. I went to one of the Forum shows a few years back, the year before they stopped, and had one or two people actually see me, and turn away to avoid me because of things they said a few years earlier when I was considering doing the alumni thing.

I also overheard a conversation at DCI the year it was in Maryland about me being "one of those a--holes that left when the corps 'needed' them"! Yeah...that's it! :tounge2:

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Evidently, George, and I frankly have a disconnect as to why they would be, and I was contemporary to the situation that caused it. It was the right choice to make, period, and I see no reason why anyone would have any reason whatsoever to criticize it.

Ben is a real goombah to me from corps and always will be- so did Steve Rook, and he's also a real goombah. Doing Bucs never changed my feelings and affections for both of them.

I had a talk in 1981 with Cam Bruce (I'm still feeling upset over that loss) I still remember about this very subject and he really opened my eyes then and even though I never left the Westshore realm as a Drum Corps performer, It led me to respect and understand anyone who did and why doing things like that could be an important game changer for anyone who did for their betterment.

Yeah...weird, but what can you do...some people just seem to have this thing about "rivals" and don't want to be friends. I've always gotten along with people from other corps, and had a great time partying with them! The fact that someone would leave to go to a "rival" never bugged me, and never will. I remember people being told "oh they march with _____ so you can't be their friend" over the years, and I've always cried "BULL___!" to that attitude.

But not sure if you remember George, I wasn't exactly welcomed INTO the corps with open arms...a few people still had a chip on their shoulders because we were above them the past two years, and some had a little attitude towards me, and some of the others, until they actually got to know us. When I went to Danville after that "last practice" I really didn't go with the intention of just joining..although I had an offer to consider it from someone after a parking lot jam session with Reading's line after a concert... but when i got to Danville, I ran into Skee, and told him what was going on, and he immediately introduced me to Robbie, and said "5th tom"... Skee was my high school drum instructor, and this was a big deal to him because he (as he said during my senior band banquet) that I was one of his "success" stories...he took a "Two left footed bass drummer, and turned him into a top notch DCA tom player"....So him getting me into Reading was a good thing!

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