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Mission Drums, Why Call It That?


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I can't answer with total authority on this Donnie, but I would guess the answer to that would be "Yes." I believe Les Parks began teaching Garfield in 1961 or '62. I can check with some of our corps members who were there then for a definitive answer for you.

Sorry for the delay with a reply, but I've been hung up with a little thing called a hip replacement in recent weeks. Still in physical rehab, but hope to be home later this week.

Thanks for the comeback John, and good luck with the rehab. Surgery is such a character builder:-)

A little vignette about the 1960 Garfield Cadets. We (Buccaneers) went to Miami for VFW Nationals. On the way down we stopped to do a parade and an exhibition at some HS stadium in Summerville SC. Along for the festivities were the Springfield Marksmen and the Garfield Cadets. We and the Marksmen were pretty much warm up acts for the Cadets. They were received like rock stars while we got polite applause. As I remember they had two different uniforms. The ones they wore in SC were different from the ones they competed in at the contest in Miami. Another one of my favorite tunes from that show besides "Besame Mucho" was the Cavies version Of "Summertime".

Just rambling now. Maybe that's why they call me Mr. Reminisce around here:-)

Donnie

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  • 1 month later...

Prince was approaching the end of its run by 1960 and '61. They had disappeared from my lists of contests and scores by 1962.

You must remember one thing, however. Prince had a history of winning Mission Drums (when they may or may not have deserved it), just as they had a history of coming in last or next to last at the Dream (when they may or may not have deserved it). Such was the way of the world...

I marched in Mission Drums with Prince in 1966. We finished near the bottom as we had started off the year with a strong corps but lost many guys for various reasons during the season and had to regroup. In fact, we had to drop out of a few shows to learn a new, simplified drill for 30 horns when we had started the year with 42. I swear we took a few years off the life of our drill instructor Vinnie Ratford.

When I perform in exhibition with the Crusaders Senior Corps at Mission Drums this year, I will be one of 2 guys in the corps (and another is recovering from major surgery) to have competed 45 or 46 years ago in that show and is still marching.

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Here's a link to the current "Mission Drums" show link: MISSION DRUMS SENIOR D&B

2011 Mission Drums (DCA now, no longer CYO)

hosted by Spartans of Nashua, NH

Lawrence Veterans Memorial Stadium

Lawrence, Mass.

SAT 23 JUL

2011 Mission Drums Line-Up:

Reading Buccaneers - Harrisburg, PA

Empire Statesmen - Rochester, NY

Hawthorne Caballeros - Hawthorne, NJ

Connecticut Hurricanes - Derby, CT

Fusion Core - NJ

Boston Crusaders Alumni - Boston, MA

Park City Pride - Bridgeport, CT

Really? Reading Bucs are now from Harrisburg? :thumbup: (Christ, would have saved me a lot of gas money back in the mid-80's!)

What I've always thought was funny was that a LOT of drum corps shows (and drum corps) were SPONSORED by Catholic organizations! And what I learned in drum corps was FAR from what I learned in Catholic school! :blink: (well in the classroom that is) :tongue:

Edited by Jaminbenb
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