Cavie74 Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 The 1957 fight between the Cavaliers and St. Vinnies at VFW Nationals is one that is told and retold to Cavaliers through the years. It has some historical significance to the activity as well. Up to that point, VFW was dominated by eastern corps and the Cavaliers were contenders much to the chagrin of east coast fans. But then it rained and the Cavaliers won and a riot broke out between St. Vinnies and the Cavaliers (with help from Riley Raiders). I think I've got your attention now. :tongue:/>/>/>/>/> Back in 1957, drum heads were made from calf skin. When it rained, the drum heads broke. The Cavaliers were the first corps to use mylar drum heads. Naturally, they won drums and it was a boost large enough to win the Championship. By now you can guess who came in second - and they were P!$$ED! But wait, there's more! Riley Raiders asked to borrow the Cavalier drums for the subsequent Senior Championship and they won too! When the corps left the stadium to head to their busses a "battle" ensued. With the help of Riley Raiders and some creative improvisation where the Cavalier belt and giant chrome buckle was used to great effect, the Cavaliers got away none the worse for wear. There is also legend of younger Cavaliers taunting St. Vinies from beneath the windows of the Cavalier guard bus. When anyone got too close, flag poles with the heavy spikes on top emerged from the windows and the phalanx was re-invented. Alexander the Great would have been proud. :devil:/>/>/>/>/> A replica of a 1957 Cavalier snare drum was recently (2011 ?) presented by Cavalier alumni to the Riley Raider alumni corps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 Biggest badd ### corps i knew were bronx kingsmen and boston, sac. Although many said my corps was rough and arrogant Some of these Corps Directors with these Corps were living Saints for how they basically were able to keep their members in line for 95% of the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimF-LowBari Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 (edited) The 1957 fight between the Cavaliers and St. Vinnies at VFW Nationals is one that is told and retold to Cavaliers through the years. It has some historical significance to the activity as well. Up to that point, VFW was dominated by eastern corps and the Cavaliers were contenders much to the chagrin of east coast fans. But then it rained and the Cavaliers won and a riot broke out between St. Vinnies and the Cavaliers (with help from Riley Raiders). I think I've got your attention now. :tongue:/>/>/>/>/>/>/> Back in 1957, drum heads were made from calf skin. When it rained, the drum heads broke. The Cavaliers were the first corps to use mylar drum heads. Naturally, they won drums and it was a boost large enough to win the Championship. By now you can guess who came in second - and they were P!$$ED! But wait, there's more! Riley Raiders asked to borrow the Cavalier drums for the subsequent Senior Championship and they won too! When the corps left the stadium to head to their busses a "battle" ensued. With the help of Riley Raiders and some creative improvisation where the Cavalier belt and giant chrome buckle was used to great effect, the Cavaliers got away none the worse for wear. There is also legend of younger Cavaliers taunting St. Vinies from beneath the windows of the Cavalier guard bus. When anyone got too close, flag poles with the heavy spikes on top emerged from the windows and the phalanx was re-invented. Alexander the Great would have been proud. :devil:/>/>/>/>/>/>/> A replica of a 1957 Cavalier snare drum was recently (2011 ?) presented by Cavalier alumni to the Riley Raider alumni corps. Oh c'mon.. Reilly had a reputation of being such sweethearts For the younger set, Reilly had a black uni and Gestapo style hat worn low. IOW - probably the original DC bad ### in looks and attitude. You hadda have a 'tude to look like the Gestapo right after WWII. Edited February 22, 2013 by JimF-LowBari Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 What other fights did you see or participate in? At the 1969 Garden State Circuit champs, St Andrew's Bridgemen from Bayonne and St Martin's Troubadors from Newark got into a brawl right on the field after retreat. I was on the field with the Livingston Imperial Guardsmen. It was so bad that the St Martin's moderator immediately shut down the corps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 This is not about a fight but a scary situation one of my corps had to endure. We did a parade in Big Bear, California in the early summer and I don't know if a biker rally was also going on in town that weekend, but we were scheduled to march in a parade for their local "town" days. We marched the parade but not w/o some incredible taunting and name calling from the bikers who had lined up along the parade route. And I'm not talking a dozen or so members, but hundreds thru the entire route. As we stayed as composed and professional as we could, it was very rough on all of us keeping our focus as a lot of the bikers decided to break and dance thru our ranks, bang on the drums, and grab of few our girl's behinds. A few even decided to ride their bikes thru us. Man, they were as drunk and high and obnoxious as you can imagine. We were so relieved just to get outta there w/o somebody doing something stupid to get us hurt. In the 50's, 60's, they had a few " bikers " in Senior Corps ( a few in Juniors ) too... but not nearly the trouble makers as these drunken thugs that harrassed your Corps that day. That did sound scary . Where the heck were the local cops that day out there in Calif. ? They should have asked for backup and made some arrests if they were in your ranks in the parade and even assaulting females like this, and whatnot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reallyoldfrt Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 (edited) The 1957 fight between the Cavaliers and St. Vinnies at VFW Nationals is one that is told and retold to Cavaliers through the years. It has some historical significance to the activity as well. Up to that point, VFW was dominated by eastern corps and the Cavaliers were contenders much to the chagrin of east coast fans. But then it rained and the Cavaliers won and a riot broke out between St. Vinnies and the Cavaliers (with help from Riley Raiders). I think I've got your attention now. />/>/>/>/> Back in 1957, drum heads were made from calf skin. When it rained, the drum heads broke. The Cavaliers were the first corps to use mylar drum heads. Naturally, they won drums and it was a boost large enough to win the Championship. By now you can guess who came in second - and they were P!$ED! But wait, there's more! Riley Raiders asked to borrow the Cavalier drums for the subsequent Senior Championship and they won too! When the corps left the stadium to head to their busses a "battle" ensued. With the help of Riley Raiders and some creative improvisation where the Cavalier belt and giant chrome buckle was used to great effect, the Cavaliers got away none the worse for wear. There is also legend of younger Cavaliers taunting St. Vinies from beneath the windows of the Cavalier guard bus. When anyone got too close, flag poles with the heavy spikes on top emerged from the windows and the phalanx was re-invented. Alexander the Great would have been proud. />/>/>/>/> A replica of a 1957 Cavalier snare drum was recently (2011 ?) presented by Cavalier alumni to the Riley Raider alumni corps. 1957 VFW in Miami was a sensation at the time. The facts are that Cavies and St Vinnies DID get into each other, on the field during the retreat ceremony. Reilly also got into a donnybrook with Archer Epler Musketeers almost simultaneously. The cause of the Senior beef is uncertain. There are many versions of the Cavies/ Vinnies caramboulage. I wasn't there. I don't know the facts. I did hear a version from an eyewitness who was sitting at the Judges table when it went down. His story is very different from the above. This witness was around drum corps at the highest levels practically forever, judged many a national contest, taught a few National Champions. The guy was a great raconteur, and this is what he told me happened that night. He was at the Judges table because his junior Color Guard had just won their National Competition, and the girls were acting as the runners for the judges at the Final. At the conclusion of the Cavies fine performance the Timing and Penalties Judge, a long time comrade of Anton J Schlechta, named Harry Robinson, approached Tony with a very troubled expression on his face. He reported that the Cavies were undertime in motion, and had a major penalty coming to them. Naturally, as was customary at the time, Harry had signed the T&P Sheet as soon as he got it from the runner. He showed Tony his clipboard with the signed Sheet and the clearly indicated penalty. Tony muttered a curse, tore the Sheet off the clipboard, came over to the Judges table, got out a blank T&P Sheet, put it on Harry's clipboard, and said, "Now fill it out RIGHT!" He then crumpled up the original Sheet and tossed it into a nearby trash receptacle. This all allegedly happened at the 50 yard line, nearside, in front of a stadium full of people. Among those people were Fr. W , and Mickey Petrone., the director , and drill instructor of St Vinnies. As the corps were assembling for the Retreat Ceremony my witness wandered off to hit the head. On the way he was accosted by Fr. W and Mickey who asked him if he knew WTF had gone on out there. He told them what I have just told you. Word got to the corps, and verifiable things happened. Late that night my witness, Mickey, and Fr W. climbed a chainlink fence into the stadium, rummaged through the trash receptacle, and found the original, signed T&P Sheet. Fr W demanded a meeting for as soon as the sun came up. They confronted Tony with the evidence of his uh...activities of the night before. They were informed that, since St Vinnies had instigated the brawl, nothing they could say or do would be even considered. Case Closed! My witness would have had no reason to lie about this. Tony often did behave as if he was the Pope, and therefore unquestionable. Is it possible? I think I believe my witness. Tony was capable of anything. No other individual in the history of the activity had done more to instigate the the founding of DCI. Unfortunately everybody in a position of authority at the time, including my witness, has passed away long ago. We'll never know. I do know that many corps had plastic drumheads in 1957. My corps did. And we were no kind of major player. Edited February 22, 2013 by reallyoldfrt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northern Thunder Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 My witness would have had no reason to lie about this. The story was written up in the original Drum Corps World at the time it happened, so many others heard about it back then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bstar82 Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 In the 50's, 60's, they had a few " bikers " in Senior Corps ( a few in Juniors ) too... but not nearly the trouble makers as these drunken thugs that harrassed your Corps that day. That did sound scary . Where the heck were the local cops that day out there in Calif. ? They should have asked for backup and made some arrests if they were in your ranks in the parade and even assaulting females like this, and whatnot. We were wondering the same thing about the whereabouts of any police, but they would have been outnumbered themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alankarls Posted February 22, 2013 Author Share Posted February 22, 2013 Tony muttered a curse, tore the Sheet off the clipboard, came over to the Judges table, got out a blank T&P Sheet, put it on Harry's clipboard, and said, "Now fill it out RIGHT!" He then crumpled up the original Sheet and tossed it into a nearby trash receptacle. Playing the devils advocate here. If there was a legitimate penalty, the T&P judge would have had no reason to have a worried look on his face, nor would he have had a reason to come to Schlecta about it. He'd just hand in his score sheet. However, if he had made a mistake on the sheet, and wrote down a penalty then realized it was a mistake, he would have had a reason to look worried, and a reason to come to Schlecta. It would also make sense of Schlecta's response "Now fill it out right." In other words, correct that stupid mistake you made. Now, I have not talked to any of the players, and do not know what happened. But it is a reasonable explanation for the worried look and Schlecta's quoted response. To support the other view, one would have to believe that Schlecta wanted an upstart corps beat a corps that had won VFW several times. As we know, Schlecta favored corps and units that came to VFW all the time and particularly, those that won. All one had to do was see Tony Schlecta kiss the sargeant of the Schafer's Ladies year after year to know that he liked units that came all the time. The story that he tossed out a penalty for an upstart corps to ensure that they would beat a long time VFW participant doesn't hold water, in my opinion. It would make more sense that he would give the Cavaliers a penalty they didn't deserve to ensure that Vinnie's would win. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BRASSO Posted February 22, 2013 Share Posted February 22, 2013 (edited) This is not about a fight but a scary situation one of my corps had to endure. We did a parade I recall a city Corps that in the 60's was marching in a parade in their city, and Corps and Bands were being hit left and right with eggs by young toughs from up on a hill. They were dodging police that had a sporadic presence this parade at best. They'd come from behind the double deckers and whatnot, run down an embankment, toss their eggs and then take off. This particular Corps was at a parade rest stop as the parade slowed to a stop. Out came about 5 or 6 kids running down the embankment, stopped and were about to toss the eggs. One of the marchers in the Corps looked up and saw his younger cousin... about 14,15 years old... with the eggs. The marcher took his shako off ran to the curb, looked at his cousin, and told him he was in big trouble. The kid dropped the eggs in a panic, and he took off mell pell up the embankment, and the others followed. The marcher got back in line, and he was really steamed, but the others just calmed him down and everyone chuckled. Never heard what happened to that kid. He's probably in jail, dead, a cop, or a judge now... haha Edited February 22, 2013 by BRASSO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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