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"Thanks for the Memories".


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I just spent the last week in the hospital. (Doing better now, here at home.) Had a lot of time to sit and think. What a "Wonderful Life" I had in Drum and Bugle Corps. SO, I wanted to Thank You, Drum and Bugle Corps for all it has "Given ME!!".

Thank You to all the Corps I got to be a Marching Member of.
Juniors:
"Hurricanes" - Asbury Park, New Jersey
"Shoreliners" - Neptune, NJ
"Jersey Cyclones" - Keyport, NJ
"St. Lucy's Cadets", Newark, NJ
Seniors:
(BS) "Golden Knights Sr.", Newark, NJ
"Skyliners" - New York City, New York
"Heat Wave of Orlando" - Orlando, Florida
Thank You to all three of the Alumni Corps I was a member of;
"NY Skyliners" - "Florida Brass Alumni" - "South Jersey Vagabonds".
Thank You to all the Corps I Instructed or helped in some way;
"Pensacola Diamonds", Pensacola, Florida
"Bleu Raeders", New Orleans, Louisiana
"Pine Tree Warriors", Lewiston, Maine
"Thunderbirds", Seattle, Washington
"Princemen", Pinole, California
"Reilly Raiders", Willow Grove, Pennsylvania
I was also very lucky to "Compete" in Corps as: A Baritone horn player. A Bass Drummer. A Cymbal Player. A Flag in the Flag line, and an Honor Guard Captain.
Thank You to Bill Slaton (Tate HS Band Director), Mike Strasser (Tate HS Asst. Dir.), along with a guy that had marched with "Chicago Cavaliers, and a guy from the Casper Troopers, with me from St. Lucy's Cadets. (Three different Corps styles Instructing & Managing) When we started a new Corps. the "Pensacola Diamonds" in Pensacola, FL. WE got them to the FIELD, at the Florida A.L. States in Jacksonville in 1969. Alas. Mike went on to LSU , and we 3 Navy guys got transferred out of the area, and they folded.
Thank You for being able to be a "Press Card" member of "Drum Corps News" and to have a monthly Column in "Eastern Review" magazine. Then also be a Moderator on 2 Internet sites.
Thank You for all of you that cheered us on, in the Corps I was in. Specially at Contests like The VFW and American Legion Nationals (Top 10 in Both). At the National "Dream". (where I competed in both the Jr & Sr parts, at Roosevelt Stadium). Then at all the DCA Championships. I got to march in Both Divisions. (In Finals.)
I got to do it ALL.
"Those Were The Day's MY Friend. We Thought They would Never End"
SO, as the song say's: "Thanks for the Memories".
(A "Special Thanks" to:
"Ray Priester", "Richie Evans", "Matt", "Tony White", "Tom Peshey", "Vick Kulinski", "J. Johnson", "Jimmy Hurley", "Jimmy Russo")
Tommy Barrett
( Drum Corps since 1960)
Edited by 2B or not 2B
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Nicely done, Tommy!

Hope you continue to feel better, too! You've had a long 'ride' on this drum corps train, glad it's been a good ride, so far. I have no regrets with my own time here.

My hope is young people just getting on this trip will come back in 50-60 years with as many good memories and be as appreciative as we both are. More than likely, not as many will. But, things change in so many ways, including attitudes. Neither of us will be around to see, unfortunately.

Take care.

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Tommy,

You are more than welcome. It has also been an honor to have participated in this activity for so many years with you and so many others.

Continue to feel better and please give Nancy a big hug for me too.

Looking forward to seeing you soon.

Be well and stay well, my friend.

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Ray, I thank you an the others that have replied here, and off site. Ray I am the one that is Honored, to be in Corps with you. A roll model I only wish I could have come close too.

I wanted to say more about things off the field also. But, just thought it should be separate.

Things Like:

Getting to dance with Louise Myer at the top of Scranton Stadium when the Cab's Alum. were playing "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White"

Getting woke up in Lexington, KY, by the Madison Scouts playing "You'll Never Walk Alone" (Blue Grass Nationals).

Kids asking for Autographs after our show in Baltimore. (Boy we were Great that night.) The Four Seasons "Oh what a Night" always reminds me of that.

Peeking through the fence and seeing the I C Reviers do the Sit Down at VFW Nats at Roosevelt Stadium in Jersey City.

Using my van as a bus for 8 or 9 Bleu Raeders, after they lost one Bus for about a few Days .

Getting two other Navy guy's to share cost and driving (from Pensacola, FL) to go see the "Garfield Invitational" (Dropped of one in MD and one in PA. Then I went to the show. Then driving straight back. Picking up those guys the next morning.

How great.

Going form my First Drum Corps thing. Grand Opening of a "Grand Union Super Market to Perform at Carnegie Hall" years latter.

From the "Local Opening night at the St. James Theater of a movie, years latter to the Main Floor of Madison Square Garden for a Contest".

From "Season Opening of the Atlantic Highlands Little League, to a Yankee's Play Off game Pre game show at Old Yankee Stadium.

Being part of the Ceremonies at the Montreal Olympic Stadium changing "from the Olympic Committee to the City of Montreal", and a CFL Game.

OH the many stories I could tell for those 50 plus years.

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Well said indeed Tommy...

The memories are wonderful and I'm honored to be mentioned among some great people...

But your health is paramount right now... so keep improving and take care of yourself...

Tom

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Hey, Tommy.

We started drum corps in the same year, and marched many of the same shows. What a ride, and I suspect it isn't over yet for either of us.

From your photo, I take it you also have some CW reenacting experience, also something we share in common.

Best regards,

Frank Dorritie

Company Bugler

Co. G, 20th Maine Volunteer Inf.

Edited by ironlips
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Hey, Tommy.

We started drum corps in the same year, and marched many of the same shows. What a ride, and I suspect it isn't over yet for either of us.

From your photo, I take it you also have some CW reenacting experience, something we also share in common.

Best regards,

Frank Dorritie

Company Bugler

Co. G, 20th Maine Volunteer Inf.

Yes I did Civil War reenacting. When I lived in Glens Falls, NY. I did infantry with the 125th New York out of Albany. Then later 123rd New York, as a Corpsman.

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Tommy, glad to hear the mending is going well. I marched with the Selden Cadets early 60's and went head to head with St. Lucy's quite often in the Penn-Jersey Circuit. Spent many afternoons at Newark Schools Stadium. Maybe you were with them at that time.

Also, but after my time in the Sunrisers, there was a guy from I believe Jersey who did the CW re-enactment thing. Think his name was Doug Grunn.

Glenn

Edited by gsksun4
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Tommy, glad to hear the mending is going well. I marched with the Selden Cadets early 60's and went head to head with St. Lucy's quite often in the Penn-Jersey Circuit. Spent many afternoons at Newark Schools Stadium. Maybe you were with them at that time.

Also, but after my time in the Sunrisers, there was a guy from I believe Jersey who did the CW re-enactment thing. Think his name was Doug Grunn.

Glenn

Yes and Thanks to:

"YOUS GUYS" from New York (Selden, St. Rocco's, OLPH, and Queensmen, ETC). I was in Neptune Shoreliners, and then Lucy's those Years.

Yes "Newark Schools Stadium", was a 'Home away from Home" for me. They had At Least "5" Contests EVERY year there. (BSGK, St. Lucy's, Woodsiders, St. Rose, and Circuit Championships)

A good thing for me was: I lived down the shore in Asbury Park. So I was traveling North and the Bumper to Bumper traffic was going South. Then the Oppisit for when I was going back home!

Edited by 2B or not 2B
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double post removed sorry

Edited by 2B or not 2B
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