Jump to content

Keesler AFB Blue Knights Alumni


Recommended Posts

And I'm STILL the fng on teh alum list!!

Ahhh....living in the Triangle...trying to sleep on a Sat morn with an A-4 Skyhawk taking off right behind your building...(awful loud for such a small plane!)...the march to Alley Hall for basic electrinocs...and teh Shotgun coming out of that last turn down the street in front of the squadron...good times!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

And I'm STILL the fng on teh alum list!!

Ahhh....living in the Triangle...trying to sleep on a Sat morn with an A-4 Skyhawk taking off right behind your building...(awful loud for such a small plane!)...the march to Alley Hall for basic electrinocs...and teh Shotgun coming out of that last turn down the street in front of the squadron...good times!

USAF "Student" Drum & Bugle Corps:

I understand, my pretties, that there was, at one time several "Base Level" (Non Full Time Memberships Type) drum and bugle corps at several of the "Technical School" USAF Bases including Shepard AFB TX, Lower AFB CO and Chanute AFB IL. Lackland AFB has a drum corps composed of recently graduated Airmen from basic training that supposrts the training mission there. I believe they are placed in an "Admin Hold" status for six weeks, then shipped out to their next assignment.

I know that the Lowry and Chanute instalattions were shut down many years ago, and the drum corps were "De-Activated" along with them. I don't have a "status" as to Shepard AFB being still "active" or not.

These "Base" units were composed of First Term Airmen undergong technical training is their respective specialties, and their participation in "Drum Corps" was an "Additional Duty" (Somewhat like the Cadets at the three service academies is at this time).

I recall the Lowry units appearances at the Drums Along the Rockies contests at Denver CO and Cheyenne WY way back in the early 1970s, and some articles on they and the Kessler Corps in Drum Corps News at that time also.

There was also a short lived web site (Attached to the attempt to put together an "All Air Force" Alumni corps) that had pictures of several of the USAF units that hailed from the Technical Training bases.

Elphaba

WWW

Edited by elphaba01
Link to comment
Share on other sites

USAF "Student" Drum & Bugle Corps:

I understand, my pretties, that there was, at one time several "Base Level" (Non Full Time Memberships Type) drum and bugle corps at several of the "Technical School" USAF Bases including Shepard AFB TX, Lower AFB CO and Chanute AFB IL. Lackland AFB has a drum corps composed of recently graduated Airmen from basic training that supposrts the training mission athere.

Elphaba

WWW

The USAF volunteer drum corps were governed by a USAF regulation and were funded through the Non Appropriated funds activity (formerly called Recreation Services). These monies came from profits from the Base and Post Exchnges. I established a small corps at Plattsburgh AFB, NY (SAC) in 1963 to play for a Base parade. Some who have logged in to the Blue Knight website have said they were in volunteer drum corps at other non training bases as well. While at Keesler in the Blue Knights, we shared musical duties with the Regular AF Band assigned to Keesler. We did a daily troop change where 10,000 students came and went to classes in squadron formations. This was done at noon time between the A and B shift classes. Tuesdays and Thursdays we played for the formal Retreat ceremony where the colors were taken down for the day. One Saturday a month we did a large training parade and another Saturday a month we did a full Base parade where all active duty and training squadrons on the base participated. And we still had rehearsals and going to class six hours a day as well as homework. We had a great time, kept us out of trouble in Biloxi.

:D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

USAF "Student" Drum & Bugle Corps:

I understand, my pretties, that there was, at one time several "Base Level" (Non Full Time Memberships Type) drum and bugle corps at several of the "Technical School" USAF Bases including Shepard AFB TX, Lower AFB CO and Chanute AFB IL. Lackland AFB has a drum corps composed of recently graduated Airmen from basic training that supposrts the training mission athere.

I know that the Lowry and Chanute instalattions were shut down many years ago, and the drum corps were "De-Activated" along with them. I don't have a "status" as to Shepard AFB being still "active" or not.

These units were composed of First Term Airmen undergong technical training is their respective specialties, and their participation in "Drum Corps" was an "Additional Duty" (Somewhat like the Cadets at the three service academies is at this time).

I recall the Lowry units appearances at the Drums Along the Rockies contests at Denver CO and Cheyenne WY way back in the early 1970s, and some article on they and the Kessler Corps in Drum Corps News at that time also.

Elphaba

WWW

Hey Elphy,

I was a member of the Shepard AFB Drum & Bugle Corps in 1966 while going through Fighter Jet Mechanic School. The corps was made up of mostly big name junior corps members who were beating that letter from Uncle Sam by joining the Air Force. Boy did we rock the house. Wish I would have made some tape recordings. Within a year we were all in Nam. Almost 40 years ago, how time flies.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The former USAF corps from Washington, DC (sorry can't remember the name) has a reunion every year and some members perform with the Lancers at Gettysburg, PA. This is the same show where the Crossmen and Cadets debut their new shows. Biggest name I can think of from this USAF corps is John Flowers.

Pictures link - http://www.netrax.net/~myersk/pic_week.htm

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The former USAF corps from Washington, DC (sorry can't remember the name) has a reunion every year and some members perform with the Lancers at Gettysburg, PA. This is the same show where the Crossmen and Cadets debut their new shows. Biggest name I can think of from this USAF corps is John Flowers.

Pictures link - http://www.netrax.net/~myersk/pic_week.htm

"Blue Eagles":

The olde "D.C." USAF Corps may have been the greatest assemblage of drum corps talent ever seen in this country's uniform. Truman Crawford heads the list, as the corps writer arranger and also drill instructor. A few of the "Names" that passed through the corps include Ray Eyler, Skip Groff, Tommy Martin, John Simpson, "Reds" Winzer, "Whitey" Roberts, John Flowers, Bob Bunce, and Dave Fite.

The web site is a treasue trove of USAF "Drum Corps History", and the photo albums alone are worth the "surf".

Elphaba

WWW

Link to comment
Share on other sites

"Blue Eagles":

The olde "D.C." USAF Corps may have been the greatest assemblage of drum corps talent ever seen in this country's uniform. Truman Crawford heads the list, as the corps writer arranger and also drill instructor. A few of the "Names" that passed through the corps include Ray Eyler, Skip Groff, Tommy Martin, John Simpson, "Reds" Winzer, "Whitey" Roberts, John Flowers, Bob Bunce, and Dave Fite.

The web site is a treasue trove of USAF "Drum Corps History", and the photo albums alone are worth the "surf".

Elphaba

WWW

What is the website? I would be very interested in viewing the albums

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey Elphy,

I was a member of the Shepard AFB Drum & Bugle Corps in 1966 while going through Fighter Jet Mechanic School. The corps was made up of mostly big name junior corps members who were beating that letter from Uncle Sam by joining the Air Force. Boy did we rock the house. Wish I would have made some tape recordings. Within a year we were all in Nam. Almost 40 years ago, how time flies.

Shepard AFB:

The base remains active, and has accepted several of the Technical Schools from Lowery & Chanute AFB's. I checked their website www.shepard.af.mil There is no mention of a drum corps anywhere.

If they still have it, they are keeping any info about it "Top Secret".....

Elphaba

WWW

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What is the website? I would be very interested in viewing the albums

"Blue Eagles Web Site":

Try: www.usafdrumcorps.us This should take you there.

Good Luck.

Elphaba

WWW

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...