Remember When?

[JeromeyBush]

Now THAT brought a tear to my eye..........God I loved The Dream....another "Wet Dream" Imagine that park when it was brand new!!!!!!!!!!!!!! UGHHHHHH

Did they tear it down? and if so, What is there now????

BTW THANKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I live about 2 miles from the condos that are there now.

[Fred Steiner Jr.]

I live about 2 miles from the condos that are there now.

What is the name of the place??....maybe I can see if they are on the web. Are they nice??? Hope so that would be such a waste if they weren't at least nice condos!

[Fred Steiner Jr.]

Just for the sake of accuracy, by the time DCA was formed, the valve lock was history for both the Legion and VFW.

Thanks Jim !!!! :)

[MikeD]

Not many here anymore either..........the place was freakin' awesome! and always a sea breeze on even the hottest most humid days! REALLY sad they let it go to ####......oh and never mentioned the Pteradactyl (Pigeon) #### covered seats amazing memories though!

I marched the Dream in 70 and 71....we were not very good at that show either year for whatever reason.

[JeromeyBush]

What is the name of the place??....maybe I can see if they are on the web. Are they nice??? Hope so that would be such a waste if they weren't at least nice condos!

Society Hill,theyre pretty nice. :)

[JimF-LowBari]

Just for the sake of accuracy, by the time DCA was formed, the valve lock was history for both the Legion and VFW.

Bought a single valve Bari with a valve lock a few years ago on eBay. Seller didn't know what the lock was so didn't even mention it in the listing. Should have seen my face when the horn arrived. Anyway, while checking the horns age I was told that valve locks are a pre-WWII thing.

When the valves came out only "rich" AL/VFW corps could afford them. So AL/VFW mandated that the valves could not be moved during performances, so the "rich" corps wouldn't have an unfair advantage. So horns players could only play the open or valve 1 notes, not both during the show. To keep 'em honest the locks were designed and I'm sure checked at inspection. If the "poor" corps wanted some members to play the valve 1 notes, they could buy an extra piece of tubing ("crook") to stick between the lead pipe and mouthpiece. (Still looking for those suckers)

[TennTux]

Thanks, Fred. Absolutely great thread. We can start a whole 'nother one just on the Dream or Roosevelt Stadium. And that picture of St Lucy's? Truly historical. I almost marched with that corp, but couldn't get a ride from anyone. (I was eleven or twelve at the time and played soprano). But as kids we would do whatever it took to get to the Dream. A junior and senior show for one admission. Rain or shine.

I think it was '79 when the field was all mud. The Bridgemen came out with no pants on. The Skyliners left off their cadet jackets, John Grass walked on the field with the drum line and played the 'New York, New York' tag. Then a soprano played it back from each section of the stands. The rest of the corps was scattered through the stands and jumped up, shouted and ran down to the field as each one played the tag back. The crowd went crazy.

And that's just one Roosevelt Stadium memory.

Memories.....

79 Bridgemen

79 Sun (October 3, 1979 DCN pg. 11)

Tony B)

[Goldpin]

Remember when you had to use a valve lock for American Legion and VFW contests?

For a bit more perspective, I've never seen one and I joined my corps in 1962. Didn't even hear of them until last year when one of my contemporaries mentioned it.

[CODI]

Roosevelt Stadium, a proud tradition of drum corps came through those doors of this "famed arena"!

I guess you could call this the main arena for some of the greatest drum corps contest that had been held through the years.

Every year everyone looked forward to the first weekend in August to travel to Jersey City. The corps were really getting their act" together, since the VFW Nationals would be only a couple of weeks away.

Even in 1966 the VFW National Convention was held in NYC, and where else woud the drum corps contest be held, but Roosevelt Stadium, not Yankee Stadium, not Shea Stadium, but this vine covered antiquated stadium that held some of the greatest memories of drum corps history.

The names of corps that marched will live on forever in the memory of everyone who was involved with this great past time. The name of Hawthorne, Sky, Bucs, Hurcs, Dips, Sunrisers, Rielly, Archie, Prince,

Brewers, Rockets, Brigs, Rebels, Sac, Cadets, St. Lucy's, SKEK, BAC, Bon Bons, Woodsiders, Seldon, Our Lady of Loretto, Vasella, Braken, Muchachos, Bridgemen, Kilties, Royal Airs, Cavs, Norwood Park, St. Vincent will live on in the Hall of Fame of Drum Corps.

I never marched in the DREAM, but did march in the Preview of Champions which was held on Mem. Day Weekend, and it was thrill to march on the sod of Roosevelt Stadium. I was lucky enough to attend the VFW in 1966, and see the I.C. Reveries sit on the starting line in protest of thier score in the prelims. They posed as SKEK to gain entrance to the stadium. Needless to say that was the last time IC wa heard from and the 27th Lancers were born. I attended the Dream in 68,70,71, and they wer certainly special August Afternoons that will never be duplicated again in drum corps history.

DCI can do all they want, but DCI will never have the magic that the DREAM was able to bring out in everyone of the corps that ever competed in the DREAM.

THE NATIONAL DREAM CONTEST, often imiated, but never duplicated.

To the good old days!!!!

CODI

[Fred Steiner Jr.]

HEY CODI, I COPIED THIS AND PUT IT INTO THE THREAD "NATIONAL DREAM CONTEST"..........IT'S UNDER DCA &ALUMNI HISTORICAL TOO! CHECK IT OUT, PIX OF ROOSEVELT STADIUM THERE TOO!