Biographies

World Drum Corps Hall of Fame

Associate Members

2001 to 2014

 

Ronald Abate___________________________________________________________ 2001

Ron Abate performed for a number of drum and bugle corps, including Steel City Ambassadors and Rochester Crusaders, beginning in 1974, but his most important contributions have been off the field.  A highly regarded trumpet performer, he is a member of the International Trumpet Guild and the American Federation of Musicians.  He has been a clinician with the Crane School of Music, specializing in pageantry arts seminars.  He also conducts visual design and performance clinics.  He has been a judge for a number of organizations, including Drum Corps Associates (DCA), Drum Corps International (DCI), Ontario Drum Corps Association (ODCA), Missouri and Texas state judging associations. He has served as designer, program co-ordinator, visual technician and consultant with both Rochester Crusaders and Empire Statesmen.  He has also been designer for more than two dozen color guards and high school marching bands from coast to coast.

 

Geoffrey Adeney________________________________________________________ 2001

Geoff Adeney was a member of Preston Scout House from 1964 to 1967, the final year of operation of the band.  He then performed in the brass line of Guelph Royalaires for the next 20 years, except for a two-year interval when he was a brass player and instructor with Niagara Regionnaires.  He served on the board of directors of both organizations.  He joined the Empire Statesmen in 1990, playing contra bass, baritone and solo soprano in the horn line over the next 15 years.  He also served as a brass instructor of St. Andrew’s junior drum and bugle corps in Cambridge from 1975 to 1980.  His other positions with the corps included equipment manager and bus driver.  He returned to Preston Scout House to march with the alumni band in 2013.

 

Rick Alves_____________________________________________________________ 2001

Rick Alves has been a drum and bugle corps fanatic since age 14, performing with a number of corps in and around Rhode Island beginning in 1957.  Over the years, he played snare drum Bristol Rangers, Rhode Island Musketeers, Holy Rosary Caballeros, the Princemen, New Bedford Whalers, Rhode Island Matadors, Valley Airs Alumni, the Legends of Drum Corps and St. Kevin’s Emerald Knights alumni corps.  He began instructing in 1963, and has served as section co-ordinator, instructor and drum equipment technician for many area corps through the 1990s.

 

George Andrews, Sr._____________________________________________________ 2002

George Andrews was a drummer with the Holy Rosary Caballeros in the late 1950s and early ‘60s, then played in the drum line of the Springfield Marksmen and New Bedford Whalers later in the 1960s.  He joined the drum line of the Rhode Island Matadors in 1972, and spent the next five years with the corps.  He has been assistant drum instructor for Dartmouth and Case high school bands.

 

Peter Andrews__________________________________________________________ 2001

Peter Andrews has been a first line baritone player, snare drummer and fifer with St. Peter’s Drum Corps of Connecticut since 1982.  He also assists the corps director with logistics in the day-to-day activities of the group.  He first marched in 1968, in the color guard of Carey’s Cadets Drum Corps of Bristol, CT before moving to the fife line.  He then played rudimental bass drum for Carey’s Seniors Drum Corps.  From 1979 to 1983, he played in both the horn and drum line of the Prospect Drum Corps of Prospect, CT.  He has won many state and regional championships competing in fife, drum and horn categories.  He was chosen Drum Corps Person of the Year in 1999 by the Connecticut Fifers and Drummers Association.

 

Sue (Nelson) Andrews____________________________________________________ 2001

Sue Andrews provided clerical and organizational support to the director of St. Peter’s Drum Corps of Connecticut beginning in 1975, while also instructing and marching as the captain of the color guard.  She assisted in writing the Connecticut Fifers and Drummers Association Color Guard Manual.  Her first association with the activity was in 1965, when she was the mascot/baton twirler for the Windsor PAL drum corps in Windsor, CT.  She was color guard captain and instructor of St. Justin’s drum corps of Hartford, CT from 1967 to 1974.  She has taught a number of award winning junior and senior color guards.  She has won many consecutive first place awards in regional, state and national championship contests for rifle manual, flag manual, sabre manual and sabre twirling categories.  She was chosen Drum Corps Person of the Year in 1987 by the Connecticut Fifers and Drummers Association.

 

Larry Antolini__________________________________________________________ 2002

Larry Antolini marched in the Reading Buccaneers main color guard and silk squad from 1965 to 197l. He is a charter member of the alumni association, and carries the American flag in the alumni corps color guard.  He also serves as color guard captain.  He has contributed to off the field activities by serving as van driver and quartermaster.

 

Benny Antonelli_________________________________________________________ 2001

Benny Antonelli first joined a drum corps in 1939, and has been active with a number of Northeast groups ever since, as a performer, instructor, music arranger, administrator and adjudicator.  He also performed for many years as a professional musician.  He has been director of St. Peter’s Drum Corps, of Torrington, Connecticut since 1963.  He has taken St. Peter’s on 10 tours of Europe, performing in 18 countries.  He was publisher and editor of Northeast Drum Corps News for more than 30 years.  During his career spanning more than 60 years, he has been a member of Connecticut Fifers and Drummers Association, Hudson Valley Drum Corps Association, Massachusetts Fife, Drum and Bugle Corps Association and the New York State Drum Corps Association.  He has judged for the All-American Drum and Bugle Corps and Band Association.  He is a member of the New York State Drum Corps Association Hall of Fame.

 

Frank Assaro___________________________________________________________ 2002

Frank Assaro became involved in drum and bugle corps as a young boy.  He was a soprano horn player and, later, an instructor, with a number of different corps during his 45 years of drum and bugle corps activity.  He first played with the St. James’ Cadets, then the Kenwood Cavaliers.  He also had long associations with Yankee Rebels, of Baltimore and Reilly Raiders, of Philadelphia.

 

Ned Baldinger__________________________________________________________ 2002

In the 21 years that Ned Baldinger played soprano horn and mellophone with Reading Buccaneers, beginning in 1961, the corps won the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) national championship in 1962 and the Drum Corps Associates (DCA) title four times: 1965, 1968, 1979 and 1980.  He is a charter member of the Bucs’ alumni corps and has served in various administrative positions, including president, vice president, membership chair and treasurer.

 

Frank Barros____________________________________________________________ 2002

From 1962 to 1965, Frank Barros was a snare drummer with two junior corps, the Golden Raiders and Verdian Vets.  For the next four years, he drummed with the Whalers of New Bedford, and has been associated with the Rhode Island Matadors ever since, playing snare drum in 1975/’76 and from 1982 to 1999.  He is the organizer of the individual percussion contests in the Eastern Massachusetts
Circuit.  He taught the percussion sections of the Star Force of New Bedford and the Verdian Vets in the 1980s, and served as director of three different corps between 1973 and 1995: the Toreadors, Star Force and Dream Warriors, all of New Bedford. He is a member of the Matadors Hall of Fame.

 

Fred Beckwith__________________________________________________________ 2001

Fred Beckwith convinced the kids in his neighborhood to pretend they were marching in a drum and bugle corps in his back yard, until he was old enough to join a local group.  His first real drum and bugle corps experience began in 1970 with Erie Thunderbirds, playing cymbals and tympani.  In the following years he performed on xylophone and tympani with Erie Mavericks and 27th Lancers.  He switched instruments in 1990 when he joined the Thunderbirds Alumni, playing mellophone.  He also played mellophone with Dunkirk Exempts and Murray House, before joining Empire Statesmen in 1996.  At various times, he has conducted drum clinics and band camps for 27th Lancers and drill design and color guard and rifle sessions for high school marching bands.  He has been host of a radio jazz show, on station WQLN FM 91.3.

 

Barry Bell______________________________________________________________ 2003

Barry Bell, who became the music director of the Toronto Optimists in 1958, and also wrote the drill, designed the uniform and logo for the corps, is also a member of the Drum Corps International (DCI) Hall of Fame, inducted in 2004.  Early in his drum corps career, he was given free rein to develop a drum and bugle corps from the Danforth Tech High School air cadet marching band.  In 1958, he became the first horn line instructor and drill writer for the newly formed Toronto Optimists.  Under his guidance, the Toronto Optimists became the most successful junior corps in Canada, winning the national championship in the first year of operation, and continuing the streak for 11 years in a row.  He has played a baritone horn for the Toronto Optimists alumni corps since it began in 2003.  He has also been music director of the Toronto Signals for many years.    In addition to his drum corps career, Bell was an architectural representative for an international glass firm.

 

Gene Belschner_________________________________________________________ 2002

As a boy, Gene Belschner drummed with the Redwood Cadets and Flanders Cadets, from 1942 to 1946.  For most of the following 21 years, he was a member of the United States Marines Drum and Bugle Corps (Commandant’s Own).  He served in Korea in 1952 and 1953, then returned to the Commandant’s Own.  He became drum major in 1958, retiring from that position in 1967.  He became the assistant drum major of the Yankee Rebels alumni corps in 1999.  In between, he was color guard captain with Hanover Lancers and Towson Troubadours.  He has also served as corps director of the Starlighters.  He marched with Yankee Rebels alumni drum and bugle corps from 2000 to 2012.

 

Denis Bergeron__________________________________________________________ 2001

Denis Bergeron has been associated with drum and bugle corps in two countries, beginning with the Blue Saints in Sudbury, Ontario in 1974.  He won the 1979 Canadian solo soprano championship  as a member of the champion Etobicoke Oakland Crusaders the same year.  He performed with Garfield Cadets in 1982 and ‘83, when the corps won Drum Corps International (DCI) East, Canada, Midwest and North championships and the DCI world championship.  The following year, he served with two Canadian corps: as brass instructor with the Oshawa Rebels  and drill instructor with the Ridge Raiders of Hamilton.  He was a member of the Rochester Empire Statesmen when they won Drum Corps Associates (DCA) world titles in 1991 and 1994. 

 

Jeanne Bibeault_________________________________________________________ 2001

Jeanne Bibeault marched in the color guard of the Rhode Island Matadors for two years, and was color guard captain for eight years.  All the while, she was active in a number of other roles, supporting management with recruiting projects and even sewing flags.  Her hard work is reflected in the honors the corps has bestowed on her: color guard member of the year, corps member of the year, and member of the Matador Hall of Fame.  She is an active member of the alumni, and has served as treasurer, vice president and acting president.  In the early 1990s, she marched in the Connecticut Hurricanes color guard for two years, then served as guard instructor for the next four.  She also teaches a number of championship high school color guards.

 

George Biggs*___________________________________________________________ 2003

 

Chuck Bishop___________________________________________________________ 2001

Chuck Bishop is the only person to march as drum major with all three Hawthorne drum and bugle corps: the Muchachos, Caballeros, and Caballeros Alumni.  He was an original member of the Muchachos in 1959, and served as color guard captain before becoming drum major for three years, starting in 1964.  During his time with the corps, the Muchachos were Metropolitan Circuit champions three times, and the guard won the New Jersey state championship twice, including an undefeated year in 1963.  He is a Vietnam veteran, serving in the United States Marine Corps from 1969 to 1971.  He was drum major of the Caballeros for two years before joining the service.  Since then, he has also acted as Caballeros’ assistant director, member of the executive committee and assistant marching and manoeuvring instructor.  He has also been the M and M and guard instructor with a number of New Jersey groups, including Bayonne Bridgemen, Bonnie Scots, CW Townsmen, Valley Grenadiers and Oakland Rangers

 

Michael Blazer__________________________________________________________ 2002

Michael Blazer was a soprano horn player when he joined the Pittsburgh Rockets in 1960.  He then switched to the drum line, playing tenor drum, then snare.  He has been drum line instructor/arranger for the Rockets and several other well-known corps, including Erie Thunderbirds, Royal Crusaders, Steel City Ambassadors, Canton Blue Coats and Catholic Daughters of America junior drum and bugle corps.  He was percussion caption chief with the Pennsylvania Federation of Contest Judges.

 

Diana Bond*____________________________________________________________ 2002

Diana Bond began a long history of color guard activity as a member of the Alpine Girls in Rochester in 1959.  In the years that followed, she was active on both sides of the New York/Ontario border, serving as color guard instructor of the Lindsay Kavaliers, the Krescendos and Liberation Floor Guard in Peterborough.  She was secretary of the Canadian Color Guard Association and a floor guard judge with the Canadian Judges Association.  She was a support staff member with Dutch Boy of Kitchener, cooking meals for corps members.  On the American side of the border, she instructed the color guards of Greece Shoreliners and Greece Cadets, Rochester Crusaders, and marched in the guard of the St. Joe’s Alumni and Racine Kilties.  She marched with the color guard of the Empire Statesmen in 1982/83 and again in 2001/02.  She was a member of Drum Corps Alumni (DCAT) of Toronto.  When her two sons and daughter marched with Garfield Cadets and Phantom Regiment, she assisted the support staff of the two corps.  She was selected as the color guard/auxiliary member of the year by the Racine Kilties when she marched with the corps in 1991.

 

Robert Bond____________________________________________________________ 2001

Bob Bond has been involved in drum and bugle corps activity for more than half a century, beginning as a bugler in the Westhill Lions Club drum corps in Toronto.  He was a member of such top Canadian corps as Preston Scout House, Toronto Optimists, Jolly Jesters and Canadian Commanders.  He also played soprano horn with New York Skyliners for three years before serving as business manager and drill manager of the Peterborough Crescendos.  He was also the drill writer and drum major of Kawartha Kavaliers in the Peterborough area.  Moving back to New York state in 1979, he became director of the Greece Shoreliners in the Rochester area, and director of the Greece Cadets.  He was a member of the administrative staff when the Empire Statesmen were founded by Vince Bruni in 1983.  He also served on the administrative staff again from 1999 to 2004.  He has also marched as drum major of Mighty St. Joe’s alumni corps during two separate periods.  From 1981 to ‘89, he was a marching and manoeuvring judge and consultant.

 

Paul Bongiovi___________________________________________________________ 2002

Paul Bongiovi has been a marching member, instructor and administrator with Hawthorne Caballeros over many years, often providing valuable insight into operations as an advisor for the corps director.  He not only teaches and plays in the Caballeros’ Latin section, but is responsible for uniforms and all the administrative requirements of the group, including maintaining attendance records and collecting funds as required.  He has been selected a Caballero of the Year.

 

Larry Bourne___________________________________________________________ 2001

Larry Bourne has been a member of the Baltimore, Maryland, Yankee Rebels family since he first marched in the color guard in 1966.  He marched in the banner line of the competing corps until 1976 and has been a member of the alumni corps since 1977.  He was color guard captain from 1974 to 1976, writing and teaching color guard drills.  He also served as guard captain of the alumni corps, writing and teaching drill, from 1987 to 2002. He helped with bingo games for 17 years, including a decade of running the bingo operation to help the Yankee Rebels pay expenses.  He also helped organize the March of Champions and was a member of the Dixie Stinger show staff for more than 10 years.  He was a member of the Yankee Rebels staff for most of the years between 1987 and 2002.  He was assistant drum major from 2000 to 2002, helping direct and teaching marching and maneuvering.  Since 2003, he has been a cymbal player with the alumni corps.  He has been an officer of the Yankee Rebels alumni for 13 years, including nine as president.  He helped develop a program to honor deceased members during an annual memorial service, and runs other events associated with the alumni group, including a crab feast, Christmas party, Ocean City weekend, raffles and dances.  He has represented the Yankee Rebels on the Great Alliance of Seniors (GAS) board for more than 10 years, and co-chaired the GAS reunion in Hagerstown, Maryland in 2002 and the 2009 event in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. He was elected vice president of GAS in 2006.  He is a charter member and current treasurer of Drum Corps Affiliates of Maryland, which supports the Maryland Hall of Fame and its inductees.  He was inducted into the Maryland Hall of Fame in 2005.

 

Robert Bradley__________________________________________________________ 2002

Bob Bradley was a solo soprano with Connecticut Hurricanes from 1972 until 1982, and has been part of the management team ever since.  Over a period of 20 years, he served on the board of directors, as corps director and president.  He was named the Drum Corps Associates (DCA) director of the year in 1992, and has been a DCA contest sponsor since 1992.  Before joining the Hurricanes, he was horn instructor for several junior corps in Connecticut.

 

Edward Brady___________________________________________________________ 2002

Ed Brady is a tenor and bass drummer who first marched with the Sons of the American Legion (SAL) Squadron 73 drum and bugle corps in East Orange, NJ in 1938.  He served in the United States Marine Corps from 1943 to 1946.  After World War II, he joined the East Orange Post 73 corps, then the Orange Wildcats Post 190 drum and bugle corps.  In 1950, he moved to Hawthorne, and played in the drum line until 1959.  He has been a member of the Caballeros’ Alumni Association since 1977, serving as secretary since 1993 and treasurer of the Alumni Corps and Alumni Association since 1996.  He has marched in the flag section of the Caballeros Alumni Corps since 1994.  He has been singing with the Caballeros Alumni Chorus since 1985, serving as treasurer the entire time.  He served as secretary of the Great Alliance of Seniors (GAS) in 2000/01, and was on the GAS reunion committee for four years.  He is adjutant of Hawthorne American Legion Post 199.

 

Donald Brager__________________________________________________________ 2001

 

Allison Brown__________________________________________________________ 2002

Allison Brown began her long association with Empire Statesmen during the group’s first year of competition in 1983.  In the mid 1990s, she commuted from California for several years in order to maintain her close connection to the organization.  In addition to marching in the Statesmen’s color guard for many years, she was a member of the corps staff.  She has been the guard instructor for drum and bugle corps in California and New York state.  She has taught many high school and university marching band color guards since the mid-1980s, including Sacramento State University and University of Rochester.

 

Jay Brown______________________________________________________________ 2002

Jay Brown’s first experience with drum and bugle corps came in 1947 with the Invaders of Norristown, Pennsylvania.  He moved to the drum line of the Osmond Cadets in the early 1950s.  In 1952, three members of that drum line went to the national championships with Reilly Raiders as fill-ins, but never had the opportunity to march in the contest.  He joined the United States Marine Corps, returned to the Reilly Raiders in 1959 and has been associated with the organization ever since.  He has been a valuable performer on tenor or snare drum and committee volunteer for more than 40 years.  He served on Reilly Raiders’ board of directors, helping the group to reorganize in the 1960s.  He taught the drum section with Bill Kaufman for a short time.  He was also a judge with the New Jersey Association for three years.

 

Douglas Bruce*__________________________________________________________ 2001

 

Francis Burke___________________________________________________________ 2002

Fran Burke played soprano horn with St. Vincent’s Patrick’s of Jersey City, New Jersey from 1949 through 1955 and then played soprano with St. Vincent’s Cadets of Bayonne, New Jersey from 1956 through 1961. He served on the committee of members that met regularly with the corps director to discuss problems and set goals and objectives.  He later played for Archer-Epler Musketeers, Ballentine Brewers and the alumni corps of Archer Epler and Reilly Raiders.  He was assistant horn instructor with the Shadettes of Maple Shady, New Jersey in 1965 and held the same position with Emerald Lancers of Old Bridge, New Jersey from 1969 through 1971.  He was assistant horn instructor and drill instructor for the Vanguards of Miami Florida from 1972 throough 1974.  As a volunteer member of Drum Corps Associates (DCA) championship contest staff, he maintained control of the corps access gate for the entire weekend of the tournament from 1998 through 2005.

 

Gavin Burnham_________________________________________________________ 2001

Gavin Burnham played an important role in support of the Minnesota Brass for more than 10 years before he joined the marching ranks as a soloist in 1984. He has filled a number of important positions with Minnesota Brass and other midwestern corps since then.  With the Brass, he has been assistant corps director, chief financial officer, treasurer, horn line manager, fund raising co-ordinator, gambling advisor and recruiting officer.  He served on the executive board of Drum Corps Midwest (DCM) in 1984, and has been on the board of directors of a number of color guards and percussion groups in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota.   He has played a particularly strong role as a financial advisor for many groups, helping set up drum and bugle corps as non-profit organizations with a self-funding structure.  He has also provided valuable advice about debt re-organization.  He received many performance awards and has won the Brassy Award, the highest honor bestowed by Minnesota Brass, considered as the Minnesota Brass Hall of Fame and lifetime achievement award.  He has been selected as the DCM director of the year, and was corps director in 1999 when the Minnesota Brass was the first senior corps to win the DCM corps of the year award.

 

Jeff Burnham___________________________________________________________ 2001

Jeff Burnham was the soloist, horn arranger and recruiting manager with the Twin City Federal drum and bugle corps from 1959 to 1961, at the start of his drum corps career.  After that, he performed with Hamm’s Indians and Spirit of ‘76.  His long association with Minnesota Brass began in 1966.  He has held all the important positions with Minnesota Brass over the years, including: soloist, horn instructor, assistant director, corps director, board member, recruiter, fundraiser, visual instructor, show co-ordinator, financial consultant and horn line manager.  He has also contributed to other midwestern organizations.  He was horn instructor and board member with Hamm’s Indians and horn arranger and recruiter with Twin City Federal.  He was a board member with the Mounties junior corps in 1975.  He has been an administrator with the Red Carpet Association for senior corps and the Midwest Senior Corps Association.  He has received the Brassy, the highest award in the Minnesota Brass organization, considered a lifetime achievement award.  He was part of the Brass group which first integrated females in corps activity.  He has been a financial consultant for a number of new midwestern corps, helping them set up self-funding financial structures.

 

Mike Campanelli________________________________________________________ 2001

Mike Campanelli has been an important member of many drum and bugle corps in upstate New York, beginning with the Crystal Raiders parade corps in Corning in 1957, and extending through the years to include such nationally-known groups as Rochester Crusaders and Empire Statesmen.  Before serving in the United States Air Force in 1964, he was the color guard captain of the Seneca Chiefs senior corps of Montour Falls.  After returning to Kansas in 1968, following combat duty in Viet Nam he formed a corps in Wichita, acting as drill instructor and participating as a marching member.  He was corps director of the Continental Ambassadors junior corps of Wichita from 1968 to 1971, when he returned to Rochester to march with the Crusaders color guard.  He was director of the Mark Twain Cadets of Elmira, NY for two years.  He has been a member of the support staff and business relations co-ordinator for the Empire Statesmen since 1985.

 

James Capizzuto_________________________________________________________ 2002

‘Cappy’ Capizzuto joined the Sam H. Young American Legion Post drum and bugle corps in 1944, as mascot horn player.  In a memorable ceremony, he played taps during the placement of a special monument in Yankee Stadium in memory of Babe Ruth.  He helped start a drum and bugle corps at Gompers High School.  He was chosen to support the C.A.P Air Force Drill Team and travelled with the various shows.  He played soprano horn with New York Skyliners from 1956 to 1970.  He returned to the Skyliners in 1980 in a support role, helping move equipment on and off the field, loading and unloading equipment and repairing equipment as required. Starting in 1983, he also participated as a member of the American flag honor guard, which won the best honor guard trophy in four Drum Corps Associates (DCA) championships and was chosen to lead the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.  During this time, he helped Skyliners with fund raising activities and helped in the major refurbishing and restoration of the Garfield Post, which was home for the Skyliners at the time.  He is a long time member of the Skyliners alumni association, chorus and alumni corps.

 

Thomas Capone_________________________________________________________ 2002

Tom Capone was a member of two of Pennsylvania’s best-known senior corps in two different eras.  His first association with Pittsburgh Rockets was as quartermaster from 1965 to ‘67.  He then marched in the color guard for a year.  From 1969 to 1973, he performed in the percussion section.  He also taught the percussion section in 1973.  From 1982 to ‘87, he drummed with the Steel City Ambassadors.  He was percussion instructor from 1986 to 1989.  The following year, he became staff co-coordinator. 

 

Guy Carricato___________________________________________________________ 2002

Guy Carricato held a number of positions with the Pittsburgh Rockets between 1959 and 1973.  He played soprano in the horn line, arranged and taught drill, and served as a staff member.  Earlier, he played soprano horn with Sharpsburg Cadets, and was drill arranger and instructor.  He has been drill instructor for the Butler Vagabonds.  He also judged color guards. 

 

Blaise Castaldo__________________________________________________________ 2002

Blaise Castaldo was a marching member of the Ambassadors junior drum and bugle corps in Newburgh, NY from 1965 to 1970, and has been a member of the Hawthorne Caballeros organization ever since.  He played mellophone in the Cabs’ horn line until 1985, then became drill instructor and video photographer for the corps.  He became a charter member of the Hawthorne alumni corps in 1994.  He has also served in various staff positions with a number of junior and senior corps in New York, and has been a visual judge for several regional associations.

 

Robert Castor___________________________________________________________ 2002

Since he first played soprano bugle with the the Naval Cadets in Roxborough, Pennsylvania in 1948, Robert Castor has marched in every section, served on staff with several well known corps and in 1998 and ‘99 marched with four different alumni drum and bugle corps at the same time: Yankee Rebels, Archer-Epler Musketeers, Reilly Raiders and Skyliners.  He is a member of the Pennsylvania Drum Corps Hall of Fame, the Drum Corps Association of Maryland, The Yankee Rebels Alumni Association and Reilly Raiders Old Timers Association.  He was a staff member with Archer-Epler Musketeers in 1967 and Reilly Raider Musketeers in 1968.  He was also a staff member with Yankee Rebels Alumni Drum Corps from 1994 through 2003.  He has played mellophone with Hawthorne Caballeros Alumni since 2003.  He previously played mellophone with Boumi Temple Drum Corps of Baltimore, Maryland from 1985 to 1988, Yankee Rebels from 1988 to 2010, Archer-Epler Musketeers from 1990 to 2000, Reilly Raiders from 1994 to 2004 and Skyliners in 1998 and ‘99.  After first playing soprano bugle with the Naval Cadets, he switched to snare drum with Hattai-Taylor Cadets of Roxborough in 1951 then moved back to the horn line in 1952 and ‘53.  He played bass drum with Reilly Raiders in 1962 and marched in the color guard for the next three years.  He was assistant captain in 1964 and ‘65.  He also marched in the Archer-Epler Musketeers’ color guard in 1965, served as guard captain in 1966 and ‘67 and in 1968 with Reilly Raider Musketeers.  The following year he was guard captain with the Marauders of Glen Olden, Pennsylvania. 

 

Tina Cavitt_____________________________________________________________ 2002

Tina Cavitt, as a member of Minnesota Brass, Inc. was one of the first females to perform along with males in a drum and bugle corps.  Her marching experience began in 1967, with the Debutantes color guard.  In the following eight years, she also participated in the Debutantes management group and served as color guard sergeant.  She has marched as a soloist with Minnesota Brass since 1973. She also marched with the Mounties junior drum and bugle corps in 1975.  She has been an instructor of both the Debutantes and the Mounties.  She has been the Minnesota Brass horn section leader since 1980.  She has served as chair of the Minnesota Brass board of directors.  Since 1980, she has helped with recruiting and personnel administration.  She has received the Brassy Award, considered as the Minnesota Brass Hall of Fame and lifetime achievement award.

 

Eugene Cerreta*_________________________________________________________ 2003

Eugene Cerreta was a solo soprano player with St. Vincent’s Cadets from 1940 to 1946, and again in 1948 and 1949.  His senior corps activity began in 1951, with the Old Dorchester Hornets.  He then performed with Milton Grenadiers in 1954 and ‘55.  In 1957 and ’58, he marched with New York Skyliners.  In the 1960s, he performed with the Perth Amboy Dukes and the Ballantine Brewers.  He taught a number of corps, including the Police Athletic League (PAL) corps of Bayonne, NJ, St. Vincent’s Cadets, St. Vincent’s Girls Drum and Bugle Corps, Emerald Knights of Monmouth Junction, NJ, and the Bridgeman.  After performing and instructing, he was a driver and quartermaster for a number of drum and bugle corps throughout northern New Jersey.

 

Paul Chaffee____________________________________________________________ 2002

Paul Chaffee has performed with corps from two distinct areas: the midwest and the deep south.  Beginning in 1967, he spent several years with Racine Boy Scouts and Racine Explorers, the Boys of ‘76 and Minnesota Brass, then jumped to the deep south to perform with Bayou City Blues.  Over the years since 1979, he has been assistant director and treasurer with Boys of ‘76, and corps director of Minnesota Brass, Bayou City Blues and Racine Scouts.  He has also, at various times, been visual instructor, music instructor and show co-coordinator.  He has been president of the North Star Guard Circuit; Minnesota Brass representative to Drum Corps Associates (DCA) since 1991, and member of the DCA championship committee since 1989, a member of Drum Corps International’s (DCI) Division II and III board of directors, and board member/treasurer of DCM.  He has received the Brassy Award, considered as the Minnesota Brass Hall of Fame and lifetime achievement award.

 

Joseph Chizek, Sr._______________________________________________________ 2001

Joe Chizek Sr. has sustained his soprano sound from the mid-1940s well into the 21st century.  After receiving his first trumpet and starting lessons in 1944 in Gloversville, NY, the southern gateway to the Adirondacks, he performed first with local groups, then with many of the best-known drum and bugle corps in the northeastern United States.  He first played snare drum with Sacred Heart drum and bugle corps in 1946, then switched to bugle from 1947 to 1949.  From 1949 to 1953, he played lead soprano for the Gloversville Yellow Jackets.  From 1950 to 1953, he also operated his own dance band, but his music activities were interrupted by service in the United States Army from 1953 to 1956.  Then, it was on to the contest field, playing solos as lead soprano with the Empire State Grenadiers from 1956 to 1959, Interstatemen in 1959 and 1960 and Archer-Epler Musketeers from 1960 to 1964.  In 1964, he became soprano soloist with Utica Executives, followed by periods as soloist with Interstatesmen in 1965 and 1966, Fusiliers in 1966 and 1967 and Syracuse Brigadiers from 1968 to 1971.  He performed as lead soprano with New York Skyliners from 1971 to 1974.  He was assistant drill instructor for the Fusiliers during the 1960s, and taught horns and drill for the Patriots drum and bugle corps of Johnstown, New York, in the 1980s.  He has been a lead soprano player with Skyliners Alumni since 1992.  He helped organize Florida Brass drum corps in 1998, starting with small practice sessions at his winter home in Florida.  The horn line has since grown to more than 40 players.  He still plays lead soprano with Florida Brass each winter. 

 

Frank Cicco____________________________________________________________ 2002

Frank Cicco first marched with the Vern Acklin drum and bugle corps from 1952 to 1958. For the next 14 years he was associated with Pittsburgh Rockets.  He has been a member of the Steel City Ambassadors organization since 1974.  As well as being a marching member, he has served on the board of directors of all three groups.

 

Carol Coffman__________________________________________________________ 2003

 

Charles Coffman________________________________________________________ 2001

 

Paul Collins____________________________________________________________ 2001

Drum and bugle corps from across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and South Africa depend on Paul Collins’ business. He founded the Brass Shop in 1991, a mobile repair unit serving drum and bugle corps and marching bands at rehearsal fields and stadiums, taking care of the day to day problems encountered and not easily dealt with because of the logistics of the activity.  The Brass Shop grew quickly to become a major repair service used by corps and bands across the continent as well as a Dynasty Brass, Marching Brass and percussion dealer and distributor for Silver Fox sticks and mallets.  He played baritone or contra bass for three different groups between 1960 and 1984: the Rochester Crusaders, the Syracuse Brigadiers and the Sidney Royal Aires parade corps.  He has also served on the board of directors of the Crusaders.

 

Ralph Colter____________________________________________________________ 2001

Ralph Colter is a charter member of the North Branford, CT Ancient Fife and Drum Corps, and has been an active snare drummer since 1933.  He was sergeant of the snare section for many years.  Over the years, he has also served as music director, corps director and business manager.  He learned to drum by taking lessons with highly-renowned J. Burns Moore.  He was lead snare drummer when the corps performed on September 29, 1940 during the World’s Fair, when the North Branford drum section won the world’s championship in its class. 

 

Donald Connors_________________________________________________________ 2001

 

Mary Costello___________________________________________________________ 2002

Mary Costello worked side by side with her husband Jim from the time he founded the Hawthorne Caballeros in 1946 until his passing.  She continues to provide support to the corps.  She is an active member of the board of directors, and has been instrumental in helping guide the direction of the corps for more than 50 years.  Many of her contributions have been unpublicized, and not widely known outside the Hawthorne organization.

 

James Cossetti, Jr.*______________________________________________________ 2002

Jim ‘Pop” Cossetti Jr. began his life-long association with drum and bugle corps at age 13, in 1934, playing with Sgt. Hamilton Fish Post VFW junior corps in Philadelphia.  He was the Philadelphia City Individuals junior soprano champion from 1939--1941, and national individuals junior soprano champion in 1941.  His quarter-century association with Archer Epler Musketeers began in 1962.  While with the corps, he played soprano and mellophone, marched as color guard captain, and performed with the alumni corps until his passing in 1989.

 

John ‘Cupcakes’ Curran___________________________________________________ 2002

John Curran has been associated with many of the top corps from New England, including the Princemen, the Renegades, the Legends, Cambridge Caballeros and St. Kevin’s Emerald Knights.  He has been part of the Connecticut Hurricanes’ organization since 1974.  During this time, he has played soprano and baritone horn as required, driven the equipment truck, lined up practice fields, driven members to and from practice locations and bus departure locations and helped support staff operating the booster table.  For several years, he marched in the Macy’s All Star Drum and Bugle Corps in the annual Thanksgiving Day parade.  He has been a horn instructor, marching instructor and guard and drill team instructor for several corps and a drill designer for several Connecticut high school bands. He has been on the staff of Winter Guard International (WGI) since 1979, participating in regional and world championships each year.  He is also member of the Massachusetts Drum Corps Hall of Fame and Connecticut Hurricanes Hall of Fame.

 

Catherine ‘Kitty’ Cwalino*________________________________________________ 2002

‘Kitty’ Cwalino marched as a color guard member, then drum major, of Philadelphia’s Osmond Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post Cadets for nine years, beginning in 1935.  She then supported the Cadets by serving as a chaperone for 13 more years.  She was the corps delegate to various VFW events and drum corps associations throughout her years of participation.  

 

Robert Cwalino_________________________________________________________ 2002

Bob Cwalino and his wife Kitty were active in various capacities with the Osmond Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)Post Cadets of Philadelphia and their state and national champion cadet corps in the 1940s. Following a stint in the United States Navy during World War II, he marched for years in the Post’s color guard.  He thenassistedin various capacities with the Osmond Cadets, with no job too small, from driving the bus to assisting in fund raising endeavors. He is the epitome of an “in the trenches” person without whom a corps can never be successful.

 

Vincent D’Agostino*______________________________________________________ 2001

Vince D’Agostino served in just about every position available with Archer Epler Musketeers in two separate periods.  From 1947 to 1957, he played second soprano and served as quartermaster.  In a second period of association beginning in 1975, he played soprano, served on the board of trustees, marched in the honor guard, served on the Great Alliance of Seniors (GAS) steering committee and sang in the chorus.  His drum and bugle corps activity dates back to 1935, with the Upper Darby junior drum and bugle corps.  He was associated with the Audubon Bon Bons parents’ association from 1962 to 1966.  He was a long time active member of Archer Epler American Legion Post 979 and the Tri-County Veterans Association.  After he passed away in 2005 he was named a posthumous member of the Pennsylvania Drum Corps Hall of Fame.  His last performance with his corps was at the 2005 GAS reunion, just three weeks before he passed away with pancreatic cancer.  His career in the drum corps community extended over 70 years of activity, continuing until he was well into his eighties when he helped run the Tri-County Veterans Association Post Home.

 

Robert Daniels__________________________________________________________ 2002

Bob Daniels marched with Connecticut Hurricanes during two periods over three different decades.  He was a corps member from 1957 to 1962, and again from 1969 to 1977.  During those periods, he marched in the color guard, was drum major, then became drill designer and drill instructor.  He has also been drill designer and instructor for several other Connecticut drum and bugle corps, including the Connecticut Yankees.

 

Murray Davis___________________________________________________________ 2002

Murray Davis was corps director of the Pioneer drum and bugle corps in 1988/’89 and has been personnel manager since 1994.  Beginning in 1968, he held a number of important positions with other midwestern units.  He has been brass instructor of the Imperials of St. Patrick’s and Manitowoc Royal Knights.  He served as City Festival’s parade and contest co-chair for five years, from 1983 to 1988.  He has been a Drum Corps International (DCI) Division II and III administrative assistant since 1995.

 

Larry Darch____________________________________________________________ 2001

Larry Darch played in the percussion section of St. Joseph’s of Batavia for 12 years, from 1950 to 1962, moved to the senior scene to march with Hamburg Kingsmen and Rochester Crusaders in the 1970s, then returned to perform with Mighty St. Joe’s Alumni Corps since 1991.  He has been a drum instructor and arranger for corps on both sides of the New York/Ontario border, including St. Joe’s, Rochester Crusaders, Guelph Opti-Knights, Geneva Appleknockers Juniors, Grey Knights Squires of Rochester, Silver Sabres of Salinas, Kansas.  He also taught many smaller bands and drum corps in the 1960s and ’70s.  For more than 30 years, he judged percussion with the All American Association, New York State Federation, Canadian Judging Association, Drum Corps Associates, Drum Corps International and the New York State Field Band Conference.  Three of his drum lines won national championships in three different national competitions: St. Joe’s at the 1968 Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) nationals; Guelph Opti-Knights at the Canadian nationals in 1970; Rochester Crusaders at the 1972 American Legion nationals.

 

John DeFazio, Sr.________________________________________________________ 2001

John DeFazio has a long history of activity with drum and bugle corps in the Rochester area, beginning in 1961 with Dutchtown Lancers, followed by membership in the Ridge Culver Statesmen.  He served in the United States Navy, and performed with the U.S. Navy Recruit drum and bugle corps and Miami military drum and bugle corps.  He has also played in the horn lines of Rochester Crusaders and Phoenix, Mighty St. Joe’s Alumni and Ghost Riders mini corps.  He has been a member of both the Empire Statesmen competing corps and the extended corps.  He has served on several special committees with the Statesmen, including the advisory committee, steering committee and U.S. Marine Tattoo organizing committee.  He marched with Statesmen when the corps won the World Show Band championships in England in1998 and in the Presidential Inauguration Parade in Washington in 2001.

 

Anthony DeFrancesco*___________________________________________________ 2002

Anthony DeFrancesco marched with St. Raphael’s junior drum and bugle corps from 1952 to 1960, then joined the percussion section of the Connecticut Hurricanes, playing cymbals.  During the years between 1961 and 1968, he also marched as assistant drum major.   He was a member of the Hurricanes’ Alumni Association until 2001.

 

John ‘Skee’ Derr________________________________________________________ 2002

‘Skee’ Derr marched in the Reading Buccaneers drum line from 1972 until 1990, then moved to the drum line of the Bucs’ alumni corps, eventually becoming drum major.  He has also performed with Westshoremen and Westshoremen-Bonnie Scots, the United States Marines drum and bugle corps and the 37th Regiment.  In addition to serving on the executive committee of the Buccaneers and the instructional staff of the alumni corps, he has instructed a number of high school bands.  He has been associated with such well known drum and bugle corps as Yankee Rebels, Blue Devils, Blue Coats and New York Skyliners Alumni Drum and Bugle Corps.  He has been associated with Camp 15 Sons of Union Veterans Fife and Drum Corps and St. John’s Knights of Lalihi, Hawaii. He is also a member of the Reading Buccaneers Hall of Fame, the Pennsylvania Drum Corps Hall of Fame and the APRDC Hall of Fame.

 

Frank Dioguardi_________________________________________________________ 2001

Frank Dioguardi has been active in the drum and bugle corps community since 1941, when he played soprano horn in the Webster standstill drum corps.  He still playing mellophone with Romeos Cadets for the 10 years leading up to 2013.  During the 1940s, he was a horn player with Ruoff Post in Ozone Park, New York, Phoebe Hearst Post, Cusick Post of West New York, New Jersey and Sheriden Post, the state champion junior corps that became the nucleus of the Skyliners senior drum and bugle corps.  He served in the United States Army from 1951 to 1953, then returned to the Skyliners horn line in 1960.  In 1962, he became a member of the staff, serving as quartermaster and handling all secretarial duties.  He was made a life member of Skyliners in 1981.  He became commander of the Gabarina-Masarakos American Legion Post 1523, which sponsored Skyliners, in 1964.  He has held continuous membership in Post 1523 for more than 50 years. He is a charter member of the Skyliners Alumni Association, celebrating 30 years with the group 2013.  He has also served as the alumni corps treasurer for two years.  He played an important role in organizing the 2012 Great Alliance of Seniors (GAS) reunion, sponsored by the alumni associations of the New York Skyliners and Hawthorne Caballeros. He received a number of awards for his contributions to earlier GAS reunions.  He worked closely with Hall of Fame founder Vince Bruni to promote the Caribbean sunshine cruises that have been important fund raisers.

 

Jack Doster, Sr._________________________________________________________ 2002

Jack Doster joined the Hamilton American Legion (AL) Post #20 Junior Drum and Bugle Corps in late 1946.  He was placed in the color guard while he learned to play the bass drum.  In the fall of 1947, he was asked to move up and become a regular bass drummer since the  regular bass drummer could not make practices.  From 1948 through 1951 he marched in the junior corps and then left to be a permanent member of the Hamilton AL Post #20 Senior Drum Corps as a member of the color guard.  In 1964, he was forced to take a leave of absence because of his demanding work schedule.  However, during the next 24 years he worked behind the scenes with director George Bull, spending many hours editing and printing the program book for that famous and outstanding senior drum corps show, the March of Champions.  In addition, he also worked on various other very important projects for the corps.  In 1988, Jack received a phone call that made him very happy.  He was asked to return to march in the color guard with the newly formed Yankee Rebels Alumni Corps.  Happy drum corps days were here again.  He, like many other alumni members, returned and put together one huge corps.  He was now back with his many friends, playing and marching like he had never stopped.  He continued to march in the Alumni Corps for the next 22 years.  The Dixie Stinger Show is considered one of the best indoor concerts in the drum corps world as was the March of Champions.  Needless to say, he is very proud of his contribution to these projects and the corps was extremely grateful for his endless efforts.  He has spent many hours behind the scenes putting together outstanding program books for the March of Champions and Dixie Stinger along with other various endeavors for the corps.  These publications have been a great credit to him while helping him fulfill his wonderful hobby of drum corps.

 

 

Philip Dumond*_________________________________________________________ 2002

Phil Dumond performed with three of the best-known junior corps in New Jersey in the 1960s, first playing soprano with St. Vincent’s Cadets of Bayonne when they won the American Legion national title and the Dream Contest championship, then playing baritone with St. Patrick’s Cadets of Jersey City and St. Lucy’s Cadets of Newark when they won a number of state championships.  He also performed with competitive color guards in the 1960s.  He played baritone with Hawthorne Caballeros from 1970 to 1974, then served as visual instructor for a number groups in New Jersey and New York, including Long Island Sunrisers. At the same time, he was Sunrisers’ public relations director.  He won the Drum Corps Associates (DCA) title four times with Hawthorne and once with Sunrisers.   He has played baritone as a member of Archer Epler Musketeers in the 1990s, and is a charter member of Hawthorne’s alumni corps.

 

Michael Durborow_______________________________________________________ 2003

 

Lawrence Eckert, Jr.______________________________________________________ 2002

Larry Eckert Jr. has been participating in drum and bugle corps activity since 1969, in administration, judging, instruction and performance capacities.  He won the Drum Corps Associates (DCA) cymbal championship in Individual and Ensemble competitions in 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2008.  His first involvement was with the Deacon Red Berets American Legion drum corps in Walden, New York, playing bass drum from 1969 to 1973.  He was bass drummer with the Florida, New York American Legion band for almost two decades from 1973 to 1991.  During that time, he held a number of other positions.  He played bass drum with Hudson Raiders senior drum and bugle color guard in Newburgh, New York from 1977 to 1979.  For the next five years, he played bass drum and also served as quartermaster and driver with the Criterions senior drum and bugle corps of Newburgh.  From 1981 to 1986, he marched in the honor guard of the Poughkeepsie, New York O. H. Booth fife and drum corps.  He began playing cymbals in 1986, performing for two years with Hawthorne Caballeros.  In the same year, he began serving as president of the Hudson Valley Region (New York) chapter of the Tri-State Musical Parade Judges Association, judging musical units in parades in general effect, marching and music captions.  In 1989 and 1990, he was show co-ordinator, instructor and served as a staff member with Hudson Valley All-Stars, a Drum Corps International (DCI) corps.  He returned to the cymbals in 1994, performing with 20th Century Ltd. senior corps of Newburgh.  From 1996 to 1998, he served as quartermaster and business manager of the Ambassadors of New York, of Ellenville, while also playing cymbals.  He marched with the Macy’s All Star Drum and Bugle Corps, playing cymbals, in 1996. In 1998 and 1999, he worked with Hall of Fame founder Vince Bruni, teaching drill and music to the Valley Central High School Band of Montgomery, New York.  From 1998 to 2004, he was director of the percussion ensemble of Ambassadors of New York. He has played cymbals with Hawthorne Caballeros alumni corps since 1998.  In 2009, he played cymbals with the Tri-State All-Star Band in the New York City St. Patrick’s Day parade.  He also played cymbals with the Hobo’s “Almost” Marching Band in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

 

Karl Essler_____________________________________________________________ 2001

Karl Essler has served in all the key positions in Rochester Crusaders organization.  Between 1981 and 2001, he has been brass instructor, a member of the board of directors, staff co-coordinator, assistant director, financial co-ordinator and corps director.  As a marching member, he played soprano and mellophone.  He has also been associated with a number of other western New York groups, including Dansville White Sabers.

 

Roy Falone_____________________________________________________________ 2002

Roy ‘Butch’ Falone has been the unsung hero of the Hawthorne Caballeros support staff since the early 1970s, and is one of the most popular individuals in the organization, often receiving formal recognition for his contributions by founding director Jim Costello.  He has been willing to perform whatever task is required, but has been particularly valuable in making sure facilities are ready for the corps’ arrival on trips, and remaining behind after practices and performances to make sure equipment and facilities are secure.

 

Patrick Ferrante_________________________________________________________ 2002

Pat Ferrante was a soprano player with Blessed Sacrament Golden Knights from 1959 to 1965, when the corps regularly won national and New Jersey state titles.  He also performed with Guadalcanal Cadets, Jersey Cyclones, Keyport Firemen’s Corps and the United States Air Force Academy drum and bugle corps in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  He was an instructor for St. Rose of Lima and St. Rocco’s, both of Newark.  For many years, he was a familiar face at the stadium gate during the Drum Corps Associates (DCA) championship tournament weekend, paying travel, accommodation and food costs out of his own pocket.

 

Danny Fitzpatrick________________________________________________________ 2001

In 1959 Dan Fitzpatrick became a charter member of the Golden Rays Junior Drum and Bugle Corps of Stoughton MA, starting on straight (valve less) bugle.  He later played baritone, then French horn, then mellophone.  He joined the United States Marines Corps (USMC) in 1967 and in 1968 was assigned to the USMC Drum and Bugle Corps in Washington D.C., performing with them until 1970 as a French horn bugler.  While stationed in Washington he also performed with the Yankee Rebels Drum and Bugle Corps in 1970 in the same capacity.  After he completed his enlistment he continued with the Rebels as a mellophone player in 1971 – 1973 and 1976.  In 1975 he joined the Archer-Epler Musketeers, who had recently reformed in order to perform in the 1976 Bicentennial Parade in Philadelphia.  Archie kept going after that and he played with them until 1981 and from 1984-1995.   In 1988 he joined the Reading Buccaneers as a French horn player.  He also marched with the Bucs from 1993 to 1996, and 1999.  In between, in 1990, he filled a spot with the Sunrisers.  In 1996 he began playing with the Buccaneers Alumni, and continues to this day as a mellophone player.  He also played with the Yankee Rebels Alumni Corps for several years between 1996 and 2012.  He served as brass arranger/instructer for the Haddonfield, New Jersey Royaleer Mounties from 1974 through 1976 and for the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania St. Rose of Lima in 1976 and 1977.  He served as Reading Buccaneers business manager in 1996 and as their assistant director in 2002 and 2003.  He was inducted into the Pennsylvania Drum Corps Hall of Fame in 2005.   In 2013, he was inducted into the Buglers’ Hall of Fame.   He was elected Archer-Epler Musketeer of the Year in 1984, Reading Buccaneers’ Most Valuable Member in 1995 and 1996, and received the Reading Buccaneers Director’s Award in 1999.  He won Drum Corps Associates (DCA) Individual and Ensemble competition on mellophone in 1998, and seven other years on French Horn. 

 

 

Scott Friend____________________________________________________________ 2001

Scott Friend was assistant horn instructor and soprano soloist with Rhode Island Matadors from 1979 to 1982.  He was a member of the Matadors’ famous Megaphone Trio in 1982. He also played with the Matadors reunion corps in 1999.

 

Frederick Ford__________________________________________________________ 2002

Fred Ford’s involvement in drum corps activity began at age nine in 1942 when he joined the American Legion-sponsored Owego Elementary School Drum and Bugle Corps, playing bugle bells.  In 1948, he joined the Legion corps as a glockenspiel player.  Returning home from service with the United States Army in 1956, he helped reform the Legion corps.  As drum major and business manager, he guided the corps through many identity changes, from the Checkups, Vagabonds, Challengers, White Knight Challengers, to the Southern Tiersmen before disbanding in 1969.  He helped form the Apalachin Mello-Dears, serving as business manager and director over a 20-year period.  He has served on the board of directors of the New York Canadian contest circuit association; as president and show co-ordinator of the Penn-York Circuit; as president of Girls’ Corps International, succeeding Pepe Notaro.  He became associated with the Empire Statesmen in 1993 and has served in various support staff and advisory positions since then.  He is still the president and director of the Mello-Dears Corporation, which owns and operates a bingo hall and banquet facility, a redemption center and a charter bus company.  Funds raised by these operations are used to promote the creation of new drum and bugle corps in New York’s Southern Tier.

 

Robert Gaff_____________________________________________________________ 2001

Bob Gaff was inducted into the Buglers’ Hall of Fame in Bridgeport, Connecticut in July 2005; 50 years after his first involvement in drum corps.  He spent seven years with St. Rose of Chelsea, MD, beginning in 1955.  In 1963 and 1964, he played with St. Kevin’s Emerald Knights in Boston, and was a member of the undefeated national champion brass quartet in both years. In the later years of the 1960s, he marched with Blessed Sacrament Golden Knights, the United States Air Force Academy corps, and Reilly Raiders.  He was a member of the Yankee Rebels, of Baltimore, from 1969 to 1974, winning three American Legion national championships: in 1969, 1970 and 1971.  In 1994, he marched with the Bushwackers, of Harrison, NJ.  He has marched with several alumni corps, including Yankee Rebels, Archer-Epler Musketeers, Reilly Raiders, St. Lucy’s Cadets, Blessed Sacrament Golden Knights, New York Skyliners and the Princemen.  He was named a lifetime member of the Reilly Raiders in 2000, and was elected to the Massachusetts Drum Corps Hall of Fame in 2001. He was inducted as a regular member in 2007, the winner of the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

 

Michael Gasparre________________________________________________________ 2002

Michael Gasparre is currently playing mellophone with Florida Brass more than 70 years after he began playing a G bugle in 1937 with St. Anthony’s drum and bugle corps in Yonkers.  He then played for 10 years with the Ivy A corps in Yonkers before serving in the United States Army for three years.  In the 1940s, he took trumpet lessons with Professor Frank Rice, and played professionally with a number of dance bands.  He also marched with Frank A. Rea American Legion Post drum and bugle corps before and after serving in the army for three years.  During his years of service, he played trumpet and bass fiddle with U.S. Army Field Bands and orchestras in England and Germany.  From 1955 to 1967, he played French horn with the New York Skyliners and taught music to several other corps in the New York area.  He was awarded a Skyliner lifetime membership award in 1985.  Since then, he has served the corps as field equipment manager, scout, driver, advisor and member of various committees.  He served on the committee which organized the alumni association in 1986.  Since 1986, he has been a music judge for the Tri-State Musical Parade Judges Association, including several years as chief music judge.  He has been a member of the Skyliners alumni chorus since its inception.  He has been a bass fiddle player, trumpeter and vocalist with various professional recording and music groups, performing across the country.

 

Ron Gehris_____________________________________________________________ 2002

After spending his early drum corps years with the Kenhorst Green Hornets, Ron Gehris spent three years in the United States Marine Corps, serving in Vietnam.  He joined the Reading Buccaneers in 1971 and served in various positions until 1993.  He was color guard captain and instructor, winning numerous color guard titles in competition.  He took over as business manager in 1976, then served as corps president twice, from 1979 to 1985 and from 1987 to 1991.  When the Bucs won the Drum Corps Associates (DCA) title twice under his direction, he was named the DCA director of the year both times.  He is also a member of the Reading Buccaneers Hall of Fame.

 

Ricci Gentile*__________________________________________________________ 2001

Ricci Gentile’s life revolved around drum and bugle corps.  In 1959, at age 8, he began playing soprano bugle with St. James ‘B’ Corps, advancing rapidly to perform with St. James ‘A’ Corps until 1967.  In 1968, he joined the Baltimore Yankee Rebels.  A few years later, in 1971, he was accepted into The Commandant’s Own United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps.  In all of these corps, he was soloist soprano, with most of the music revolving around him.  He was widely considered to be one of the finest soloists ever to come out of the state of Maryland.  He served three years with the Marine Drum and Bugle Corps, being discharged after he was diagnosed with diabetes.  He then returned to the Yankee Rebels competitive corps.  He joined the Yankee Rebels Alumni Drum and Bugle Corps in 1988 and was the soprano soloist until his passing in 1994.

 

Jerry Giordano __________________________________________________________ 2002

Jerry Giordano was instrumental in starting the New York Skyliners Alumni Drum Corps, and was the corps’ representative during the formation of the Great Alliance of Seniors (GAS) organization.  He marched with the alumni corps for four years while he was also president of the alumni association.  He has served on various committees with Skyliners since the late 1980s, mainly as financial advisor, and was responsible for obtaining tax exemptions for both Skyliners and Hawthorne Caballeros.  On the contest field, he played baritone horn for several corps, beginning in 1964.  They include West Paterson Royal Airs, Little Falls Cadets, St. Lucy’s Cadets and Skyliners.  He served on the percussion staff of the South Jersey all-girl senior corps in the mid-1970s.

 

Candace Golding________________________________________________________ 2002

Candy Golding was one of the first female members of the Reading Buccaneers when she marched in the color guard from 1977 to 1982, when the corps twice won the Drum Corps Associates (DCA) title.  She also served as secretary/treasurer for five years and secretary for one year.  Until 1982, she was active in activities such as fund raising, sewing uniforms, public relations, procuring equipment, and working with DCA.  She became secretary of DCA in 1981, holding the position for more than 20 years.  She was inducted into the Reading Buccaneers Hall of Fame in 1999.

 

Herman ‘Hank’ Goldstein*________________________________________________ 2002

Following his years in the armed services during World War II, ‘Hank’ Goldstein was instrumental in forming, organizing and managing the New York Skyliners senior drum and bugle corps in 1946, through the sponsorship of Raymond A Garbarina American Legion Post 1523.  Over the following 56 years, he served in every area of corps activity, including playing bass drum, serving as corps director and serving as commander of Post 1523.  He was a charter member of the Skyliners Alumni Association, and was awarded a lifetime membership, the most coveted corps award.  Before helping to initiate the Skyliners, he played bass drum with several junior drum and bugle corps, including Phoebe Apperson Hearst Post and the Grand Street Boys.  These two junior corps were the nucleus of the group that evolved into the Skyliners.

 

Bill Graham*____________________________________________________________ 2003

Bill Graham has been active in Philadelphia-areadrum corps since the 1950s, having marched competitively with the Rising Sun Cadets,and then with the Reilly Raiders in the late 1950s and early 1960s.  One of his long-time instructors describes Graham as “extremelyreliable and a consistent workhorse in the all-important harmony section of the corps.” He has been active with the Reilly Raiders Alumni Corps for a number of years. He and his wife Marge were instrumentalin fund raising endeavors in the formative years of the alumni corps.  He is also a former business manager of the corps.

 

James Gruber___________________________________________________________ 2001

Jimmy Gruber has been a member of the Reading Buccaneers for more than a quarter of a century.  His association with the group began in 1975.

 

Roger Grupp____________________________________________________________ 2001

Roger Grupp has been a soloist since he first performed with the Pine City Saints in 1961.  He later marched with St. Paul Scouts and the Spirit of ‘76.  He has been performing with Minnesota Brass since 1971.  In 1999, he was invited to perform as guest soloist with Bayou City Blues.  He has held a number of administration positions with Minnesota Brass, including: assistant corps director, board of directors, fundraising co-ordinator, contest chairman, personnel administrator and horn arranger. He created the Minnesota Brass website in 1995, and has maintained it ever since.  The site, the first for a drum and bugle corps, has been used as a model by many other corps.  He was top soloist in Drum Corps Associates (DCA) in 1993, and has won many Drum Corps Midwest (DCM) soloist awards.  He has won the corps’ Brassy Award, considered to be the Minnesota Brass Hall of Fame.

 

Joseph Guadagnino______________________________________________________ 2002

Joe Guadagnino started a lifelong association with drum and bugle corps in the United States and Canada when he joined the Rochester Junior Crusaders in 1969.  He then performed with Greece Cadets and Crossmen.  He has been percussion arranger and caption head on both sides of the border, with Northmen and Dutch Boy of Kitchener.  He has been a member of the percussion staff of Bluecoats, and percussion caption head of Rochester Crusaders.  He joined the Empire Statesmen staff in 1996, and was caption head and co-arranger for the Statesmen’s world champion drum lines in 1997 and 1998.  He has since served as a consultant for the group.

 

George Haidemenos*_____________________________________________________ 2001

George Haidemenos was an avid drum corps historian who also performed in the horn line of the Marksmen, of Springfield, Massachusetts, from 1961 until 1969.  He returned to the horn line when the alumni corps was formed 20 years later, marching and performing until the year 2000. The Marksmen Senior Drum and Bugle Corps was founded in 1957, appearing in many parades throughout the northeast and competing in drum corps competitions in the Yankee Circuit, winning many awards and top honors. The Marksmen also successfully competed in national competitions, with appearances up and down the east coast, including New York’s Carnegie Hall and Shea Stadium. In the 1960s, during the Vietnam War, many members were called to military duty.  Because of the great number entering military service, the corps was forced to disband in 1969.  The alumni corps was formed in 1989, following a corps reunion.

 

Thomas Harvey_________________________________________________________ 2002

Thomas Harvey first played soprano horn with the Melrose NJ junior corps and the Amboy Dukes.  In 1979, he helped launch the Melrose Blackhawks.  He was noted for rarely missing a practice or performance over two decades of activity.  He served in the United States Navy.

 

James Henn____________________________________________________________ 2001

In 1947, Jim Henn joined the Wallbrook Squadron Boys Brigade Company A drum and bugle corps, which later became the Grantley American Legion (AL) Post Silverliners.  When he aged out of junior activity, he joined the Towson, Maryland, Troubadors, then in 1959 joined the Yankee Rebels of Baltimore.  He remained with the organization until 1976, when the Yankee Rebels stopped competing, then helped form the Cavaliers drum corps.  He became part of the Yankee Rebels organization again when the corps was re-organized, under the leadership of former director George Bull, as the Yankee Rebels Alumni Corps.  The group’s first performance was during the AL national convention held in Baltimore.  His drum corps activities have taken from New York City west to Portland, Oregon, and from Quebec, Canada, south to Miami, Florida.

 

Martie Hetherington______________________________________________________ 2003

 

Arthur Hlywa, Sr.________________________________________________________ 2002

Art Hlywa, Sr. was a soprano soloist and member of the horn line instructional staff with Connecticut Hurricanes from 1955 through 1968.  He is a charter member of the Connecticut Alumni Senior Drum and Bugle Corps, playing in the horn line and also instructing.  He organized a Christmas Brass Ensemble which includes Hurricane alumni and active corps members.  He has served as vice president of the alumni association and chairman of the alumni association’s annual charity golf tournament, with proceeds directed to the Connecticut Hurricanes.  He has been a horn instructor for the Connecticut Yankees senior corps, and 11 junior corps from across the state.  He was inducted as a regular member in 2008.

 

Sean Holton*___________________________________________________________ 2001

Sean Holton attended his first drum and bugle corps contest when he was just three days old.  His father was an instructor with the Bridgemen at the time.  His formal participation began in 1981 as a cymbal player with New York Skyliners.  He has earned the diamond award for 10 consecutive years of service and is a Lifetime Member of the corps.  He has been a percussion pit player since 1983 and also instructs the pit percussion section.  He instructs a number of high school marching bands, including Linden High School, Middletown North, Old Bridge and Columbia.

 

Kathy Hook____________________________________________________________ 2003

 

William H. Hoyt_________________________________________________________ 2001

Bill Hoyt celebrated his 50th consecutive year in drum corps activity in 2012.  First marching with the Troy, New York Boy’s Club and Skyliners junior drum and bugle corps in 1962 and 1963, he has been active ever since.  He has played baritone horn with various northeastern corps located from western New York to Long Island, including the Interstatesmen, Springfield Marksmen, Syracuse Brigadiers, New York Skyliners, Troy Defenders, Long Island Sunrisers, Noble Callahan Capital Brass Ensemble and Rochester Crusaders.  He also served for two years on the Crusaders board of directors.  He has been show coordinator, drill writer or technician and winter color guard instructor for 10 high school marching bands.  In 1996, he suggested to World Drum Corps Hall of Fame founder and charter president Vince Bruni that Hall of Fame membership criteria be broadened to include “the people who play the music, march drill, drum the parts and wave the banners.”  His suggestion resulted in the creation of Associate Membership status.  He is among the first group of new associate members who were inducted in 2001.  At the time, he was marching with Rochester Crusaders. 

 

Dave Hughes___________________________________________________________ 2001

Dave Hughes has played solo soprano horn with five different drum and bugle corps during a career that has extended across more than 40 years.  He has been a member of the Hawthorne Caballeros Alumni since 2003.  Earlier, he performed as a soloist with York, Pennsylvania, White Roses for seven years, the United States Air Force Academy Drum and Bugle Corps for four years, Baltimore Yankee Rebels for 16 years and Music Express for three years.  He played soprano horn with Reilly Raiders for six years.  He also taught the horn line of two of central Pennsylvania’s best-known corps: Hanover Lancers in 1974 and York White Roses in 1975.  He served as choir director of St. David’s Evangelical Congregational Church for three years.  The Evangelical Congregational Church began in the years after the American Revolution, to serve new communities as the frontier began moving westward.

 

Walter Huhn*____________________________________________________________ 2002

Walter Huhn has been a participant in drum and bugle corps activity in eight different decades.  In the 1930s and 1940s he marched with the A. K. Street Post.  He joined the Reilly Raiders organization in 1946.  He served as corps director in the 1960s, and has been active with a number of different committees over the years.

 

Fabian Izsa_____________________________________________________________ 2002

Fabian Izsa joined the Holy Name Cadets rookie corps in 1955, and marched in his first field show with the Holy Name Cadets of Garfield, NJ in 1958, playing second soprano.  He was drum major in 1960, then returned to the horn line, playing lead soprano.  He joined the Hawthorne Caballeros in 1967, marching with them until 1990, when he joined the marching instruction staff.  He is a charter member of the Caballeros Alumni Corps, playing lead soprano, writing music, and writing and teaching drill.  Earlier, in the 1970s, he taught music and drill to a number of corps and was also a marching and maneuvering judge.

 

Everett Jacobs__________________________________________________________ 2003

 

Robert Jacobs___________________________________________________________ 2002

Bob Jacobs has been executive director of the Jersey Surf Drum and Bugle corps since 1990, and has built the corps into one of the premier groups in Division II of Drum Corps International (DCI).  He has been DCI’s director of marketing since 2005.  He has also served on the DCI Division II/III board of directors, and the board of directors of DCI Atlantic.  He was inducted into the New Jersey Drum Corps Hall of Fame in October, 2011.  He has been a member of the Drum Corps Collectors and Historical Society since 2009.

 

Dick Janes_____________________________________________________________ 2001

Dick Janes started taking his drum lessons from Dr. Warren Shelley who was a long time member of the National Association of Rudimental Drummers.  He joined the Catonsville Scarlet Raiders (also known as the Odd Fellows) in 1956 as a snare drummer.  It was not until many years later that he learned that when he joined that organization he was the only drummer who could perform The Downfall of Paris and Connecticut Halftime.  Over the next 10 years he wrote and instructed drill.  In 1963, he joined the Yankee Rebels of Baltimore, Maryland.  At that time they had a full line of drummers so he volunteered to play the corps’ first contra bass and also taught the low bass under the musical direction of Skip Groff.  In 1967, there was a tenor drum opening and he finally got his chance to become part of the drum line.  In 1968, he pioneered their first triples: three bass drums bolted together.  The carrier was constructed by Nick Biscotti. Shortly thereafter, he put together their first timpani section and began writing all of the tonal percussion music until his civilian job changed and he was forced to devote much more time to that most important obligation.  In 1990, he returned to the corps to teach all of the tonal parts to the drum arrangements for John Flowers, then drum instructor and arranger. The corps made some changes in 1993 that afforded him the position of drum instructor and arranger.  He has been blessed with learning many musical skills by attending the Peabody Conservatory of Music, a world famous musical arts education school that has graduated some outstanding musicians, composers, and conductors.  He has learned to play, arrange and conduct several musical instruments as a result, including all brass instruments, clarinet, piano and keyboard, organ and full percussion instruments, all obtained in his pursuit to be awarded his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science Degrees in Music.  He is certainly a credit to his profession and to himself.  In addition, he has arranged music for and instructed the Hamilton White Knights, the Blue Coats of Canton, Ohio, the Schuylkill Haven Belvederes, Fredrick High School, Annapolis High School, South Carroll High School, Woodlawnettes and the Toppers.  He is the music director for the American Originals Fife and Drum Corps, Washington, DC.  He is a member of the Maryland Drum and Bugle Corps Hall of Fame.

 

Joseph Jasinski__________________________________________________________ 2002

Joseph Jasinski played soprano horn with West Reading Police Cadets, before moving up to the Reading Buccaneers as soprano soloist.  He also served as the Bucs’ treasurer in 1959 and 1960.  He is a charter member of the Buccaneers alumni corps, and has been the group’s business manager since 1987.  He has also held various other administration positions over the past 20 years.

 

Les Johnston____________________________________________________________ 2001

Les Johnston initiated a number of important programs with the Empire Statesmen, beginning in 1997.  He served as recruiting director and established the concept of an extended corps, which allowed expansion of the group for non-competitive performances; was recruiting director and marching member when the Statesmen won the Drum Corps Associates (DCA), World Show Band and American Legion titles in 1998; negotiated a New York State College music credit program for corps members; managed office operations.  His drum corps career began in 1966 when he was a lead soprano player with Albion Grenadiers.  While part of the Rochester Crusaders organization from 1971 to 1979, he played lead soprano, acted as chair of the board of directors and served as co-director.

 

Brian Kagan____________________________________________________________ 2001

Brian Kagan was in the Latin percussion section of the Rhode Island Matadors in the 1970s, then tom section leader from 1980 to 1982. He was also assistant drum instructor in the tom section in 1982.  He has been a percussion player and instructor for other corps in the 1980s and ‘90s.  During three separate time periods, he was quad section leader and instructor in the Sunrisers drum line, including 1988 when the corps won the Drum Corps Associates (DCA) championship.  In the first half of the 1990s, he drummed in the tom section of the Connecticut Hurricanes. 

 

Charles Kammer________________________________________________________ 2002

Charlie Kammer began his drum corps career in St. Andrew’s Fife, Drum, and Bugle Corps in 1944 as a fifer.  However, he was quickly drawn to learning to play a snare drum under the capable instruction of Buck Soistman.  While attending high school he was selected to play in the Maryland All State Concert Band.  During the 1950’s, he was a marching member of the Towson American Legion Post Senior Drum and Bugle Corps and the famous Baltimore Colts Marching Band.  From 1956 to 1974, he very ably displayed his talents in the percussion section of the Hamilton Post No. 20 senior drum and bugle corps, Yankee Rebels.  He spent much of his off time searching for that “certain song” to fully display the music and drill to portray the period of the Civil War and the inspirational music of the time.  He had a dream! Finally, his dream came to fruition.  Music arranger and instructor Colonel Truman “Tru” Crawford was presented by Charlie with an album entitled Battle Stereo which contained the music Charlie was suggesting the corps play and the idea of the drill that could accompany the music.  Within a week, Tru came to Charlie and exclaimed that what Charlie had provided was exactly what he was looking for and the famous Requiem for an Era was given birth.  This segment was made part of the drill and immediate national recognition was given.  This is still portrayed by the Yankee Rebels wherever they go and still bring audiences to their feet with standing ovations with admiration and appreciation.  He also contributed other songs for the corps’ repertoire.  Requiem for an Era is said to be a major turning point in the Yankee Rebels becoming repetitive national champions. He has served as president, vice president and treasurer of the Yankee Rebels Alumni Association since 1997 and has served to be one of the main proponents of keeping this organization alive and strong today.  To add to his credits, he has been on the board of directors of the Great Alliance of Seniors (GAS) since its charter year, representing the Yankee Rebel Alumni Association.  He served as chairman of GAS in 1997, 1998, and 1999 and continues to serve as a very active member on their executive board.  In 1998, he was one of the three founders of the Maryland Drum and Bugle Corps Hall of Fame and has also served as president.  He was inducted into the Maryland Drum and Bugle Corps Hall of Fame in 2004.

 

Gary Karpinski__________________________________________________________ 2001

Gary Karpinski has served several east coast drum and bugle corps both on and off the field since 1976.  He played in the drum sections of Saints and Blessed Sacrament parade corps and was a member of the Bayonne Bridgemen percussion section when it was judged the best drum line in the Drum Corps International (DCI) finals in 1981 and ‘82.  He was a snare drummer with New York Skyliners from 1985 to 1992 and an award-winning pit performer in 1993.  He was Skyliners head drum major in 2000 and 2001.  He has been on the drum staff and served on the administrative staff of both the Bridgemen and Skyliners.  With Skyliners, he has assisted with fund raising, served as personnel director.  He has been a percussion judge with the NJA judging community. 

 

Alan Katz______________________________________________________________ 2002

Alan Katz is a financial expert whose input and management skills have helped keep Hawthorne Caballeros in a sound financial position over many years.  He has been a marching member, playing solo baritone horn, instructor and administrator through four decades.  He was marching instructor before becoming assistant business manager.  In addition, he has been a key player in fund raising projects, including cheesecake sales and tag days.  He also spearheaded Hawthorne’s grant foundation project.  He has served as Hawthorne Caballeros business manager since 2003.  He has been co-chair of Hawthorne’s Drum Corps Grand Prix contest since 2003 and chair of the Cabs at the Beach contest since 2004.  He was the Caballeros fund raising chair from 2001 to 2009.  He also served as treasurer from 2003 to 2008.

 

 

James Kilcomins________________________________________________________ 2002

James Kilcomins spearheaded the drive to re-organize the Melrose Blackhawks for what was planned as a one-day performance in 1979.  Twenty-three years later, he was still acting as director for the thriving organization, which has performed at such popular tourist destinations as Disney’s Magic Kingdom and Daytona Beach in Florida.  As a youngster, he played baritone horn with the junior corps in South Amboy, New Jersey and the Melrose junior corps.

 

Mary Kilcomins_________________________________________________________ 2003

Mary Kilcomins was inducted into the New Jersey Hall of Fame in 2010.

 

Diane (Brotzman) Koenig_________________________________________________ 2001

During the 30 years that Diane (Brotzman) Koenig has contributed to the operations of the Reading Buccaneers in positions both on and off the contest field, the Bucs have won the Drum Corps Associates (DCA) championship six times.  She marched in the color guard from 1977 to 1980.  The color guard was undefeated on the score sheets throughout the season, when the Bucs won the 1979 DCA championship.  Again in 1980, the Buccaneers had top guard and won the DCA title.  Throughout 1980s, she performed in the horn line, playing French horn from 1981 to 1985, baritone in 1986, French horn again in 1987 and 1988, moving to mellophone in 1989 before switching back to French horn in 1990.  She became drum major in 1996, and has served in that position since then, except for 2003.  She was drum major for the Buccaneers’ four straight undefeated DCA championship seasons in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008.  She was named to the Reading Buccaneers Hall of Fame in 1997.  She served as secretary on the executive committee in the mid-1990s, and has been a member of the support staff sewing crew for more than 20 years.  She has also been an active member of the Buccaneer Alumni Drum Corps, playing baritone since the corps formed in the mid 1980s.

 

Gary Koenig____________________________________________________________ 2001

Gary Koenig began his drum corps career as a soprano horn player with the Hamburg, PA Junior Buccaneers in 1969.  In 1972, he moved to the Belvederes in Schuylkill Haven, PA.  After aging out of junior corps activity, he played solo soprano horn with Reading Buccaneers for 20 years before joining the Bucs’ alumni corps horn line.  Off the field, he has served on the executive committee, as treasurer, business manager and assistant director.  He founded the Buccaneers Hall of Fame in 1995, and has served as chairman ever since.

 

Art Kurth*_____________________________________________________________ 2001

Between 1955 and 2000, Art Kurth played soprano and lead soprano with many of the top corps from the midwest, including the Windy City Cadets, Cavaliers, Skokie Indians, Con Edison, (Boys) Spirit of 76, Chicago Vanguard and the Kilties and Midwest Legends senior corps.  He also marched for a time in the senior Kilties honor guard.  He was director of Spirit of 76 senior corps and served on the board for 12 years. He was instrumental in arranging senior corps involvement in Drum Corps Midwest (DCM) activities.  As a volunteer, he taught the brass sections of several corps including New Day, Racine Scouts and the Guardsmen.

 

Robert LaDuca__________________________________________________________ 2002

Robert LaDuca began playing baritone horn with the Williamsville Townsmen, and later performed with such well-known western New York corps as Hamburg Kingsmen and Appleknockers Juniors of Geneva.  He began playing with Mighty St. Joe’s Alumni in 1994.  He is a member of the Ghost Riders mini-corps staff and serves as a consultant to Niagara Memorial Militaires alumni corps.  At various times since 1968, he has been brass arranger for 18 corps located in New York, Pennsylvania and Ontario, from Long Island in the east to Erie, PA in the west and Toronto, ON north of the border.  These include Hamburg Kingsmen, New York Skyliners, Erie Thunderbirds, Oakland Crusaders of Toronto, Ghost Riders Mini Corps and Mighty St. Joe’s Alumni.  He has been a brass adjudicator with Great Lakes Parade Judging Association since 1982.  He graduated from Buffalo State University in 1974 with a Bachelor’s degree in Musical Performance, and has performed with several groups associated with the Big Band era, including the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra and Louise Bellson’s Big Band Explosion.  He currently plays with the Mark Mazur big band.  He has been a marching band consultant with high schools in the Buffalo area.

 

Joe LaLiberte, Sr.*_______________________________________________________ 2001

Joe LaLiberte was involved with the Rhode Island Matadors and then marched with Yankee Rebels for about 10 years, while he still lived in Framingham, Massachusetts.  Long time Yankee Rebels corps director George Bull said he never heard Joe complain about the many miles driven each weekend, nor does he remember that he ever missed a turnout.  The Yankee Rebels disbanded in 1976, and Joe became a dedicated alumni member when the corps was re-formed for the purpose of marching in the 1988 American Legion national convention parade in Baltimore.  Organizer George Bull expected responses from about 20 former members.  Instead, there were 90 horn players, 40 battery, 40 color guard with no instruments or equipment.  Joe quickly located a Legion Post that formerly sponsored a junior corps.  He and his son Jay crawled through attics, basements, and much debris to retrieve instruments.  The cost for 49 bugles, two snare drums, 10 bass drums, six cymbals, flags, poles, everything the alumni corps needed, was $750.  Without Joe LaLiberte’s dedication to the Yankee Rebels, the alumni corps (now in its 19th year) would have not gotten off the ground.

 

Jordis Larvick___________________________________________________________ 2013

Eighty year old Jordis (Jordy) Larvick is the sole marching member remaining from the inaugural group that started the Williston Cowboys American Legion Drum and Bugle Corps in Williston, North Dakota, in 1954.   His lifelong friend and teacher Virgil Syverson, also inducted as an associate member of the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame in 2001, founded the Cowboys and directed the corps for more than 50 years before passing away.  Jordy Larvick, who served in the United States Army as a young man, played bugle Taps as part of the military honors provided at the funeral.  He has also been been honored by the American Legion and Bugles Across America, the not-for-profit group that provides uniformed military people to fold the flag and play Taps at funerals of veterans.  He received a remembrance citation and medal from Bugles Across America.  The citation reads, “This is to certify that Jordis A. Larvick has been honored as a distinguished individual of the United States of America.   This certificate is awarded as a testimonial of Honest and Faithful Service.  Bugles Across America.”  On the same evening, he received a plaque designating him American Legion Edgar M. Boyd Post 37 Legionnaire of the Year.  His love of drum and bugle corps activity is contagious.  Two of his three children played with him in the Williston Cowboys.  Jon A. Larvick, Colonel United States Air Force (ret.) played bugle; his brother Jay played snare drum.  Jordy Larvick originally played saxophone while he was a student at Williston High School, under the direction of Virgil Syverson, who later also taught Jon Larvick to play trumpet.  Shortly after graduation in 1950 Jordy Larvick joined the United States Army, serving a two-year stint at Camp Gordon, Georgia and further time in reserve status.  On returning to Williston around 1954 he reunited with his old teacher, who by that time had founded the local drum and bugle corps. He has been leader of the Cowboys’ soprano horn section for several generations of corps members, sometimes playing solo in lean membership years.  He joined the American Legion in 1955 and has been a faithful member for more than 58 years.

 

Joe Ledwith____________________________________________________________ 2002

Joe Ledwith has been a member of only two drum and bugle corps throughout his career.  He marched with Liberty Bell junior drum and bugle corps in the early 1950s, then joined the Reilly Raiders percussion section in 1958.  Ever since, he has been a valuable performer and volunteer with the Reilly Raiders’ committee structure.

 

Norman LeFrois_________________________________________________________ 2002

Norm LeFrois began his quarter-century association with Rochester Crusaders as a volunteer worker at bingo games, serving as bingo committee chairman from 1977 to 1982.  During that period, he also served as business manager, then became corps director for a year in 1982. He is the founder and served as chair of the committee which organized the ongoing Flower City Open Championship drum and bugle corps competition in 1985.  He also founded the Rochester Crusaders Hall of Fame in 1986, and was inducted as a member in 1993.

 

Paul Leppek____________________________________________________________ 2001

Paul Leppek played French horn and baritone with Preston Scout House Band from 1964 until the original band ceased operations in the spring of 1967.  He later performed with Guelph Royalaires.  He has played baritone horn in the Preston Scout House Alumni Band since its inception in the fall of 1998.  He has also participated in various Alumni Band fund raising projects.

 

Joel Leson______________________________________________________________ 2003

Joel Leson became hooked on the drum and bugle corps activity when he was 11 years old watching the 1954 Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) National Championship “Million Dollar Pageant of Drums” in Philadelphia.  That evening he saw the Archer-Epler Musketeers and the Blessed Sacrament Golden Knights win their respective competing divisions.  In 1955, he joined a new junior   corps being organized by the Joseph Vasella American Legion Post in South Philadelphia.  The corps soon came to be known as the Vasella Musketeers, instructed by Lee Wolf on brass, Don Mihok  on drums and Jack Keeley doing the drill design.  From 1955 to 1965, Vasella developed into a powerhouse junior corps winning many contests up and down the East Coast.  While in Vasella, he          marched as a snare drummer from 1955 to 1959, then played French horn until 1962.  After leaving Vasella, he became a member of the Haddon Heights, New Jersey Vagabonds junior corps, the       Bordentown, New Jersey Devils senior corps and the Archer-Epler Musketeers, where he continued to play French horn.  From 1959 to 1962, he wrote “The Philadelphian” a column in the original Drum Corps  World magazine, published in Chicago.  He covered contests in Eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey.  Since returning to the drum corps activity, he has contributed to columns in         Drum Corps World Magazine which is now published in Madison, WI.  He also authored “A History of the Yankee Rebels” in The History of Drum and Bugle Corps, Volume 2, published by Steve   Vickers of Drum Corps World.  From 1963 to 1965, he was the first drum and drill instructor of the Brookhaven, Pennsylvania Crusaders junior corps.  He entered the United States Army in 1965.         His 26 year Army career included serving as a tank company commander, an infantry advisor in Vietnam (1967 to 1968) and commanding all US Army Criminal Investigation Command offices  in         Europe (1987-1990).  While in the Army, he voluntarily taught the drum lines of high school bands in Killeen, Texas, Weaver, Alabama and Leavenworth Kansas.  He retired from the Army with the rank of colonel in 1991.  He is a member of  the US Army Criminal Investigation Command’s Hall of Fame. His career in the Army and Department of Defense spanned 40 years.  He joined the       Yankee Rebels Alumni Drum and Bugle Corps as a soprano bugle player in 2000.  He served as the corps director from 2001 to 2005 and was the corps business manager from 2005 to2010.               He simultaneously was a member of the Reilly Raiders Alumni Corps from 2001 to 2004.  When asked why he was so involved in two corps at the same time, he responded, “I’m trying to make up        for all the lost time I was away from corps while I was in the Army.”  He is involved in Great Alliance of Seniors (GAS) activities and attends many corps alumni, Drum Corps Associates and Drum    Corps International contests and shows year round.  In 2003, he organized the tribute dinner at Hershey, Pennsylvania to honor the memory of Colonel Truman W. Crawford.  He was one of the       organizing members of the unique Swing House Brass and Percussion Ensemble.  When the Yankee Rebels Alumni Corps did its last show in 2010, he became a member of the Blessed           Sacrament Golden Knights Alumni Drum and Bugle Corps.  He will be the first to tell you that his drum and bugle corps training as a young man allowed him to meet all the challenges he faced while in the Army, and that trying to describe the “magic" of the drum and bugle corps hobby to people who were never involved in it is darned near impossible.

 

Raymond Lewis*________________________________________________________ 2001

 

Rosemary Light_________________________________________________________ 2002

Everyone in the Westshoremen knew Rose Light: she was responsible for handling, measuring and fitting every item of the corps uniform, including pants, top, shako, plume and gauntlets.  In addition, she coordinated all the corps support activities.  She helped initiate bingo games in support of the organization, and volunteered to work at games every Monday night throughout the year.  She also handled all travel arrangements for overnight trips.  In 1983, after 21 years of service, she retired from drum corps activity to become secretary of Five Star Brass Productions.  As a founding member of Five Star Brass, dedicated to preserving drum and bugle corps activity in central Pennsylvania, she was instrumental in the success of the company.

 

William Light Jr.________________________________________________________ 2002

Bill Light Jr. was member of the Privateers junior drum and bugle corps, part of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1086 in Harrisburg, PA, from 1949 through 1954.  He was then a lead soprano player with the corps that merged with the Bonnie Scots to become the Westshoremen.  He served on the board of directors from 1974 to 1983, when he retired from his active drum and bugle corps position to become a founding member of Five Star Brass Productions, dedicated to promoting drum and bugle corps activities in central Pennsylvania.  As president of the group, he has played an integral role in running both the Hershey Spectacular and Serenade In Brass contests.

 

Joseph (Jack) Lopes______________________________________________________ 2001

Jack Lopes was a charter member of the Rhode Island Matadors in 1969, playing French horn and mellophone.  He also marched with such well-known corps as St. Kevin’s Emerald Knights, Princemen, Generations, Holy Rosary Caballeros and Bristol Kingsmen.  He has been chair of the Matadors’ Hall of Fame committee since 1979, and organized the alumni corps reunion in 1999.  He has also served as assistant manager of the Rhode Island Toreadors.  He was a founding officer of Generations drum and bugle corps, serving as corps manager and marching instructor.  He has also been a marching instructor with Rhode Island Picadors and several high school bands. 

 

Frank Lozar (Lifetime Achievement Award, 2005)_____________________________ 2001

Frank Lozar marched in competition every year from 1947, when he first played a horn with American Legion Post 248 drum and bugle corps in Ely, Minnesota, until 2005.  He moved from Ely to perform with Minnesota Brass and Hamm’s Indian, returning to the Brass in 1962.  He served as corps director of Minnesota Brass from 1963 to 1969.  Since 1980, he has performed with both Minnesota Brass and Zuhrah Shrine.  He has been on the board of directors of both organizations, and has been fundraising co-ordinator for several midwestern drum and bugle corps at various times.  He is a winner of the Minnesota Brass’ highest award, the Brassy, considered the Hall of Fame and lifetime achievement award.  He was part of the group which was the first to initiate female membership in drum corps activity.  At age 70, he was recognized as the oldest competitor on the field at the championship tournaments of both Drum Corps Midwest (DCM) and Drum Corps Associates (DCA) in 1998.  He was still marching in competition in 2005, when he received the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame Lifetime Achievement Award.

 

Michael Luckenbill______________________________________________________ 2003

 

James Lutz, Sr.__________________________________________________________ 2003

James ‘Papa’ Lutz , Sr. has been an exceptionally active member of Massachusetts’ drum and bugle corps community since he began playing soprano bugle with American Legion Post 76 Drum and Bugle Corps in Jamaica Plain in 1941.  He performed as a soprano player and drum major with Commerce High School Cadet Drum and Bugle Corps of Boston from 1944 to 1948, then played soprano horn with the Lexington Town Drum and Bugle Corps in 1949 and 1950.  From 1951 to 1997, he enjoyed a long association with Lieutenant Norman Prince Drum and Bugle Corps, as the corps switched bases from Boston, to Malden, to Melrose.  He played soprano horn and served as corps president.  Fellow Princemen over the years included Darcy Davis, Harry O’Neill, Harry Latinik, Al Saia, Jim Pinette, Joe McNaught and Jack Whelan, all members of the Hall of Fame.  He was brass arranger and instructor for a number of Massachusetts corps from 1958 to 1981: St. Catherine’s of Somerville, St. Jean D’Arc of Lowell, St. Mary’s Annunciators of Cambridge, Crusaders of Wilmington, Cardinals of Wilmington, Chieftains of Lawrence, Viscounts of Methuen, Musketeers of Peabody, Suburbanettes All Girls of Nashua and the Sharpshooters of Framingham.  He served as brass arranger and instructor of the Massachusetts Hall of Fame ‘Legends of Drum Corps’ unit of Greater Boston in 1997 and 1998 and remains a mid-range brass player with the corps.  He has also been a mid-range brass player with the Light Brigade, the alumni corps of 27th Lancers, of Revere, since 1998 and played mid-range brass with St. Kevin’s Emerald Knights of Dorchester from 2000 to 2005.  He was a brass judge with the Massachusetts Judges Association from 1974 to 1981.  He was active in helping to establish the Great Alliance of Seniors (GAS) alumni association.  As the Lieutenant Norman Prince representative, he served as a governor from 1992 to 1998 and secretary from 1994 to 1998.  He worked with Jim Cossetti, Bob Neuhoff, Joe Campos, Ralph Silverbrand, Mark Fulcomer and Mike Del Vecchio, all Hall of Fame members, in the early years of forming GAS.  He was a baritone voice in the Princemen chorus from 1980 to 1998, assistant music director of the chorus from 1995 to 1998, then managing and music director in 1998.  He was inducted into the Massachusetts Drum Corps Hall of Fame in 1999.  He currently sings bass with the St. Eulalia Roman Catholic Parish Choir in Winchester.

 

Charles Lyon___________________________________________________________ 2002

Charlie Lyon started in drum corps when he was 12 years old as a drummer in the Southwest Community Drum and Bugle Corps and he continued as a member of the Yankee Rebels Alumni Drum and Bugle Corps until 2010.  In 1951, he joined the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (I.O.O.F) Drum and Bugle Corps, where he continued to play the snare drum and occasionally a tenor drum until he joined one of Baltimore’s premier junior corps, the Walbrook Silverliners in 1955.  He played a bass drum in the corps until he aged out in 1957.  In 1957, he then joined the percussion section of the senior corps known as the Yankee Rebels, playing a tenor drum, bass drum, and cymbals as needed.  Not only did he perform very well playing these instruments, he was also a fantastic behind the scenes performer.  He has accomplished administrative duties for the March of Champions and later the Dixie Stinger where he has been the liaison with the Baltimore County School Board in negotiating a school to hold the show, managing the stage and lighting crews, coordinating the setup and cleanup crews for various affairs and arranging for buses when needed for corps travel and many other activities.  Much to his credit, he is a charter member of the Drum Corps Affiliates of Maryland (DCAM).  In addition to these tasks, he has also has been the drill instructor for the Parkville Order of the Jobe’s Daughters who have performed at the Tall Cedars and other Shrine associated affairs including Ocean City, Maryland.  He has a lot on his plate and the plate is full.  His expertise is a definite asset to any organization and he does it without expecting constant pats-on-the-back.

 

 

Alice MacMullen________________________________________________________ 2001

 

Dick Maki______________________________________________________________ 2002

Dick Maki marched with the Chisholm American Legion and Ely Dillonaires from 1952 to 1957, then spent the next 23 years marching with Minnesota Brass.  He has been marching with the Brass again since 1995.  He has performed with the Zuhrah Shrine group since 1980, in some years also serving as music director and an officer on the board of directors.  He has been a fund raising co-coordinator and financial consultant for a number of corps in various years.  He has also served as Minnesota Brass music instructor, assistant corps director and director.  He has received the Brassy Award, considered as the Minnesota Brass Hall of Fame and lifetime achievement award.  He was part of the group that initiated female membership in drum and bugle corps activity. 

 

Willard ‘Willy’ Marcks___________________________________________________ 2002

‘Willy’ Marcks was a member of the Reading Buccaneers horn line from 1962 to 1974, and served as corps president in 1973 and 1974.  He has also served as membership chair, and is a charter member of the Buccaneers alumni corps.  Previous to joining the Buccaneers, he was a member of six other groups: the Emmaus Sentinels, East Sentinels, East Greenville drum and bugle corps, Souderton drum and bugle corps and Imhof Thunderbirds. He was inducted into the Reading Buccaneers Hall of Fame in 1996.

 

Lou Marshello__________________________________________________________ 2001

Lou Marshello is a Lifetime Member of New York Skyliners who has earned the Diamond Award signifying 10 years of continuous service.  That service has been spread over two different eras: from 1960 to 1963, and since 1983.  He has played French horn, mellophone and soprano horn, and was a member of the 1987 Drum Corps Associates (DCA) world championship horn line and the 1991 Class A championship corps.  He has also served as business manager, trustee and member of the board of directors with the Skyliners.  He has held a number of positions with other corps, including: business manager of Dumont Police Cadets, director of Nutley Cavaliers, business manager of the Sundowners, color guard instructor of Jersey Chevrons and member of the Bushwackers.  He has played soprano horn and served as business manager of the Skyliners alumni corps for a number of years.

 

Harry A. Matthias*______________________________________________________ 2001

Harry Matthias devoted 30 years to the Archer Epler Musketeers, from 1955 to 1985, serving in a number of positions.  He joined the corps as a bass baritone player, and later served as treasurer, corps director, as a member of the committee which founded the alumni corps, co-director, business manager, and on the board of trustees.  He helped organize the first meeting of Drum Corps Associates in 1963 and was instrumental in organizing the Archer Epler Musketeers Alumni Association before the first alumni corps was formed.  His drum corps activity began in 1948, with Hattel-Taylor of Philadelphia.  He was a member of the Imhof Thunderbirds of Philadelphia from 1950 to 1954.

 

Joe McCloskey__________________________________________________________ 2002

Joe McCloskey played in the horn line of Liberty Bell junior drum and bugle corps before joining the Reilly Raiders in 1956.  In addition to performing with the corps, he has served on various committees over the years and has been corps treasurer since 1997.

 

James McDevitt_________________________________________________________ 2003

Jim McDevitt has been associated with Philadelphia area drum corps since the 1950s, first with the Rising Sun Cadets,then the LibertyBell Cadets, then moving on to the Reilly Raiders where he marched competitively with their 1950s Corps of the Decade, as selected by the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame. He and his wife Dot continue today in a marching capacity with the Reilly Raiders Alumni Corps.  He has served as the program coordinator of the Raiders. A long time instructor of McDevitt regards him as “one of the 10 finest lead soprano/soloists I worked with in my 35-plus years of instruction.”

 

James McHenry_________________________________________________________ 2001

Jim McHenry played in the soprano section of the New Bedford Whalers from 1959 to 1962, then moved to the front of the corps.  He was drum major of the Whalers in 1968/’69.  In 1970/’71, he marched in front of the Connecticut Hurricanes, then returned to the Whalers in 1972.  He was drum major of Rhode Island Matadors from 1973 to ’75 and again in 1977 and 1979.

 

Gordon Moffatt*________________________________________________________ 2002

Gord Moffatt, who passed away in 2013, served as president of the Canadian Ensemble.  He served as vice chairman of the Great Alliance of Seniors (GAS) reunion in 2013.  In earlier years in the activity, he was an instructor for the Markham Girls drum and bugle corps and Brampton Senators from 1967 to 1970, played lead soprano with Burlington Commanders in 1971, then took a 25 year break from competition.  He made up for the long absence with a flurry of activity in the 1990s, beginning in 1994 with the Guelph Royalaires parade corps.  Over the next few years, he played lead soprano with Toronto Signals, Ghost Riders mini corps, a Christmas brass ensemble performing concerts for the elderly and infirm, Bayou City Blues Mardi Gras Super Corps and the Great Alliance of Seniors (GAS) Canadian brass ensemble.  A taste of competition with Ghost Riders prompted him to compete again, as a lead soprano with Racine Kilties.  He also played lead soprano and solo soprano with Empire Statesmen of Rochester for several years.

 

Jack Morrison___________________________________________________________ 2001

Jack Morrison won the Washington state junior snare drumming championship three times in the 1940s, and followed up by winning the senior title seven times.  He first drummed with the Renton, Washington Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) drum and bugle corps in 1940   He was a drummer with the 364th Army Service Band in 1946 and ‘47. He instructed the Blue Angels drum and bugle corps in Seattle in the 1950s.  He was drum sergeant with the Auburn Legion drum and bugle corps in Renton for 16 years, from 1947 to 1963.  He served as drum line instructor from 1952 to 1963.  He qualified for membership in the National Association of Rudimental Drummers (NARD) in 1978.

 

Edward Mukalian*_______________________________________________________ 2002

Before joining the Reilly Raiders horn line in 1956, Edward Mukalian played horn with McCall Post junior drum and bugle corps.  He remained part of the Reilly organization for 46 years, until his passing in April 2002.  He had been the group’s director since 1999.

 

Kathleen Murphy________________________________________________________ 2002

Kathleen Murphy not only played mellophone with Melrose Blackhawks from the group’s inception in 1979, she provided valuable assistance helping other corps members learn their parts and also cheerfully carried out many of the jobs that needed to be done for the good of the corps.  She previously marched with the junior corps in Melrose, NJ.

 

Paul Neiss, Sr.__________________________________________________________ 2001

Paul Neiss, Sr. has been a performer, instructor, arranger, judge and administrator during a drum and bugle corps career that spans more than 70 years, beginning in 1932.  He played baritone bugle for various corps in the Boston area for 20 years.  Between 1953 and 1964, he marched with the Frontiersmen, the Continental drum and bugle corps and Geneva Appleknockers.  In the 1970s and ‘80s, he was a member of Rochester Phoenix, Rochester Crusaders and New York Skyliners.  He has performed with Mighty St. Joe’s Alumni Corps since 1994.  He was an instructor and drill arranger for a dozen different corps between 1967 and 1986, including such well-known units as Chessmen, Erie Thunderbirds, Appleknockers Juniors, Dutch Boy, Pittsburgh Rockets, Canton Blue Coats and Erie Sound Machine.  He has been judging with the All American Association, the Mid Atlantic Association and the Great Lakes Eastern Association since 1966.  He was the organizer and first president of the New York-Canadian Drum and Bugle Corps Association.  He organized, and wrote and taught drill, for the Shamrocks Girls Drill Team of Shortsville, NY.  Under his leadership, the unit won the New York State and Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) championships in 1966.

 

William Neuleib_________________________________________________________ 2001

William Neulib has been active in the drum and bugle corps community for more than 60 years.  He is one of the founders of the Kewanee Black Knights of Illinois, and served as instructor with the corps for a number of years.  He has been associated with Hawthorne Caballeros, serving in a number of capacities over the years.  The Neuleib family was inducted into the Heartland Drum Corps Hall of Fame at a Drum Corps Associates (DCA) show in Naperville, Illinois in the summer of 2012.

 

Harry O’Neill___________________________________________________________ 2003

 

Douglas Oravez_________________________________________________________ 2002

Doug Oravez was solo soprano player with Connecticut Hurricanes for most of three decades, from 1970 until 1996.  He then moved to a staff position, and has been visual instructor since 1997.  He originally played soprano horn with the Norwalk Hot Shots junior corps from 1960 to 1969.  He has been visual instructor for the Norwalk High School Band since 1988.

 

Doug Orser_____________________________________________________________ 2002

 

Ron Orehowskey________________________________________________________ 2002

Ron Orehowskey is one of several Hall of Fame members who joined the Reilly Raiders organization in 1958 and maintained his association ever since.  He has performed with the corps, and off the field has served as secretary and business manager.  He has been a valuable committee volunteer for more than 40 years.

 

Mike Palmquist_________________________________________________________ 2002

Mike Palmquist is one of several members of the Minnesota Brass, Inc. organization who has also been involved with the Bayou City Blues of Houston, Texas.  He first marched with St. Paul’s Scouts from 1962 to 1966.  He marched with Minnesota Brass in most years between 1975 and 2006, also serving as corps director in 1976, 1978 and 1979 and business manager in 1977.  His other administrative positions with the Brass include serving on the board of directors and as association representative.  He was a marching member of Bayou City Blues from 1991 to 2001, serving as corps director from 1998 to 2001 and has supervised recruiting and fund raising for the corps.  He was marching member of Hawthorne Caballeros alumni corps from 2001 to 2009 and again in 2012.  He has been a contest sponsor with Drum Corps Midwest (DCM), Drum Corps International (DCI) and Drum Corps Associates (DCA) over the years.  He has received the Brassy Award, considered the Minnesota Brass Hall of Fame and lifetime achievement award.

 

Louis Palombo__________________________________________________________ 2002

Louis Palombo was a tenor drummer with Pittsburgh Rockets in 1958 who moved to snare drum, eventually becoming assistant drum line instructor and instructor/arranger.  He has been a member of the All American Judging Association and is a qualified member of the National Association of Rudimental Drummers.  He has been an assistant drum line instructor/arranger for a number of Pennsylvania corps, including Latrobe Colonials, Sharpsburgh Cadets, Meadville Thunderbirds, Quasar junior drum and bugle corps and Catholic Daughters of America junior drum and bugle corps.  Earlier, he served as instructor/arranger for a number of Pittsburgh-area drum and baton corps, including the Wilkinsburg Starlets, Donnie Debs and McKeesport Majorettes.

 

Alphonso Panebianco*____________________________________________________ 2002

Alphonso Panebianco first participated in Philadelphia area drum and bugle corps activity in the 1940s. He was an outstanding baritone player with the junior corps of his choice, the Liberty Bell Cadets.  He thentook his skills to the Reilly Raiders, where he spent the next 10 years competing during the 1950s, the period for which the Reilly Raiders were chosenCorps of the Decade by the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame.  He was also drill instructor of Liberty Bell, the Bracken Cadets and several other corps, whose marching and manoeuvring  (M&M) scores were always among the top units.  He was a strict disciplinarian, although very fair, well liked and respectedby all his studentsand peers.

 

Frank Panepento_________________________________________________________ 2002

Frank Panepento has been a top-notch performer with St. Joe’s in two different eras.  He was a soprano horn player with St. Joseph’s of Batavia from 1956 to 1972, a melophone soloist with Mighty St. Joe’s Alumni from 1991 to ‘97, and soprano soloist since then.  He has also been solo soprano with Ghost Riders Mini Corps since 1997.  He has served for many years as a timing and penalty judge for Winter Guard International (WGI) contests.  He is the co-founder of Genesee Quest junior drum and bugle corps in western New York, and has served the organization as assistant director and business manager.  He served on the Mighty St. Joe’s Alumni board of directors from 1991 to ‘97, and was assistant director from 1995 to ‘97.  He was named Geneseean of the Year in 1997 for his longstanding volunteer contributions to Crossroads House, a residence providing loving support for the terminally ill.

 

Dick Penrod____________________________________________________________ 2003

Dick Penrod was an award-winning first soprano with three different Philadelphia corps from 1940 to 1955, then resumed his drum and bugle corps activity as a lead soprano with Reilly Raiders in 1994.  He was a member of the original Reilly Raiders from 1951 to 1955.  Before that, he performed with Rising Sun Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post from 1940 to 1943; Community League of Kensington from 1944 to 1946; East Germantown in 1949 and 1950; Liberty Bell Cadets and the United States Navy Drum and Bugle Corps, Great Lakes Training Centre in 1950; Osmond VFW Post Cadets in 1951.  As the lead soprano in Area City Title brass quartet contests, he was second in 1946 while playing with Community League; first in 1950 with Liberty Bell and first again with Reilly Raiders in 1953.  He served as personnel manager for Reilly Raiders from 1997 to 2001 and director in 2001 and 2002.  He has been Reilly Raiders Old-Timers chairman since 2005.  He was inducted into the Pennsylvania Drum Corps Hall of Fame on April 13, 2008.  He was presented with a Reilly Raiders’ Lifetime Member Award in 1997.

 

Ray Peters______________________________________________________________ 2001

As quartermaster, head cook and head of truck rescue and repair for New York Skyliners, Ray Peters repaired or rebuilt virtually the entire corps truck over the years, with the assistance of other corps members.  He also assists with the transportation and set up of the corps souvenir sales table.  His normal routine on contest days covered a number of tasks: setting up the souvenir table at the stadium, setting up the lunch table on the practice field, stepping into line during practice then competing in the evening.  In the winter/spring seasons, he worked with the Skyliners chorus, securing a rehearsal location and preparing refreshments.  He also prepared refreshments and lunch for the Skyliner alumni drum corps.  He has been a Skyliner since 1983, earning a diamond award for 10 years of consecutive service and lifetime membership status. During those years, he has played contra bass and marched in the honor guard.  He has been captain of the section several times, including the 2000 season when the guard was undefeated on the contest field.  His drum and bugle corps career began in 1954, with Barringer Walker in Lyndhurst, NJ.  He was also associated with Doremus, of Hackensack; Chessmen of Newburgh, NJ; Rough Riders; and Dumont Police Cadets.  In the 1970s, he played soprano horn with the Sunrisers, and contra bass with Bushwackers, of Harrison, NJ.  He also marched with Connecticut Hurricanes.  He served as director of Sundowners.

 

Pat (Rankin) Repenn_____________________________________________________ 2003

Pat Repenn’s training and background includes majoring in instrumental music education in college.  She also performed in concert and marching bands in high school and college.  She played a baritone horn with New York Skyliners from 1983 through 1990.  Upon retiring from the field corps in 1990, she joined the Skyliners Alumni Association.  In 1984, she began assisting Hall of Fame member Scotty McFee with publication of the R-A-G.  She then served as co-editor with Hall of Fame Associate Member Frank Dioguardi.

 

Stetson Richmond*______________________________________________________ 2001

Stetson Richmond was one of the pioneers in the recording of drum and bugle corps contests.  He was motivated as much by his love of the activity as for financial reasons, and traveled at his own expense across the continent to record live performances during contests.  For many long-time drum corps fans, Stetson Richmond recordings have become prized possessions, providing a permanent record of the top corps of the 1950s, ‘60s and early ‘70s.  He made the first of more than 3,600 recordings in 1950 for friends in the Hawthorne Caballeros. Customers across the United States and Canada could purchase the corps of their choice on 10-inch vinyl discs, delivered by mail.

 

Michael Ryan___________________________________________________________ 2002

Michael Ryan played contra bass with the Dynamics junior drum and bugle corps in Oradell, NJ from 1971 to 1975, then joined the Hawthorne Caballeros and has been playing contra bass with them ever since.  He has been a member of the Caballeros’ advisory group from its inception in 1999.  He is one of the founders and an officer of the MAIN Color Guard Association.  He instructed a number of high school bands in New Jersey from 1981 through the mid-1990s.  He has been director of the Parsippany Patriots color guard from 1981 to 1987 and assistant director of the Parsippany Hills High School band since 1991. He has also been director of the Innuendo Color Guard since 1991.  Color guards he has taught have been regular Winter Guard International (WGI) finalists and division champions in other contest circuits.

 

Steven Sapienza_________________________________________________________ 2002

Steve Sapienza has been a member of the Hawthorne Caballeros organization for many years, and is widely considered to the hardest-working individual in the group.  He has served as assistant drum major and color guard instructor.  For years, he has supervised the clean-up of facilities after practice sessions, and has even driven the equipment truck when required.  His contributions were recognized when he was selected Caballero of the Year.

 

Charles Schiavone_______________________________________________________ 2003

 

Lee Schields____________________________________________________________ 2001

Lee Schields joined the Miami Vanguards in 1958 when he was just 7 years old, and since then has been a playing member, instructor, board member and director of a number of Florida corps.  He marched with the Vanguards until 1965, playing soprano, French horn and baritone, then studied music at Dade College. From 1966 to ‘69 he was brass instructor, music arranger and drill designer for the Silhouettes drum and bugle corps of Miami.  He helped re-organize the Vanguards in 1976 after the original group disbanded in 1973.  While he served as corps director until 1979, the corps quickly advanced to membership in Drum Corps International (DCI).  In 1981, the name was changed to Florida Wave.  Five hundred people attended the reunion of former Vanguards and Florida Wave members he organized in 1998.  Since then, he has served as a member of the board of directors and business manager of Magic of Orlando drum and bugle corps.

 

Kurt Schiebel___________________________________________________________ 2003
Mr Schiebel began his Drum Corps participation in March 1978, by joining Brass, Inc. out of St Paul Minnesota. Currently, Kurt has spent 22 years on the field, including 1980 With the LaCrosse Blue Stars and 2005 with the St Peter Govenaires. Called 'Flash' by many of his contemporaries, the majority of his career has been with Minnesota Brass, including the 2011 World Championship Season.  Administratively he has been Board Member, Board Chair, Asst. Corps Director and Business Manager for MBI. He also was the corps' Representative to Drum Corps Midwest and Drum Corps Associates. His involvement with DCA included the drafting of Rules changes to ensure compliance with the ever changing world of Copyright and the initial proposal to create Regions within the DCA Circuit. Kurt was appointed the inaugural Chairman of the Drum Corps Associates Central Region in 2004.

 

Joseph Schmids_________________________________________________________ 2002

Joe Schmids has participated in drum and bugle corps activity for more than 50 years, beginning with the Yearsley Blackhawks in Philadelphia in 1956.  He was a well-known lead soprano player for such corps as “Reilly Raiders, the United States Marine Corps drum and bugle corps and Yankee Rebels.  He also served as horn instructor with Haddonfield Royaleers and Palmyra Challengers.

 

Joseph Schmiedle________________________________________________________ 2001

‘Drum Corps Joe’ Schmiedle, a contra bass player, attended every practice and every performance of the Melrose Blackhawks between 1980 and his induction to the Hall of Fame in 2001, at age 76.  He first became involved in drum and bugle corps activity in 1933.  Over the years, he marched with New Jersey drum and bugle corps associated with American Legion Post 10 and Irvington Post 16, Bayway Band, Kearny Cardinals, Argonne Raiders, Tall Cedars, Amboy Dukes and finally the Blackhawks.  He also served as drum instructor for the Marine Corps Boys Pipe Band.

 

Ken Scolaro____________________________________________________________ 2001

Ken Scolaro was the first person to play a mellophone in a Rhode Island drum and bugle corps.  He played in the horn line of the Tribesmen drum and bugle corps of Warren, Rhode Island from 1957 to 1959 and the Royal Lancers from 1959 to 1962.  He is currently a member of the St. Kevin’s Emerald Knights Alumni Corps.  He has served as chair of the Ocean State Classic Drum Corps Associates (DCA) contest.  He has been associated with the Generations since 1988, as a lead soprano and mellophone player, member of the board of directors, executive director and manager.  He was largely responsible for the group’s transition from a parade corps to a competitive field corps.

 

Robert Scott____________________________________________________________ 2001

Bob Scott first marched with the Titusville, PA Eagles Club Steppettes drum line in 1959, then advanced to the Titusville High School Marching Band and the Meadville Thunderbirds.  He marched in the Empire Statesmen’s percussion section from 1986 to 1994.  He has held a variety of administrative positions.  He was business manager of International Corps Associates (ICA), executive producer of Competitive Arts Productions, which produced videos of the Drum Corps Associates (DCA) championships. co-chair of the 1996 DCA championship organizing committee in Rochester, public relations co-ordinator of Empire Statesmen, and a member of the administrative staff of both Statesmen and the Little Americans cadet corps (later known as the Empire Cadets), a community outreach project of the Empire Statesmen.

 

William Semeyn*_______________________________________________________ 2002

Bill Semeyn began playing lead soprano with Empire Statesmen in 2001, but his drum and bugle career dates back to 1956, when he was a solo soprano player with the Green Hornets junior drum and bugle corps in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  He was lead and solo soprano with Racine Kilties senior corps from 1994 to 2000.  As a member of the United States Air Force, he served three tours of duty in Vietnam between 1966 and 1976.  He helped re-organize the Coachmen drum and bugle corps of Grand Rapids in the mid-1980s, serving as horn instructor and, with his wife, looking after food services for three years.  He is a life member of the Disabled American Veterans Association, Veterans of Foreign Wars and the American Legion.  He is an exceptionally versatile brass player, and has participated with many community bands playing trumpet, cornet, flugelhorn, alto horn, baritone and valve trombone.

 

Neal Senglaub__________________________________________________________ 2002

Neal Senglaub was a lead soprano and mellophone players during two periods with Empire Statesmen: from 1990 to 1994, and again from 1998 until his induction into the Hall of Fame in 2002.  He became a member of the visual staff in 2000.  His drum and bugle corps experience began in 1982, with the Rochester/Lockport Renegades, playing lead soprano.  In 1983, he was a lead soprano with Garfield Cadets. He has been visual technician and brass caption head for a number of high school marching bands in western New York since 1981.

 

Kevin Shea_____________________________________________________________ 2002

Kevin Shea began his drum corps career playing soprano horn with Rochester’s Grey Knight Squires in 1958, and remained with the organization for the next 10 years.  He then transferred to the Rochester Crusaders, playing mellophone in the horn line for the next 15 years.  He returned to drum corps activity in 1995 with Mighty St. Joe’s Alumni, playing mellophone and acting as visual designer, instructor, visual tech and drum major.  In 1999, he also marched as drum major of Rochester Crusaders.  Since 2000, he has been a visual tech and drum major with Empire Statesmen. 

 

Thomas Shiffer__________________________________________________________ 2001

Tom Shiffer was a soprano player with New York Skyliners for 22 years from 1984 to 2006 when the corps became inactive, earning the diamond award signifying 10 years of continuous service.  He was elected a Lifetime Member in 1999.   During his term as Skyliners director, he converted the brass section entirely to three valve instruments.  The horn players had been using a combination of two and three valve instruments up to 2002.  He also worked with corps member Andy Lisko to put the Skyliners back in the original style uniforms.  He joined Empire Statesmen of Rochester in 2007, intending to finish his drum corps years with a competitive drum and bugle corps.  Earlier, he marched with the Wind Gap Blue Eagles, Bangor Yellow Jackets and Lehigh Valley Chieftains.  In 2011, he retired after serving for 27 years as a Magisterial District Court Judge.

 

Cecily Siegfried_________________________________________________________ 2002

Cecily Siegfried has served in every capacity, from playing member to truck driver and corps vice president, during her three decades of activity.  She has spent many hours sewing flags and uniforms, often by hand.  She was one of the first female members of the Reading Buccaneers, marching in the color guard and percussion line from 1976 to 1981, and in the honor guard and percussion line from 1983 to 1990.  She first marched with the St. Emmaus Sentinels color guard from 1970 to 1976.  She also marched in various positions with Lehigh Valley Chieftains and Westshoremen in the 1990s.  She participated in the Macy’s All-Star Drum and Bugle Corps in 1991, 1992 and 1994. She taught cymbal players in a number of corps from1991 to the present time, including Chieftains, Westshoremen, New York Skyliners, Buccaneers Alumni, and Emmaus Sentinels.  She has served in various board positions with Sentinels, Chieftains, Westshoremen and Buccaneers Alumni.  She won two Drum Corps Associates (DCA) championships with Buccaneers in 1979 and 1980 and a third with Westshoremen in 1996.  She won the first DCA Class A championship with the Chieftains in 1997 and another with the Sunrisers in 2007.  She is a charter member of the Drum Corps International (DCI) East, serving as program supervisor for more than 25 years.  She is also well known for here volunteer work with many drum and bugle corps.

 

Pat Sisselberger_________________________________________________________ 2002

Pat Sisselberger played soprano horn with the Black Dragons drum and bugle corps from 1950 to 1952, and with St. Andrew’s fife, drum and bugle corps from 1953 to 1956.  For the next four years, he played soprano horn with St. James Cadets drum and bugle corps and Dundalk, MD Cadets.  In 1958, at age 17, he marched with the Yankee Rebels at the American Legion (AL) national championships in Chicago.  He later marched with the Rebels from 1960 to 1963.  He was a soprano soloist for several years wih Yankee Rebels.  From 1961 to ‘62, he was the horn instructor for Tall Cedars junior drum and bugle corps.  In 1988, he became a charter member of the Yankee Rebels alumni corps, playing first soprano horn and solos.  In the 1990s, he marched with a number of alumni corps, including Archer-Epler Musketeers, Blessed Sacrament Golden Knights and Hawthorne Caballeros.  He was a member of the Yankee Rebels chorus for several years.  He also played for the Hawthorne Caballeros Alumni corps from 2006 through 2011.  He was inducted into the Maryland Drum and Bugle Corps Hall of Fame in 2013.

 

Charles Smith___________________________________________________________ 2002

Charles Smith began a long association with corps in the Philadelphia area in 1954, with Duquesne Dukes.  He then spent seven years with the Pittsburgh Rockets before several decades of service with Archer Epler Musketeers as a baritone player, music arranger, and instructor and arranger for the chorus.  He also served as an instructor or arranger with a number of nationally known corps in the 1970s, including Steel City Ambassadors, Audubon Bon Bons, Bracken Cadets and Bristol Cadets.  He was a high school band director in Bensalem PA for 25 years and has sung professionally with a number of organizations.

 

John Smith_____________________________________________________________ 2002

John Smith first played snare drum with St. Clare’s Golden Emeralds fife, drum and bugle corps in 1960.  He later served as assistant drum instructor and director.  He has also been drum instructor for seven different parade and standstill groups between 1974 and 1990.  As a performer, he played bongos in Hawthorne Caballeros’ Latin section in 1966, then played snare drum for the next few years.  He is a charter member of the Hawthorne alumni corps, playing snare drum and serving as drum instructor since 2000.  He has judged in the Suffolk-Nassau Association standstill division since 1972, and the New York State Association standstill division since 1980.

 

Joe Sneidinger__________________________________________________________ 2002

Like many other long-time members of the Reilly Raiders, Joe Sneidinger first marched in the horn section of Osmond Post Cadets in the 1950s.  He has been a member of the Reilly Raiders organization since 1958, performing and volunteering his services to a number of committees.

 

Michael Snow*___________________________________________________________ 2002

Mike Snow grew up in a family associated with Archer-Epler Musketeers in the 1950s, but his formal participation didn’t begin until 1975.  Since then, he has played a mellophone, served on the board of trustees, and served as committee member and chair of the Brass Reunion indoor show committee.  He was associated with the Ridley Park Rangers in 1964.

 

Donnie Solinger_________________________________________________________ 2001

Donnie Solinger, known to many as ‘Mr. Buccaneer,’ is the perfect person to be the Reading Buccaneers historian: he’s been part of the organization since 1958.  Since 1996, he has also served as a support staff member and committee advisor.  He has performed a wide variety of important tasks for the corps, in addition to playing bass baritone and contra bass horns.  He has been assistant corps director, booster table manager, field maintenance/recycling co-ordinator.  He is a charter member of the Bucs’ Alumni Association and the alumni corps.  He has also been a member of the Old Bucs Alumni Association, a support group for the competing corps and a member of the Bucs’ Hall of Fame nominating committee.  Before joining the Buccaneers, he was bass baritone player with West Reading Police Cadets drum and bugle corps.  He has also served on the Skyliners alumni bylaws committee and played contra bass with the Skyliners alumni group.  He was a member of the committee, which brought back the National Dream Contest in 1999.  He has been a member of the Buccaneers Hall of Fame since 1997.

 

Louis Storck (inducted as Regular Member 2004)______________________________ 2002

Before joining the Hawthorne Caballeros’ organization in 1966, Louis Storck first played in the percussion section, then became guard captain of Our Lady of Lourdes, in Paterson, NJ.  In 1962, he was drum major, marching in front of the United States Navy Recruit Drum Corps.  Since 1966, he has served as color guard captain and assistant drum major with Caballeros.  Since 1985, he has been Hawthorne’s operations manager and has represented marching and color guard interests at Drum Corps Associates (DCA) Congresses.  He has taught the Persuasion color guard since 1993, winning eight championships.  He has also taught a number of drum and bugle corps and high school bands in New Jersey since 1957.

 

Claude Suthard__________________________________________________________ 2002

Claude Suthard started forming the Garbarina American Legion Post 1523 in 1945, the originator and sponsor of the New York Skyliners drum and bugle corps.  But his drum corps activity began even earlier, in 1937, when he marched with PCT PAL, then played soprano horn with McNally Post drum and bugle corps.  He also played with Meyer Post Inwood Cadets, Grand Street Boys, Phoebe Apperson Hearst Post and helped instruct the Royal Blues on Staten Island in the years leading up to World War II.  He was a member of the armed services from 1941 to 1945.  He played French horn with Garbarina/Skyliners from 1949 to 1952 before retiring from drum corps activity to become a police officer.  He became a charter member of the Skyliners Alumni in 1984, playing in the horn line, and has been a member of the Alumni Chorus since its inception.  He has been a drill instructor for a number of New York-area corps and color guards, including the Tall Cedars of Lebanon drill team and guard when it won four national championships from 1972 to 1976.  He has judged marching and manoeuvring and general effect marching and manoeuvring with the All American Judges Association.

 

Jim Symons____________________________________________________________ 2001

Jim Symons played French horn with Preston Scout House Band from 1960 to 1963, the time the band was at the peak of its popularity, travelling from the Atlantic coast to the American midwest every summer and entertaining up to one million spectators annually.  He has been a member of the Scout House Alumni since 1995.  He marched with the drill team that was formed a few years after a Scout House reunion in 1988 from 1995 to 2010.  The popularity of the guard, and community interest, helped provide the momentum to establish Preston Scout House Alumni Band in 1999.  He played in the Scout House Alumni Band from 1999 to 2010.  By 2013, he had been married to Rosemary Walsh, a former snare drummer with St. John’s Girls drum and bugle corps of Brantford, Ontario for 46 years.  The reason for his long absence from drum corps activity: 10 children.

 

Virgil Syverson_________________________________________________________ 2001

Virgil Syverson has maintained a flourishing drum and bugle corps in an area of the country not noted for such activity: North Dakota.  He has served as director, drum major and in many other positions with the Williston, ND Cowboys for more than 60 years.

 

Raphael Tarallo_________________________________________________________ 2002

Raphael Tarallo played lead soprano with the Melrose Blackhawks for all 23 years of the corps’ history leading up to his induction in the Hall of Fame.  He helped instruct when the corps started in 1979.  Earlier, he played lead soprano with the Melrose New Jersey junior corps from 1955 to 1958, the Amboy Dukes junior corps from 1959 to 1962.  After leaving the Blackhawks in 2004, he performed with Hawthorne Caballeros alumni drum corps from 2005 to 2010.  He began playing with Melrose again in 2011.  He played with other groups for fun and taught Jersey Coast Guard for three years.  He also served for a time in the United States Army.

 

Jack Tencza____________________________________________________________ 2001

Jack Tencza learned rudimental drumming from Earl Sturtze, then played snare drum with the Washington Park junior drum corps in Meriden, Connecticut from 1953 to 1960.  In 1961, he drummed with St. Paul Seniors.  He then performed with Lancraft Ancients Fife and Drum Corps from 1964 to 1971.  Over the years, he won every individual drumming title in the Northeast.  He won two titles five times in six years: the Connecticut Fifers and Drummers and Northeastern Drumming junior snare championships in 1955, ‘57, ‘58, ‘59 and ‘60.  He won the Dan English Trophy awarded to the senior champion in 1963, ‘64, ‘66, ‘68, ‘69 and ‘70.  He won the Northeastern drumming title in 1963, 1964 and from 1966 to 1970.  He won the junior national championship in 1957.  He has served on the board of directors of a number of groups, has been a drum instructor and a judge for the Connecticut Fifers and Drummers Association. 

 

Douglas Tenis___________________________________________________________ 2002

Doug Tenis has been associated with the Hawthorne Caballeros since 1962, playing French horn or mellophone and marching as honor guard captain.  He has also instructed the French horn sections of the Holy Name/Garfield Cadets, Paramus NJ Boys Club and Doremus.  He has been assistant director of the Fair Lawn NJ Police Cadets.  He has served as treasurer of the Great Alliance of Seniors (GAS) since 1990.  He is charter member of both the Hawthorne Caballeros Alumni Association and the Alumni Corps, and has served as an executive officer with the corps.

 

Carol Terreri____________________________________________________________ 2001

Carol Terreri was a key marching member of the Audubon Bon Bons organization from 1959 to 1970.  She was a soprano horn player and soloist until 1967, then marched at the front of the corps as drum major from 1969 to 1970.  During her time in the Bon Bons, the corps won two all-girl Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) national championships.  She is the only person whose membership spanned three decades: the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s.  She served as assistant drill instructor, responsible for the color guard field shows from 1971 to 1977.  During those years, she was also marching instructor and assistant director of the Cramer Hill Rough Riders.  From 1996 to 2008, she was Archer-Epler Musketeers drum major.  She has been a member of the Bon Bons alumni chorus since 1994 and a member of the Caballeros Alumni since 2000.

 

Louis Tierno____________________________________________________________ 2002

Louis Tierno has been a member of the Reading Buccaneers since 1985.  For 12 years, he played soprano or mellophone.  He was a member of the executive committee for 10 years, serving as assistant director and business manager.  He has also been a marching technician.  Previously, he was a performer and member of the board of directors of the Archer Epler Musketeers.  He has also served as a marching technician with many high school marching bands.  He was inducted into the Reading Buccaneers Hall of Fame in 2001.

 

William Trageser________________________________________________________ 2002

 

Peter Troy______________________________________________________________ 2002

Peter Troy is a charter member of the New York Skyliners Alumni Association, has served as the group’s secretary and marched in the alumni corps.  His association with marching music began in 1954, when he learned basic marching skills and naval procedures and traditions with the American Blue Jackets, an organization similar to sea cadets.  He then marched in the color guard of St. Helena’s Cadets fife, drum and bugle corps, eventually becoming color guard captain.  He marched in the New York Skyliners color guard from 1961 to 1967 and continued as color guard captain until 1976.  He has held a number of administrative positions with the Skyliners since the early 1970s.  He is a lifetime member of the New York Skyliners and continues to be secretary for the corps alumni association. He served as assistant business manager and helped plan a fund raising campaign to support the Belchertown State School for the Mentally Retarded.  He was assistant principal for the New York City Board of Education and is currently an Adjunct Professor at St. John’s University.  He also planned and presented An Evening With The Corps color guard competitions, which became the premier competition in the Northeast.

 

Robert Turner___________________________________________________________ 2002

 

Alan Viera_____________________________________________________________ 2001

Alan Viera pioneered the development of modern drum and bugle corps activity in California in 1962, when he began writing brass arrangements for the Commodores of Stockton, California. His drum corps involvement actually started on the other side of the country when as a boy he played lead soprano for Troop 40 of the Boy Scouts of America and St. Aloysius Cadets drum and bugle corps of Indian Orchard, Massachusetts. He was lead soprano, brass instructor and arranger over five years with the Springfield Marksmen in Springfield, Massachusetts.  He continues to be the arranger and music instructor for the Marksmen.  In 1964, he performed the debut field solo on a mellophonium at New York’s Shea Stadium, as a member of the Marksmen.  He was one of only three Californians arranging for drum corps in the early 1960s.  He worked closely with the late Gail Royer to establish the Northern California contest circuit.  He arranged most of the premiere show for the Sparks, the group that became internationally famous as Santa Clara Vanguard.  He also tutored and encouraged brass arranger Jim Ott, who became one of the activity’s groundbreaking arrangers before his premature passing in 1980.  Alan Viera’s brass arrangements have been performed by many groups, including the Concord Blue Devils, Capitalaires of Sacramento (who became the Freelancers), Royalaires of San Leandro, California, Maryknoll Girls of Los Angeles, the Senoritas, Grenadiers of New Britain, Connecticut, Pittsburgh Rockets, Edison Lamplighters of Detroit, Jolly Jesters of Toronto.  He was music director and brass arranger for Drum Corps International Division III corps the Silver Knights of California. He was also brass arranger and lead soprano with the Joaquin Caballeros of Stockton, California for seven years and brass arranger, soprano, mellophonium and baritone player for 15 years with Marksmen Alumni.

 

Albert Visek*____________________________________________________________ 2002

Albert Visek first marched as a member of the color guard honor section with Reilly Raiders in 1960.  He was a member of the organization since then, and had been an active member of a number of committees over the years.  He passed away in March, 2013.

 

Robert Wagner__________________________________________________________ 2001

Bob Wagner first marched in 1943, at age seven, and continued non-stop with several top competitive east coast corps until 1969.  He then became even more active with a number of well-known corps when the alumni era emerged in the late 1980s.  Throughout his years of activity, he has been associated with many of the best-known instructors of the day, including many other Hall of Fame members.  From 1943 to 1949, he played drums under Joe Soistman and bugle under Wm. S. Hart at P.S. School 83 in Baltimore.  From 1945 to 1949, he also played bugle with instructor Webb Rice for Tall Cedars Junior drum and bugle corps.  He played bugle with St. Michaels from 1949 to 1951.  For the next four years, he was a bugler with Kenwood Cadets and Kenwood Cavaliers.  From 1955 to 1957, he played with Baltimore’s Hamilton Post 20, with Bill Rennie, Skip Groff and Truman Crawford as instructors.  Bobby Adair was his instructor with Reilly Raiders from 1957 to 1960.  He played with New York Skyliners in 1960 and 1961, when Hy Dreitzer was the instructor.  He spent his final years of competition, from 1961 to 1969, marching with Baltimore’s Yankee Rebels, with instructors Skip Groff and Truman Crawford.  He has been a member of the Yankee Rebels Alumni since 1988, playing soprano and mellophone, under the direction at various times of Ray Eyler, Ray Fallon, Truman Crawford, Jamie Bennett and Larry Kerchner.  From 1991 to 200, he played soprano horn with Archer-Epler Alumni, with instructor Ray Fallon.  Since 1994, he has played mellophone with Reilly Raiders Alumni, taught by Bob Adair, Larry Kerchner and Bill Pusszi.  From 1996 to 1999, he played mellophone for Skyliners Alumni, under Bucky Swan. He has played mellophone with Hawthorne Caballeros Alumni since 2003 and Music Express since 2004, under Larry Kerchner.  He retired from Morton Electronic Materials in 1999, after 25 years of service, and remains under contract to Rohm & Haas Electronic Materials as an electro-chemical process engineer.

 

Christine Wall__________________________________________________________ 2002

Chris Wall was a member of the Bells of St. Mary’s before joining the Reilly Raiders organization in 1970.  Initially, she was a horn line member, but has also been an active volunteer on many committees over the years, and has served as secretary until 2003.

 

Linda Walmsley_________________________________________________________ 2002

Linda Walmsley marched with William Shields American Legion drum and bugle corps in Warwick, Rhode Island, in 1964, then moved to the Westshore Imperials, playing in the horn line and becoming drum major.  She instructed several drum and bugle corps and color guards in the early 1970s.  She has been very active since the mid-1990s.  She has played baritone horn with Shenandoah Sound; mellophone with Yankee Rebels; and marched with New York Skyliners field contest corps and alumni corps and Hawthorne Caballeros field contest corps and alumni.

 

Nancy Weiler___________________________________________________________ 2001

Nancy Weiler portrayed Maria, the heroine of West Side Story, during the 1966 indoor Spring Show presented by Preston Scout House Band.  The Spring Shows presented by Scout House from the late 1940s until the late 1960s grew from small demonstrations in local arenas to major theatrical productions that set attendance records in Kitchener Memorial Auditorium.  She has been a member of the board of directors of Scout House Band Inc. since 1993, and was instrumental in organizing Scout House Alumni Band, now Canada’s largest alumni drum and bugle corps.  She has been the activities co-ordinator of the alumni color guard and band since they were formed in the 1990s, and also provides volunteer support to a variety of activities of the Scout House Alumni Association, the alumni color guard and drill team and the alumni band.

 

Tom Weiler____________________________________________________________ 2001

Tom Weiler was color guard captain and instructor with Preston Scout House Band from 1961 until 1966, the Band’s final year of operation.  He has served as president of the Preston Scout House Band Inc. board of directors since 1993, during the period the Band’s alumni color guard and band were formed and grew to become Canada’s largest alumni drum and bugle corps.  He has also played bass drum and twirling tenor drum in the alumni Band, and has been instructor of the alumni color guard and drill team. 

 

Harry Welsh*___________________________________________________________ 2002

Harry Welsh spent 25 years with Archer Epler Musketeers, as a French horn and mellophone player, corps president, co-director of the drum corps community’s first alumni group in 1976, and sang with the Musketeers chorus for many years after first it appeared at the Great Alliance of Seniors (GAS) reunion in 1987.  His drum corps activity actually began before World War II, when he played with the Olney Middies prior to serving in the war.  He is a veteran of the Battle of the Bulge in the Europe.  From 1949 to 1955, he performed with the Imhof Thunderbirds in Philadelphia.  He passed away April 19, 2009.

 

John ‘Big Jack’ Werner*__________________________________________________ 2001

John Werner began his drum and bugle corps activity in 1948 in Lyndhurst, NJ.  From 1950 to 1957, he marched with St. Joseph’s Cadets of Newark, NJ.  Between 1957 and 1975, he played lead baritone with Archer Epler Musketeers, was the choral leader and, from 1973 to 1975, was a member of the committee, which founded the alumni corps.

 

Douglas White__________________________________________________________ 2001

Doug White is an original member of the Marksmen, founded in 1957 in Springfield, Massachusetts.  He was the color guard captain from 1957 until 1969.  The Marksmen Senior Drum and Bugle Corps appeared in many parades throughout the northeast and competed in drum corps competitions in the Yankee Circuit, winning many awards and top honors. He taught color guard drill and assisted with marching and maneuvering from 1954 to 1968.  He was the Marksmen’s director in 1965 and business manager in 1967. The Marksmen also successfully competed in national competitions, with appearances up and down the east coast, including New York’s Carnegie Hall and Shea Stadium. In the 1960s, during the Vietnam War, many members were called to military duty.  Because of the great number entering military service, the corps was forced to disband in 1969.  He served as director when the Marksmen alumni corps was formed in 1989, following a corps reunion.  He also served as the alumni corps color guard captain until 2007.  He taught marching and maneuvering to a number of junior corps in the 1960s and 1970s including the Targets PAV Eagles, Fletcher Raiders and St. George.  Over the years, he has also served as marching instructor, executive director and corps president.  He judged M and M for several associations including Massachusetts and Connecticut, Northern and Yankee.

 

John ‘Corky’ Whitlock___________________________________________________ 2002

“Corky” Whitlock spent a year marching with St. Francis de Sales in 1956, then became a soprano soloist

with St. Paul Scouts from 1957 to 1964 and Minnesota Brass  from 1966 to 1976.  He began arranging music in 1959k.  He has been brass arranger for numerous drum and bugle corps throughout the midwest and Washington State, including Blue Stars, St Croix Rivermen, St. Paul Scouts and Minnesota Brass. During the same time period, he was brass instructor with more than a dozen corps.  He has also served as music director of Minnesota Brass, Rivermen and St. Paul Scouts.  He was a brass judge from 1964 with Drum Corps International (DCI), Drum Corps Midwest (DCM), Central States Judges Association and the Federation of Contest Judges, adjudicating contests across the country as well as DCI preliminary and final competitions.  He has received the Brassy Award, considered as the Minnesota Brass Hall of Fame and lifetime achievement award. He instituted the mini-corps concept in the Midwest with the Minnesota Brass small corps which employed non-standard drum corps instruments as well as standard drum corps instrumentation in a jazz/big band setting.  He holds a college degree and post-graduate work in music education and taught public school instrumental music for 32 years. He is a charter member of the Century College Adult Jazz Ensemble which has toured in South America and China.  The Century College Ensemble has performed alongside many of the finest jazz performers in the United States including Clark Terry, Bill Watrous, Wayne Bergeron, Eric Marienthal, Andy Martin, Terry Gibbs and many others.  He has performed with numerous big bands throughout the Twin Cities (Minnesota) area.  He currently performs with a New Orleans style brass band that he instituted in the Twin Cities.  He is a member of Bugles Across America.

 

John ‘Corky’ Whitlock___________________________________________________ 2002

‘Corky’ Whitlock spent a year marching with St. Francis de Sales in 1956, then became a soloist with St. Paul Scouts from 1957 to 1964.  He was a soloist with Minnesota Brass from 1966 to 1976.  Since 1959, he has been brass arranger for corps throughout the Midwest and Washington state, including Blue Notes, Blue Stars, Buddhist Scouts, Great Northern Railway, Northernaires, Rivermen, St. Paul Scouts and Minnesota Brass.  During the same time period, he was brass instructor with more than a dozen corps.  He has also served as music director of Minnesota Brass, Rivermen and St. Paul Scouts.  He has been a brass judge since 1964 with Drum Corps International (DCI), Drum Corps Midwest (DCM), Central States Judges Association and the Federation of Contest Judges, adjudicating contests across the country as well as DCI preliminary and final competitions.  He has received the Brassy Award, considered as the Minnesota Brass Hall of Fame and lifetime achievement award.  He was part of the group that initiated female membership in drum and bugle corps activity.  He instituted the mini-corps concept in the Midwest with the Minnesota Brass small corps using traditional and non-standard drum corps instruments in a jazz/big band setting.  He is a charter member of the Century College Adult Jazz Ensemble which has toured in South Ameria and China performing alongside many fine jazz performers including Clark Terry, Bill Watrous, Wayne Bergeron, Eric Marienthal, Andy Martin, Terry Gibbs and others.  He is a member of Bugles Across America.

 

William ‘Weedies’ Wiedman______________________________________________ 2001

‘Weedies’ Wiedman performed with Archer Epler Musketeers in two separate eras: first during the 1950s, then again from 1975 to 1996.  From 1950 to 1957, he was a lead soprano and French horn player.  He returned to the corps in 1975, playing French horn until 1996 when they were replaced with mellophones and he switched to an alto horn.  During that time, he also served on the corps committee and board of trustees.  He began to sing with the chorus in 1986.  In the 1950s, he was a member of the Four Winds semi-professional vocal quartet along with other well-known corps members Vince Deegan, Rip Bernert and Jack Keeley.  His drum corps career began with nine years of service with Elmwood Cadets of Philadelphia from 1939 to 1947.  He also played with groups sponsored by American Legion Post 214 of Upper Darby.  He and Vince Dugan would sit in on practices with Osmond Post and Reilly Raiders for the enjoyment of playing.

 

Tom Wilbur____________________________________________________________ 2002

Tom Wilbur began his drum corps activity 1960, when he first played baritone horn with Dumont Police Cadets.  In the following years, he was a member of Fair Lawn Police Cadets, Blessed Sacrament Golden Knights, New York Skyliners, and Hawthorne Caballeros.   He competed in winter color guard contests with Dumont Cadets in 1963-1964 and Fair Lawn Cadets in 1965.  He played contra bass with the Golden Knights in the winter of 1965-1966 before being drafted into United States Army Intelligence.  He returned to drum corps life in 1968, playing baritone with Skyliners.  In the 20 years after joining the Cabs in 1975, he marched in the color guard, played contra bass, helped as equipment manager, then marched in the honor guard, serving as captain from 2005 to 2007.  He also marched in the honor guard as a member of the Summer Music Games All Star Drum and Bugle Corps in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade in New York City.  He played contra bass as a charter member of the Hawthorne alumni corps from 1994 to 2007, serving as color guard instructor and drill technician.  He also played contra bass with St. Lucy’s Alumni Corps in 1996.  He is a member of the New Jersey Drum Corps Hall of Fame.  He is a member of Hawthorne Caballeros Alumni Chorus. He has been president of the Hawthorne Alumni Association since 2000, after serving as vice president for five years.  He has served on the executive committee of the alumni corps, the advisory and fund raising committees of the competing corps, has been Hawthorne’s Grand Prix contest program book chairman.  He is also vice commander of Hawthorne American Legion Post 199.

 

Scotty Wild______________________________ (inducted as Regular Member, 2007) 2001

Scotty Wild has been involved in drum and bugle corps activity for more than 50 years, beginning in 1954 when he marched with Chicago Cavaliers.  He has been corps director of three different top-notch midwestern corps: the Des Plaines Vanguard, the Guardsmen and Minnesota Brass.  He has been the visual instructor of many corps, including Cavaliers, Vanguard, Hutchinson Sky Ryders, Blue Rock of Delaware, Guardsmen and Minnesota Brass. He has been visual instructor and consultant with Garfield Cadets, Boston Crusaders, Anaheim Kingsmen.  He has been an adjudicator with the Central States Judges Association since 1964, and Drum Corps International (DCI) since 1972.  He has won many performance and instruction awards, including the Minnesota Brass Brassy Award, considered as the Brass Hall of Fame and lifetime achievement award.

 

John Wilson____________________________________________________________ 2002

‘Johnny Reb’ Wilson first became involved in drum and bugle corps activity while he was a senior in high school, performing with the Pontiac Chieftains, of Lawrence, MA.  He played with the United States Navy Drum and Bugle Corps, at Great Lakes, IL, then went on to perform with the Jacksonville, FL Buccaneers, Lt. Norman Prince Princemen, Baltimore Yankee Rebels and Florida Brass of Tampa Bay.  He has played lead first mellophone with Florida Brass for more than 10 years.  In addition to performing, he has been business manager of the Yankee Rebels, editor of the Yankee Rebels monthly newsletter, columnist for Drum Corps World and Drum Corps News.  He was an organizer and charter member of the International Corps Associates (ICA) Drum Corps Circuit, eventually serving as president and treasurer.  He has been a horn judge for service academy drum and bugle corps competitions, and a judge for the National Twirling Judges Bureau.  He is currently director and business manager of Florida Brass.  He was inducted into the Maryland Hall of Fame by Hall of Fame members Dick Filkins and George Bull in 2010.

 

Roy Wilson_____________________________________________________________ 2001

Roy Wilson played soprano and French horn with Trafalgar Township Police Boys Band (later named the Patrolmen) in Oakville, Ontario from 1957 to 1959, before playing in the horn line of Preston Scout House in 1959 and ‘60.  He was one of the co-founders of Hamilton Conqueror in 1960, and played soprano, wrote and taught drill until 1965.  He played French horn with Guelph Royalaires from 1964 to 1966.  He served as publicity director of the Burlington Teen Tour Band, Canada’s largest and best-known youth marching band, from 1982 until 1998.  During that time, he was one of the organizers of Burlington’s Sound of Music Festival drum and bugle corps contest.  He has been associated with Rochester’s Empire Statesmen, helping with various publicity projects, since 1990.  He was appointed publicity chair of the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame by founding president Vince Bruni in 2002. A proposal to make him a regular member, presented at the 2007 annual general meeting by outgoing Hall off Fame president George Bull, was approved unanimously.  He has been a member of Preston Scout House alumni band since it’s first performance in 1999.  He has served on the board of directors and a number of committees with Scout House, including steering, recruiting, publicity, city hall liaison and Website design and maintenance.

 

Alan Winslow*__________________________________________________________ 2002

Alan Winslow first played baritone horn with Crystal Raiders of Corning, New York in 1958, then went to play with many prominent corps in upstate New York, including Seneca Chiefs, Syracuse Brigadiers, Rochester Crusaders, St. Joseph’s of Batavia and Empire Statesmen.  He has served as public relations director for Drum Corps Associates (DCA) and was a marching and manoeuvring judge with the New York State Federation Contest Judges Association.  He has been a photographer for Drum Corps News, Drum Corps Associates (DCA) and Drum Corps International (DCI).  He has served as chief judge at the Capital City Invitational Band Contest in Austin, Texas; chief judge of the Texas Educational Judges Association in San Antonio, Texas; contest sponsor for DCA’s Portrait In Brass contest.  He is the single father of four adopted sons.

 

Anne Woodhams________________________________________________________ 2001

Anne Woodhams was an original member of the Blue Angels color guard and drill team, performing with the group from 1959 – 1961. She then played snare drum with Rochester’s Alpine Girls Drum and Bugle Corps from 1962 – 1966. In 1975 she competed with the Rochester Crusaders as a member of their percussion section. She and her husband Robert joined the Empire Statesmen administrative team during the 1997 season.  Anne assumed responsibility for the booster program in 1998 while Robert marched with the corps.   In 1999, Robert then joined her in running the operation including product design, ordering and sales.  They ran this program until 2004, when they restarted the Statesmen Honor Guard section. They participated in the honor guard until 2008.  In 1998 Anne helped plan and coordinate the Statesmen’s trip to England where they won the World Show Band title. After retiring from her “day job” in 2001, Anne assisted Mr. Vince Bruni in the Statesmen office, including preparing the required bingo reports until his passing in 2003.  Also in 2001 Anne was elected to the first class of Associate Members of the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame.  At Mr. Bruni’s request, Anne served as treasurer of the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame from 2002 until he passed away,  then stayed on to assist Mr. George Bull until 2007.  In 2010 Anne became a member of the Empire Statesmen Coordinating Committee; becoming recording secretary in 2011.  Every year since 1998 Anne and Robert have opened their home to countless out of town corps members, providing food, warm beds and occasionally a few “band-aids.”

 

Robert Woodhams_______________________________________________________ 2001

Robert “Woody” Woodhams was a member of the Rochester Crusaders from 1959 until 1975, serving two terms on the board of directors during this time. In 1997 he and wife Anne became associated with the Empire Statesmen. In 1998 Woody played mellophone during the corps undefeated season, including taking first place at the World Show Band championships in England.  Woody also helped with planning the corps trip to England.  In 1999 Woody joined his wife in running the booster operation including product design, ordering and sales.  They ran this program until 2004, when they restarted the Statesmen Honor Guard section. They participated in the honor guard until 2008. Since retiring from his “day job” in 2001, Woody worked with Vince Bruni in the Statesmen office assuming many of the day to day responsibilities of operating the drum corps until Mr. Bruni’s passing in 2003.  Also in 2001 Woody was elected to the first class of Associate Members of the WDCHOF.  Since first joining the Statesmen, Woody has supported the corps by volunteering at bingo games. In 2010 Woody became a member of the Empire Statesmen Coordinating Committee. Every year since 1998 the Woodhams have opened their home to countless out of town corps members, providing food, warm beds and occasionally a few “band-aids.”

 

Andrew Yaracs__________________________________________________________ 2001

Andy Yaracs was a veteran of drum and bugle corps activity when he was still a teenager.  In 1941, at age 18, he was instrumental in organizing the Lyndora all-girls junior drum and bugle corps.  Over the next two decades, he served as instructor, arranger, bus driver, mechanic, corps director and in many other positions.  In 1966, he founded and became director of General Butler Vagabonds junior drum and bugle corps.  In 1970, he organized the Vagabond Cadets for youngsters ages 7 to 12.  At the turn of the century, he was still serving as president of the board of directors while also heading the weekly bingo games which are the main source of income for the corps.  He helped organize the American Federation of Judges.  He sponsored the Butler Sound Wave senior corps.  He established a scholarship fund for Vagabond members.  Over the years, he has provided food and accommodation at the Vagabond Center for travelling corps.

 

Robert Zarfoss__________________________________________________________ 2001

Bob Zarfoss has been a percussion performer, composer, instructor, judge and administrator for several corps in southern Pennsylvania for more than half a century, with time out from the activity from 1981 to 1997 while he was a high school administrator.  Since 1997, he has served as Hanover Lancers Alumni Corps’ percussion instructor, composer and arranger and has served as a member of the board of directors since 1998.  While performing, arranging and teaching with the United States Air Force (USAF) Drum and Bugle Corps drum line in 1958, he was the first percussion arranger to work with Hall of Fame member Truman Crawford.  He was succeeded in that position by John Dowlan, another Hall of Fame member.  His career began as a snare drummer with York White Roses senior corps in 1952-1953 and 1953-1954.  He then played snare drum with the USAF Drum and Bugle Corps in Washington, D.C. from September 1954 until August 1958.  He was a snare drummer with Archer Epler Musketeers in 1961 and 1962 and with Westshoremen in 1972.  He served as Hanover Lancers Senior Drum and Bugle Corps’ percussion instructor, composer and arranger in1959 and from 1961 to 1977.  He was percussion instructor, composer and arranger with York White Roses Senior Corps from 1958 to 1960 and York White Roses Junior Corps from 1961 to 1969.  In the early 1970s, he was percussion composer, arranger and instructor with Westshoremen Senior Corps and Belvederes Junior Corps.  He was one of several founders of York White Roses Junior Corps and served on the board of directors from 1961 to 1969.  He was a percussion judge with the National Judges Association from 1961 through 1980, and previously offered freelance judging services in the Washington, D.C. area from 1956 – 1958.  Upon his discharge from the Air Force Drum Corps, he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in English and two Master’s Degrees as well, while he was judging, teaching drum lines, arranging, and giving private lessons. He is a member of the Pennsylvania Drum Corps Hall of Fame and the American Patriots Rudimental Drum Club Hall of Fame.

 

*Departed Members (as of June 19, 2014)