1967
Music
Impossible Dream
Battle Hymn of the Republic
Bonanza
Black Saddle
Promised Land
How the West was Won
Awards & Recognitions
Perform for NATO Defense College Delegates
Designated Wyoming’s Musical Ambassadors by Wyoming State Legislature
Corps Members
Drum Major: Jim McIntyre
Guard Captains: Laurel Jones & Mary Shea
Marilyn Bailey, Edithe Booth, Erna Lindahl, Nelda Campbell, Susan Cunningham, Donna Dalton, Donna Davis, Celia Ferrell, Dora Gardner, Becky Haley, Chris Haley, Cyndee Hoke, Gail Jones, Vickie Jones, Florence Lau, Erna Lindahl, Janet McCann, Linda Mokler, Linda Robinson, Joleen Robinson, Billie Jo Santisteven, Karen Schrock, Cynthia Taylor, Jo Ellen Williams, Pam Williams, Bill Bailey, Dennis Dusel, Bob Kalkofen, Gary Shockey, Ron Mokler, Bill Shutts, Kevin Sulley, Jim Campbell, Danny McIntyre, Suesan Morris, Robert Sisco, Linda White, Renee McCarrel, John Aanestad, Rick Anderson, Ed Davis, Dick DePaemelere, Dave Frisby, Bill Fyock, Ron Kalkofen, Rick Lemke, Jim McIntyre, Murray Olsen, David Ramsey, Debbie Dundas, James English, Melanie Jackman, Mary Kennedy, Lloyd Goetz, Margaret Goode, Rosanna Lau, Bona Walters, Vicki DePaolo, Sandra Grimm, Richard Hinerman, Rod Voth, Brett Carr, Walt Heath, Ed Hills, Lyle Hills, Duane Marker, Jim McGhee, Michael O’Hearn, John O’Hearn, Gregg Carr, Rick Rice, Warren Schaeffer, Bill Vanatta, Mike Carr, Tom Haass, Brett Hede, Terry Hills
Cadet Corps
Denise Anderson, Elizabeth Billings, Kerry Coogan, Linda Emmons, Jackie Feuerhelm, Sharon Grimm, Roxanne Grantham, Pat Hinerman, Lynne Jones, Susan Mills, Karen Norgaard, Peggy O’Neil, Debby Patterson, Debbie Wood, Rick Burge, Carl Fresorger, Shannon Swan, Kevin Andrea, Bobby Auflick, Robert Clark, John Ziegler, Dick Faulkner, Mark Frisby, Dan Hermann, Debbie Logan, David Salzman, Don Teason, Steve Beard, David Bohart, Paul Glidden, Dix Patterson, Daniel Rowland, Arte Bullock, Bill Harms, Richard Johnsonbaugh, Georgia Kennedy, Paula LeBerge, Ray Page, Rick Peterson, Molly Smith, Larry Welty, Russell Young, Cathy Haass, Mitzi Hede, Annette LaBerge, Becky Motsch, Mary Stoltz, Lark Stratton, Sherry White, Gordon Box, Kathy Harris, Kathy T. Harris, Mary Haverfield, Julie Schaeffer
A News Story
by Dave Shaw
Drum Corps Digest - National Competition in New Orleans and Boston
NATIONALS 1967: The National Competitions of the veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion were fitting and exciting climaxes to one of the most interesting seasons in drum corps history. Though the dates and locations of the two conventions made it necessary for most corps to limit their participation to either one or the other of the competitions, and participation seemed guided predominately by area identification, anyone fortunate enough to have been present at both New Orleans (V.F.W.) and Boston (Legion) can testify that neither show was lacking in any respect in excitement, color or qualified competitors.
The V .F .W .Competition in New Orleans came first, and from the results of the shows immediately preceding the contest it looked like a wide open title battle. The Van- guards and Royal Airs had been exchanging victories at the expense of the earlier successful Cavaliers, while the defending champion Troopers, judging from early sea- son results, didn’t seem to have a prayer. The weekend immediately preceding the Nationals at a competition in Delavan, Wisconsin the results were: 1, Vanguards; 2, Royal Airs; 3, Cavaliers; 4, Troopers. The following night in Momence, Illinois the results were: 1, Royal Airs; 2, Vanguards ; 3 ( tie) , Cavaliers, Troopers. Still, the previous week- end the Cavaliers had demonstrated that they had not lost their ability to be at their best in pressure situations when they won the Illinois State Legion Championship, and no one was willing to underestimate the Troopers’ uncanny ability to build on the slimmest of foundations. That was the picture as everyone prepared to depart for New Orleans.
The Troopers were the first to arrive in the convention city and immediately went to work pursuing an exhausting and seemingly point- less rehearsal schedule that swiftly made them the biggest drum corps tourist attraction in New Orleans.
In the meantime the Cavaliers, Royal Airs and Vanguards were devoting their final days of rehearsal to polishing details, the latter two corps in preparation for one final pre- national competition against the Troopers, the Kilties, Racine Scouts, Miami Vanguards and Madison Scouts in Arabi, Louisiana.
This final contest was doubly significant in that the judging slate was to all intents and purposes the same lineup that would be working the Nationals. For the Royal Airs and the Vanguards this was a chance to solidify their positions, while for the Troopers this was the judgment on just how pointed or pointless their continuing efforts had been. It was a beautiful clear night. The crowd was large and responsive, the corps hot. Results: Troopers 83.40, Royal Airs 80.55, Kilties 78.70, Vanguards 78.05. Pandemonium!
Now the Nationals. had really been thrown wide open. Not only had the Troopers regained their lost ground, but the Kilties now entered the picture. 1964, the year the Kilts went all the way, was still fresh in the minds of all the corps present. This could truly be anybody’s Nationals ...and everyone went to work in earnest.
Even the Monday inspection be- came important, and anyone with any stake in the contest at all was there to observe. Later, as expected, the Troopers took the color guard title, and when it was announced that they had also been awarded the coveted trophy for the best unit in the parade it looked as though Casper was the corps to watch. Wednesday, the big day, dawned hot and humid and cloudy. Promptly at 9: 00 the preliminary contest began, and as the morning progressed the high score posted was the Milstadt Crusaders’ 81.20.
Finally, the first of the major contenders, the Cavaliers, took the field, followed immediately by the Royal Airs. Scores: 90.20 and 88.70 respectively. Tension was running high now, a ninety is hard to beat and everyone knew it. The Kilties were next 88.35, then the Troopers. ..91.45. Only the Vanguards remained, their score, 90.00. That was it, the finalists for the evening championship were: Troopers 91.45, Cavaliers 90.20, Vanuards 90.00, Royal Airs 88.70, Kilties 88.35, Blue Rock 84.95, Norwood Park 83.85, Racine Scouts 83.30, Milstadt Crusaders 81.20, Bridgeport P.A.L. 79.15, Mariners 78.65 and the Blue Stars 77.45.
That night, as is customary in VFW National Competition, the corps competed in reverse order of their preliminary placing. How do you describe a National Competition? Everyone is good, everyone is worthy, everyone gives everything he has. ..but only one corps can win. In a few short hours all the work and planning, all the hopes and frustrations, all the dreams of one season and in some cases of one lifetime are laid on the line. Whether you win or lose becomes all important, and at the same time not important in the least, because it is at this moment that you realize that no matter what happens you wouldn’t change a second of what has gone before for all the national championships in the world. All you know is that your corps. ..The Troopers, or the Cavaliers, or the Kitties, or the Vanguards, or the Royal Airs, or whoever you are. ..is the best, and you’re mighty proud. Still, the business of a national competition is not sentimentality, but the choice of a champion, and when the tenths were tabulated it was the Cavaliers 87.65 on top. Only four and one half tenths behind were the Troopers 87.20, followed by the Vanguards 86.65, the Royal Airs 86.25, the Kilties 83.70, Racine Scouts 78.45, Blue Rocks 77.80, Milstadt Crusaders 76.50, Norwood Park 75.70, Blue Stars 74.40, Mariners 71.00 and Bridgeport P.A.L. 70.95.
Perhaps the most dramatic part of the contest was yet to come, for as all the corps completed passing in review before the victorious Cavaliers, the Troopers filed back onto the field to publicly salute and applaud the accomplishment of the new champion. It was a moving moment for everyone present, and for the Troopers, the Cavaliers and drum corps, a proud moment as well.
Now the spotlight faded from New Orleans and everyone’s attention shifted to the big Legion show in Boston, and the much heralded clash between the newly crowned Cavaliers and the powerful Boston Crusaders. In their only pre-national meeting of the season the crusaders had decisively trounced the Cavaliers; however, the Cavaliers’ recent V .F .W .success, coupled with Blessed Sacrament’s startling upset defeat of the Crusaders at the Dream Contest had altered circum- stances somewhat. Still, there was no mistaking the mood in Boston ...this was Crusader territory both literally and figuratively, and it looked from the outside as though no one else was in the running. Sixty odd corps had registered for preliminary competition. ..only seven of whom were to be permitted in the finals. The two solid days of qualifying competition were led off by the Crusaders posting a score of 87.833. High or low? No one could tell at this point. Dramatic moment after dramatic moment followed as corps like the Milford Shoreliners, St. Kevin’s and Garfield came through with unexpectedly brilliant performances. Finally, late morning of the second day, the Cavaliers took the field. Obviously shocked by the extent of their loss on the inspection line and the magnitude of Crusader sentiment they encountered, their performance proved weak and unimpressive. Their score 85.00 ...fourth to the Crusaders 87.833, Blessed Sacrament’s 86.150, and St. Mary’s (Beverly) 85.133. The remaining finalists: St. Kevin’s 82.666, St. Joe’s (Batavia) 81.550 and St. Lucy’s 81.533. Garfield, with an 81.366, unhappily found themselves eliminated from the evening finals due to a one point flag code violation penalty. A lot of surprises yes, but on top things were going pretty much as expected.
The evening of the finals was as perfect a drum corps night as it’s possible to imagine. Differing from the VFW, in American Legion National Competition the finalists redraw for their evening order of appearance, and fate was not with the Crusaders. That big fatal number one spot was theirs, and every disadvantage associated with it, which in this case included an angular field. Their performance reflect - ed the disadvantages under which they were operating. It remained for the Cavaliers to profit from their experiences of the day and their fellow finalists’ experiences of the evening...and profit they did. Their performance was flawless, professional and inspired. A championship performance in every way. The results: Cavaliers 83.433, Crusaders 83.000, Blessed Sacrament 81.800, St. Joe’s 79.716, St. Lucy’s 77.983, St. Mary’s 77.633 and St. Kevin’s 75.733.
It will be a matter of conjecture for many years to come just what might have happened had one circumstance or another been altered. We can of course never know, nor should we really even attempt to guess the answer. The point is that every corps present was subject to the same twists of fate, and none of us in instances like that have any element of control. The Cavaliers have a great corps, the Crusaders have a great corps, and most of the other corps on the field that evening can be placed in the same realm. The Cavaliers victory was hard-earned and well deserved, the Crusaders challenge as splendid as has ever been offered by any corps anywhere.
No incidents warranting criticism were obvious on the field as the results were announced, nor was any attempt made by any of the corps present to observe any but the most fundamental of courtesies. These were the Nationals...1967.
