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DRUM AND BUGLE CORPS
A MEMBER'S STORY FROM EARLY 1947 TO 1998
Friday, April 10, 1998 NEWS RELEASE
TOM DAY CELEBRATES 50 YEARS OF BEING IN THE MARCHING AND MUSIC AREA OF PERFORMING ARTS;
The only similarity between today's drum and bugle corps and those of the 40's,50's and 60's is the name.
Here's my story. It was a cold March 7, 1947 when my Mom and two older brothers, Bob and Ken, who were already members of the Norwood "A" Corps, took me to the Norwood Park Field house on the far north side of Chicago. Back then it seemed that every neighborhood had a drum corps or a drum and bell corps, or even a drum line and a group of baton twirlers. Drum corps then was like little league today. Well anyway I was introduced to the Corps director and instructor. He was a short old man who I figured knew just about everything. I, of course, was 7, and knew nothing. I did know I was in a place where young people were all moving around with something to do. There seemed to be a purpose, a feeling of togetherness. I was ready to get involved. I was already polishing shoes for two years for my Dad and brothers. Back then you had to polish everything.
The instructor was Willie Weidmeyer. Willie thought it best that I start out on cymbals. So on that cold day in March, I was in, I was a member of the Norwood Park "B" corps. I got my maroon and gold uniform with a cape and my own set of cymbals with wood handles. I went home three hours later to polish up my new musical instrument. We met every Saturday morning at the park from 9 till noon. I met a bunch of new friends from all over the local area. Hey, I think this is good stuff. April, May, and we were ready to put on those uniforms and march. It was a thrill then, and 50 years later, it is still a thrill. The big supporters for the corps back then were the VFW, the American Legion, CYO, churches, parks, and some fraternal organizations.
We were the feeder corps for the big junior corps to be known as the Norwood Park Imperials. Years past and I moved to bass drum, then baritone horn, and finally, Drum Major. I was a drum major in '51 and '52 and our unit stayed together for the last 5 years. We actually got to be very good. , In fact, in 1952, we needed a drill, and I wrote it, taught it, and we beat the big corps. So they decided that it was time to move most of the "B" corps to the "A" corps. During those 6 years, some of the corps got to be really good, like the Cavaliers, the Grenadiers, Mel Tierney, the Ardens Cadets, the Yellow Jackets, Bell Corps, Madison, Milwaukee, 2 corps from Racine. There must have been at least 30 corps that would show up for an Illinois State Contest, all from Illinois. So there I was, Drum Major of the "B" corps and ready to move up. But they had a great drum major, Joan Purse, and another guy and a big guy who wanted to be drum major also. His name was Rick Maase. So I marched one season with the "A" corps as French horn. We were good, but I got the urge to be with a cool bunch of guys from the city.
In January, 1953, I got on the street car and went down Milwaukee Ave. to Logan Square where Kosciuszko Post 712 was. I walked in the door with my Norwood jacket on and was greeted by their corps director, Don Warren. Don wondered what I was doing there, in enemy territory. I said I had some experience and would like to try out to be a Cavalier. That night, I traded maroon and gold for green and black. I was the only kid at Taft High School wearing a "Cavi" jacket. Then John Brownfield transferred out to Taft and another guy from Norwood came over. We worked hard and got beat by who else? Norwood! But that only lasted a while. From 1955 thru 1957, we got better and better. Until the summer of 1957 when we won the Nationals in Miami, FL. Until then the #1 position was held by Eastern corps like Garfield, St. Vinnes, and Blessed Sacrament. Those corps were so unhappy about the Cavies winning, we had to fight our way out of the Orange Bowl. We had big buckles and white sashes. There was a lot of blood, but we all lived through it and really earned the title. I joined the Marines in the fall of 1957, and since I had the experience, I taught the Taft ROTC drill team and we won the city title. I graduated in June, went to Parris Island, and participated in a mount out for Lebannon, the small war of 1958.
I came back to teach at Glenview NAS and worked as the Cavalier public relations man in 1960 and 1961. I joined the Skokie Indians Sr. corps. They needed a drum major. The greatest memory was leading the Indy 500 parade and one parade in Chicago.
Art Peters D.M. of the Cavies and I thought it would be neat if when the Cavies finished the parade on Michigan Ave, that they run back to get into Skokie uniforms and march with us. It was great because it gave us 65 horns in.1961. We sent pictures East to scare the other corps. It was only a joke, but a good one.
Art Peters and I also taught the Regiment in 1960-61. In 1964 I moved to L.A. and that summer, I went to the City of Hope contest. After the show I went up to the manager of the smallest last place corps, a scout group of 25 boys. I asked if they wanted any help. And Don Porter said yes. We sat down and mapped out a Cavalier type management structure and started work. I wrote the drill and taught it. Don Porter Jr. did drums until Larry McCormick and Fred Sanford took over. In 18 months we had 120 young men and women and won the State Championship. The Corps was known as The Anaheim Kingsmen I also taught the Commodore Perry LA Chinese corps. They looked like the Cavaliers without buckles. They took 2nd. I also judged with the All American Association. I judged band, corps, motorcycle units, horse troops, you name it. I moved to Northern California and worked with Gale Royer raising money for his Drum Sparks, the forerunner of the Santa Clara Vanguard. I tried to start an all black corps and we had purchased all the horns from the Cavalier Cadets. We wanted to be like the Troopers and called it the 10th Cavalry Buffalo Soldiers. We never really got past the drum line. Basketball beat me out.
In 1969, it was time to come back to Chicago where I hooked up with Cavaliers again and the 1st Illinois Volunteer Drum and Bugle Corps of Wheeling. We had the Wheeling show which became the DCI or combine. That's my voice announcing on the Green Jacket album of 1971. The Cavaliers greatest show on earth recording. Many of my photos were used on the Cavalier Albums and I did a news column for the Drum Corps Digest. Sort of a tell it, like it was deal. Not all the judges were happy. Also during this time I tried to turn the McHenry Viscounts into Civil Air Patrol's first drum and bugle corps. It was the Viscounts last, best hope. You see, it was about early 1970's that corps started to separate and try to be more than the neighborhood unit. DCI started in earnest and evolved into what you have today. I call today's offering of Jr. corps "A Commercial Music and Marching unit." - The present day units are beautiful and as long as the money is there, will continue to be. Unfortunately, it appears that there is not much variety from 1 to 10.
And back now to 1977. A bunch of drum corps folks got together and we started the Chicago Connection Sr. corps. We had fun and we could still march and entertain, and win the mid-west championship and do a few Bears and Packers half time shows. I think corps should be open class and be open to people of all ages. Anyway, the Connection lasted until 1981. I taught drill and drum corps style to the Carpentesrville band. In 1985, I started a veterans color guard known as the Black Sheep Squadron. We operate like a corps and have been around-now for 12 years. We open Bulls games, lead the World Cup Parade, and more. We even marched with Kilties in 1995. I also teach and advise the Chicago H.S. area of ROTC drum corps. I judge the open contest for the school district. 1997 was my 50th year in the activity and I hope my health will continue.
Photo board shows Tom in a Chicago Cavalier uniform circa 1957, however this uniform is a 1996 edition. Should you want to reconstruct your old corps uniform, Tom can help. Or if you still want to march in a Scottish style open class color guard call Tom at 708-484-9029 for more info.
Presently Tom is a volunteer for the Department of Defense in the Midwest area. He does Military Funeral Service for all branches of the services. Tom has done more than 4500 playing "Taps". Tom also did all the Flag and color guard for the 50th anniversary of WW2. Tom has done his own Flag Day show at Daley Center and the Illinois center for the last five years. Tom has opened 16 Bulls games and almost every other sports event in Chicago. In 1996 Tom put together the color program for the 10th anniversary of the Viet Nam Veterans Parade, the largest parade ever held in Chicago. Tom won the World Parade Veterans Color Guard Title in this parade in 1986. and appeared on the front page of the Tribune June 14 1986 international edition.
Presently in 1997 Tom has purchased uniforms for the Percussion Pirates Drum & Bell Corps in the Naperville, Illinois area and on memorial day donated a bass drum to the unit. Tom also donated horns and drums to a new Boy Scout Corps in River Forest Illinois. In August 1996 Tom's "Black Sheep Squadron was asked to open two shows at the Democratic Convention. It was the first time two Pow-Mia flags were ever carried at any political convention. The group was commended by Vice President Al Gore. On august 28th Tom was inducted into the International Royal Order of St. Joachim as a Royal Knight. Lord Nelson of the British Navy was the First Knight. Tom was also nominated for D.A.R. "Medal of Honor" by Col. Kenneth Plummer of the Department of defense and mr. Jim Balcer director of Veterans Affairs for the city of Chicago. Tom won this national honor in Oct. 1996.
Tom's organization, "The Black Sheep Squadron" has also started a unit called "the Col. Joe Day Memorial Flight". This unit established to remember the great deeds of Tom's dad who was the founder of Civil Air Patrol in Illinois and was its longest active member. The units goal is the same as the mariners and that is to carry the nations colors better and higher than any other unit. And entertain the viewing public. The unit is open to people of all ages. In May 1997 Tom donated 2 bugles 8 new flag poles and flags, 25 white satin shirts and 25 black skirts to The New Frontier Youth group on Chicago's West side. Tom also has made a two hour video tape explaining the last 50 years of drum and bugles. Tom has also taken history display to The Cavaliers shows and displayed uniforms, and equipment used over the last 50 years. The kids love looking at and touching drums and bugles from the last half century.
A Postscript;
Over the past 50 years the performing art form of Drum and Bugle Corps has changed. The changes followed those of all the other facets of our lives. Planes got faster, cars got better, computers and television evolved into an activity for the youth of today. Drum Corps is no longer a local youth program, but it to has grown to an international youth program. The sound generated in the old day's was great. The sound generated today is even better. The songs played today reflect what has happened to all aspects of life in the past 50 years. Due to copyright and law-suits today's Drum Corps have to play music most of us old-timers can't come close to understanding. The shows you see today are the best of all time.
50 years ago you could run a Drum Corps for about $15,000 a year. Today it takes $1,615,000 a year to run a corps like The Cavaliers of Rosemont. So, to all who read this story I can only say. "Thank God for those who have kept The Cavaliers , Madison Scouts, and the other corps going. And Thank God for those who brought back The Senior Kilties of Racine, and Mighty St. Joes of Batavia N.Y., and other Alumni Corps. Through the years I have used the initial concept of Drum Corps and it's spirit of friendly competition and striving to be the best I can in life. So, thank-you to drum and bugle corps and those I've met along the way. And thanks to the Madison Scouts for giving me the opportunity to celebrate the 50th anniversary of "the Cavaliers", and the 60th anniversary of the "Madison Scouts".
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