Wanderers Drum & Bugle Corps, ca. 1964-66

Well, I found these old photos and thought they sort of belong here. Maybe those of you who were around in the 1960's will remember the Wanderers Drum & Bugle Corps, sponsored by American Legion Post 8, New Rochelle, New York. I spent three years with the corps (1964, 1965 and 1966) before joining the Sunrisers Drum & Bugle Corps, sponsored by the B.P.O.E. of Massapequa, New York, for the 1967 season.

I judged (National Judges Association) for a few years after that but my playing days were over.

Here are some photos of the Wanderers' drum line from those years. I think we were playing on Slingerland drums.

Some of the guys chimping for the camera in Bethlehem, PA, before a show, July 4, 1966
The Wanderers Drum & Bugle Corps at Fort Slocum, NY, 1964
The Wanderers Drum & Bugle Corps at Fort Slocum, NY, 1964
Joe Verlezza, Tom Anestis, Bobby McKay, John Bicknees (sp?), Sal Iarapoli (sp?), ?, ? at the Legion Post prior to boarding a bus to whereever, ca. 1964
Top: Bill Gill, Contra Bass (don't remember name), Doug Ogden, Les Dahlstadt, Ellis Mirsky, Jimmy Redmond, Curt?
Bottom: he hung around with us, Curt's younger brother?, Joe Verlezza, don't remember
Significant is that many of us were wearing our "We Got Screwed" t-shirts, hand-painted by one of the corps members as a reminder of our defeatist attitude that we were better than we actually were and that the judges were always getting it wrong
Our New Uniforms (1966 Season)
Don Stewart lays in a crisp bass drum roll in concert at Fort Slocum, NY, 1964
Some of the guys in NYC before the Puerto Rico Day Parade, 1964
Don Stewart, Downtown NYC for Puerto Rico Day Parade, 1964
(Bill Stalzer in the background)
Ellis Mirsky, Downtown NYC for Puerto Rico Day Parade, 1964