http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjNaD3gI96o

What did you do in the Corps? Soprano

What years were you a Corps member? 61-62/Cadets 63-67/Imperials

Too Cool!!!

Great old video. I don't remember it being that hard. Who was the guy narrating?

Donna, that was non-other than Gary "Chops" Czapinski from Norwood. I believe he aged-out about 1963. He's still extremely involved in DCI as a judge. He's truly one of the great guys of drum corps!

What did you do in the Corps? Soprano

What years were you a Corps member? 61-62/Cadets 63-67/Imperials

Bill, Gary (Chops)is my brother in law.....married to Marie. He may be the only former Imperial in the DCI Hall of Fame.

What did you do in the Corps? baritone

What years were you a Corps member? Cadets 62, 63 Imperials 64-70

Hi Tom!

I must butt in to point out that the DCI HOF includes Rick Maass, Bob Briske, Roman Blenski, and Dick Brown as well as Chops. If you stretch a bit, include Truman Crawford, and there might be others, but certainly Chops isn't alone.

Go to http://www.dci.org/about/fame/members.cfm got complete list.

Larry

What did you do in the Corps? Drumline

What years were you a Corps member? 1960-1965

Correction to Deacon Bill. Cxapinski aged out in 1962. His other nick name was "two note" as he could only play two notes. Roman Blenski gave him that nickname.

Chops was a second baritone in 1961 and 1962. He became our assistant drill instructor in 1963 and became the drill instructor in 1964 and 1965.

The movie also includes a group that looks and sounds a bit like the Kilties but is acutally a marching brass band called the Dundee Scotts.

I actually am probably one of the few people who marched in the same squads with two DCI Hall of Fame Members--Chops, Ted Orland, Bruce Borck and I were the second baritones in 1962 and in 1963 Roman, Larry Nelson and I were the first baritones.

Good memories. The webmaster might consider posting that video on the website.

What did you do in the Corps? Baritone--Cadets 1959 through 1961 Imperials 1962 through 1966

I stand corrected John, although I stated that "I believe he aged out in 1963". I was 13 at the time and these older guys were heros to me.

One incredible memory that I will always carry with me:

During EastCoast/Dream Trip in 1963, I was obviously the "little guy" in the corps, and NEVER ONCE did I feel like the NEW GUY/ROOKIE. I remember riding the New York subway system...(kinda intimidating for a 13 year-old). I think we were going to/from Coney Island) I was on a train Chops and all "older guys" (they were all older.....most of them about to age-out). I was very well cared for and protected as a young rookie. To this day it remains one of those "WOW" moments in my life! A big THANK YOU goes out to Chops, Denny, Frank, Dave, etc etc etc!!!

What did you do in the Corps? Soprano

What years were you a Corps member? 61-62/Cadets 63-67/Imperials

I stand corrected John, although I stated that "I believe he aged out in 1963". I was 13 at the time and these older guys were heros to me.

One incredible memory that I will always carry with me:

During EastCoast/Dream Trip in 1963, I was obviously the "little guy" in the corps, and NEVER ONCE did I feel like the NEW GUY/ROOKIE. I remember riding the New York subway system...(kinda intimidating for a 13 year-old). I think we were going to/from Coney Island) I was on a train with Chops and a few "older guys" (they were all older.....most of them about to age-out). I was very well cared for and protected as a young rookie. To this day it remains one of those "WOW" moments in my life! A big THANK YOU goes out to Chops, Denny, Frank, Dave, etc etc etc!!!

BillB

What did you do in the Corps? Soprano

What years were you a Corps member? 61-62/Cadets 63-67/Imperials

Sorry about the double posting. I was trying to edit....ME BAD!

What did you do in the Corps? Soprano

What years were you a Corps member? 61-62/Cadets 63-67/Imperials

A great video. I remember Rick Maass teaching the corps with this style in 1958. We always started the year in the North Avenue armory learning basics, like on the video. I will NEVER forget watching "tiny" Rick demonstrating the "glide" step!

I also note that Gary Czapinski was in the corps then .. learning from Rick.

What did you do in the Corps? drummer

What years were you a Corps member? 1958-63

Bill,

Just had to pull your chain relative to the date.

While you were with Chops and the group headed to Coney Island another group of us were with Roman going to the Empire State Building.

We might have been going to/from the Empire State Building on the subway....I vividly remember both Coney Island and the Empire States building.....but my fondest memory was riding subway with the Big Boys. They are all truly great guys!

BillB

What did you do in the Corps? Soprano

What years were you a Corps member? 61-62/Cadets 63-67/Imperials

Bill,

I recollect making a Coney Island trip on the subway when we were there in 1966 for VFW Nationals. Brian Pennington had been telling us about the famous Cyclone Roller Coaster and a number of us made the subway trip with Brian from Manhattan to Coney Island. That might have been the subway trip you remember. But it's also possible that you and some of the others took the ride to Coney Island in 1963 as groups of us split up to do different things in the short time we had in the New York City.

In 1963 and 1966 we had some free time in Manhattan before leaving the for Washington DC (in 1963) and Chicago in 1966.

The corps was in New York in 1965 as well (there's a posting about the World's Fair encounter with a street gang a while back in the forum), but I don't remember the corps spent any free time in Manhattan. Think the corps left for Chicago right after the Sunday afternoon show in New Jersey.

What did you do in the Corps? Baritone--Cadets 1959 through 1961 Imperials 1962 through 1966

I don't recall one thing about New York in 1963. Maybe I was practicing?

But I do recall the 1965 trip. No, we didn't spend time in Manhattan. We were kicked out of the city by NYPD. I also recall going to New York on business in 1974, and wondering if it was OK to return by that time.

What did you do in the Corps? Drumline

What years were you a Corps member? 1960-1965

Larry, it is great getting old. How about the big fire we watched from the Eastgate Motor Lodge?

What did you do in the Corps? drum

What years were you a Corps member? 61-69

John......I remember the fire as being a huge cylindrical gas tank that was burning...and I mean HUGE! What's funny though.... that I have mentioned this to numerous alums in the past, and many did not remember the fire. Am I correct in my description? Maybe being as young as we were, everyone else had been out partying, and we were tucked away in our rooms as we were supposed to be.

What did you do in the Corps? Soprano

What years were you a Corps member? 61-62/Cadets 63-67/Imperials

Bill,

I think you and John T probably saw the fire because you were too young to be out. I don't remember the fire. But it could also be that you guys were the only one's who had rooms overlooking the New Jersey Refineries. The rest of us had views of the pig farms in the Meadowlands.

John T I am surprised that you actually remember the name of the motor lodge we stayed at in 1963. How about naming the motel we stayed at in Cleveland in 1964 and the downtown Newark Hotel in 1965?

What did you do in the Corps? Baritone--Cadets 1959 through 1961 Imperials 1962 through 1966

John A & T - I think the "fire" may just have been the normal "burnoff" of gas at the refinery. The "view" from the hotel was mostly refineries and farms.

But, it does seem that John T has a very good memory for details! We should remember this for future needs!

What did you do in the Corps? drummer

What years were you a Corps member? 1958-63

Maybe that's where I got it - from hanging out with John in 72!

What did you do in the Corps? Snare, Drum Major, Drum Instructor/Arranger

What years were you a Corps member? 1970-73; 78-79

The '65 New York accomodations were the Robert Treat Hotel. If I'm not mistaken the Cleveland one in '64 was a Holiday Inn. Does anybody remember the "target practice" off the diving board at the pool in Cleveland? People on both sides of the pool with wet towels. the target ran to the end of diving board and tried to get into the water before getting blasted with the towels. Target gets on the side of the pool while everybody reloads with a towel. Last guy at the far end of the pool becomes the new target. Amazing how much force 5 or 6 of those towels have as they hit you in mid air!

Billy - I remember watching that fire for hours on the balcony. The other sight that sticks in my mind is watching Dottie Okon in a lotus position walk on her knees down the hall. It still hurts everytime I think about it.

The Holiday Inn was New Jersey in 1966. In Cleveland we stayed at some run of the mill motel. I don't think it had a pool. The 1963 motel and 1966 Holiday Inn had pools. Actually think that 1966 Holiday Inn was the most upscale we ever went. Although the graduate student dorms at the University of Minnesota in 1962 were close.

Funny, when I moved to Minneapolis in 1979, one of the first projects I worked on was design of a parking garage on the field where prelims were held in 1962. In 1962 prelims were in a field next to the Uof Minn football stadium (not bleachers for the fans). Finals were at Parade Stadium just west of downtown Minneapolis.

What did you do in the Corps? Baritone--Cadets 1959 through 1961 Imperials 1962 through 1966

John.....we stayed at the Holiday Inn adjacent to a shopping center next store. The shopping center included a liquor store and thankfully drinking age was 18 and 'we' wheeled shopping carts of beer back to the hotel and up to the rooms.

Wigman got a little ****** cuz his tub was full of ice and beer but you have to make do with what's there. To my recollection we didn't destruct the place but had a problem disposing of all the beer cans. Well, we filled the drawers of the dressers, filled the tubs and closed the shower curtains and then resorted to stuffing them between the mattress and box springs.

Hey, we were on the bus, ready to go........busted. Them dang *******s drinking all that liquid compelled the hotel to return to the rooms and place the empty containers in plastic bags.

Hey, at least we didn't fill the pool.........

Its gone do to violation on terms. What was it?

What did you do in the Corps? horn

What years were you a Corps member? 82-84

It looks like the video was pulled.

What was it? Maybe it's under a different description.