1956 VFW - DALLAS, TX
Major scores
Junior prelims (9 corps competed):
1. Cavaliers 91.8
2. Imperials 90.8
3. St. Vincent’s 89.7
4. Audubon All Girl 89.05
5. Belleville Black Knights 88.70

Junior Finals (7 corps):
1. St. Vincent’s 94.25
2. Imperials 92.65
3. Cavaliers 92.40
4. Audubon 91.10
5. Belleville 90.0
------------------------------------------------------------

From Dave Borck:
Re: the "bad blood" between Cavaliers and St. Vinnies may have started even earlier. Perhaps in 1956 when they were head to head in the VFW Nationals again. That year, St. Vinnies beat the Cavaliers. Norwood Park was right in the hunt too, beating Cavaliers in Finals and St. Vinnies in prelims!

I think that Imperials and St. Vincents stayed together at an Air Force base or some such place in Dallas that year. So, the two corps got to know each other. I seem to remember that Rick Maass was a friend of their corps director, Mickey Petrone. (Another reason we were invited to the Dream in 1963).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From Mickey Graeber:

On the way to Dallas, we marched at the Illinois State Fair contest in Springfield, Illinois. We had to learn a modified drill to perform on the race track. We were "housed" at the Springfield Armory (actually a National Guard Camp).

I believe we took top drums at the VFW nationals in Dallas. I know we were above the Cavaliers. I saw the scores somewhere but can't be positive. During the grand finale, the drum judge came out on the field and told me that he had never seen a girl drum like I did. (Do you think he meant that in a good way?)

We stayed at the Air Force Base in Fort Worth, Texas. The girls were housed in the Waves quarters. We were lucky! It was the only air-conditioned area. It was so hot in Texas that I went there with long blond hair and returned home with short blond hair.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The 1956 corps may have been the LAST Imperials corps to beat the (ugh) Cavaliers on the field.

The drum line those years was very good, being taught by rudimental genius Frank Arsenault. Was drill done by Rick Maass then?

I think you're right on that. Certainly it never happened again at a nationals, although there must have been a local show or two?

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

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

To my knowledge it didn't happen again. We came close a the Midwest Dream in 1965. I can pickup six brass mistakes in the recording that cost us the show. We lost by 0.5 point but even with these mistakes we still took the brass caption. I don't know drums but do recollect that show was judged (drum execution) by a recent (one or two years after age out) Cavalier alumni who had them well above everyone else.

There were a number of times in 1965 and 1966 when we were with 1 to 2 points of the Cavaliers but never as close as that Midwest Dream Show in 1966.

My knowledge stops in about 1970. It is possible that the Cavaliers lost to the Imperials the season they had the circus or clown show. I recollect seeing them and they were pretty bad compared to the other corps. Other than that 1956 was it.

I seem to recollect that the Imperials beat the Cavaliers at the Lane Standstill contest in 1961 but standstills don't count. I seem to recollect that has been mentioned in a string on this site from a couple of years ago. Dave and Rich Biver will probably recollect this as they were in the Imperials at the time.

What did you do in the Corps? Baritone

What years were you a Corps member? 1959-1961 Cadets 1962-1966 Imperials