The January issue of DCW includes the first part of a two-part story about Imperials alumnus Roman Blenski! Very interesting story. Roman also says some very complimentary things about our corps and people!

There are also a number of other interesting articles.

Go to this website to sign up: http://www.high-velocity-media.com/

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What did you do in the Corps? drummer; quartermaster 1964-66; asst. drum instr. 1964-70

What years were you a Corps member? 1958-63

Interesting. I do remember that Roman, Chops and one of the snare drummers came down every practice in Roman's 1958 Chevy Impala Convertible. The were in the corps before I came up to the Imperials in the fall of 1961. I recollect all three were in the corps in 1962 but in 1963, Roman was the only one still active. Chops had aged out and was assisting Rick with the drill. Also recollect that Roman replaced the Chevy with a 1963 Ford Thunderbird.

This last June I ran into Chops at the Stanford DCI show. Didn't get to talk long. Seems he was visiting all his friends DCI friends in the West. Got the impression he'd retired from judging etc.

What years were you a Corps member? 1959-61 Cadets 1962-66 Imperials

1. The snare drummer was Lee Boudreau. He left the corps near the end of 1962 and got married.

2. Chops learned a lot about drill programming from Rick and became quite good at it. He took over doing the Imperials drill in 1964. He still is a judge for DCI and others, but seems to be at a reduced pace now.

3. Roman started working with his new corps in Milwaukee in 1963 .. then aged out of the Imperials.

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What did you do in the Corps? drummer; quartermaster 1964-66; asst. drum instr. 1964-70

What years were you a Corps member? 1958-63

There are a lot of Roman and Chops stories.

1. He got married in his Norwood uniform

2. In the Winter of 1963, Roman formed a quartet which consisted of me playing second baritone, Will Koening playing bass horn, Bill Patton on French Horn and Roman. We played our parts from the 1962 show in a competition in Wausau. It was also a color guard contest and he hard the kids for Imperials of St Patricks in that show.

3. Roman was the one who gave Chops the nickname "Two Note." Prior to coming to Norwood Chops was into color guard with the Spectacle City Mariners. To be in Norwood he had to play a horn so he sort of played second baritone.

4. I came up to Norwood just as the Imperials were going to Denver (I didn't go). I recollect Chops had to fly to Denver because he couldn't get off work. Seem to recollect it was the first time he flew on a plane. Remember Roman telling him that if the plane crashed he and Sam Tessitore would see to it that Norwood carried a flag with two notes on it in his memory.

5. Both Chops and Roman (plus a few other guys like Sam Tessitore, Frank Grana, Dave Borck, Ron Biver, Denny Shannon and Steve Pawela) were good leaders. If you compare them to a baseball team, they were the veterans in the clubhouse.

What years were you a Corps member? 1959-61 Cadets 1962-66 Imperials

John, thanks for the stories. The "two note" flag story is a hoot. (I do remember that nickname for Chops).

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What did you do in the Corps? drummer; quartermaster 1964-66; asst. drum instr. 1964-70

What years were you a Corps member? 1958-63