I have watched our Forum for a long time. We have spoken about ....
our favorite shows, parade and contest memories, etc.

But, after all is said and done, what the the BEST memories you have from your years in the Imperials?

You know, the things you remember the most. The stuff that you think of when you are awake at night and can't sleep, thinking of your past.
(Keep it clean).

Here are some of my memories:

1. All the friends I made in the corps .. and still know

2. Seeing the 1958 Garfield Cadets perform (in their shorts uniforms )... a long story .. at AL Nationals in Chicago, to defend their Title.

3. 1958, 1959 and 1960 Blessed Sacrament Golden Knights .. awesome corps.

4. 1962 VFW Nationals in Minneapolis .. a great trip for us.

5. 1963 Dream .. wow!

6. 1960 - marching in Janesville Wisc with Dick Brown (our instructor ) in the drum line!

7. All the fun of local midwest shows where we'd arrive ... do a parade, hang out, do lunch, practice, do the evening show. Great fun.

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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

April, 1970 - my first drum corps performance in a State Street parade downtown, wearing the unit number on my right sleeve.

July, 1970 - my first field show, in exhibition at a show featuring the Troopers, Garfield, Kilties, Argonne, Niesei, Velvet Knights (North American Nationals); I still have a recording of this one! It was the night Bob Briske said, as announcer while we were on the starting line, "this corps will never win a nationals." I know what he meant now, but it upset us at the time.

August, 1970 - hearing about the bus crash on the radio

May, 1971 - first performance in the new uniforms with the Cadets

September, 1972 - moving up to the 'A' corps, and being petrified

1973 - doing two completely different shows during the year; winning State Fair; hearing the crowd reaction every night to the all-American flag ending of John Brown's Body; having a soloist in the stands for the opening of the show; going to Bourbon Street for the first time

1978 - returning to the Imperials to find the corps full of people I had marched with in the Cadets in 70-71; becoming Drum Major; teaching the drum line with Bill Strauts, one of my heros; going to Bourbon Street for the second time

1979 - winning American Legion State (an all-time great memory); the year-long battle with the Knights; my first apartment and having my car towed the night before the AL State parade; going to Bourbon Street for the third time

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

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

Hmmmm ... seems like Bourbon Street is getting some votes here?
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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

I could also add Bourbon Street in 1980 with Spirit of Atlanta and 1984 at the World's Fair while teaching the Lassiter High School Band. I really like Bourbon Street...

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

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

My best memories from drumcorp come down to the friendships and sense of family that seemed to exist amongst a diverse group of kids and parents all trying to work towards a common goal. And like most families it was a little dysfunctional at times but it was like family.

Other best memories include:

My first practice with the cadets at the forest preserve building on Nagle and Devon. Remember it vividly (even if it is in black & white.)

Moving up to the A corp.

Playing our opener for the first time with the drums in the Alvernia High School gym.

The corp banquets.

Playing the Mill Run Theater.

Seeing the Bellville Black Knights in their new uniforms at a night parade which I think was in Momence?

Drill camps at the armory.

Bourbonnais camps.

Watching Phantom, Madison and the Guardsmen one summer at about every show we competed in.

Taking in Bourbon Street as a 17 year old.

Seeing the Bayone Bridgeman for the first time.

Marching in the finals at DCI in 1979 with the Cavies.

What did you do in the Corps? Baritone

What years were you a Corps member? 70's

1. To add to Dave's comments I'd include seeing Blessed Sacrament in 1963 and 1964. Their horn line was good in 1960 but the 63 and 64 were better.

2. Watching the entire 1964 VFW Nationals in Cleveland. A disappointment because we didn't make finals but in all my time in Norwood it was the only time I saw an entire show from the stands. Great eastern corps that year with Blessed Sac, Boston Crusaders and St. Kevins plus maybe the Kilties best ever performance (they seemed to come from nowhere to win VFW).

3. In addition to competing, seeing performances of Hawthorne Cabelleros, New York Skyliners, Yankee Rebels and Blessed Sac at the Dream Contest in 1963. In those days the eastern senior corps were better than the junior corps although Sac's scores were close to Hawthorne and the Skyliners.

4. Three trips to New York for contests (1963, 1965 and 1966). Aside from the competition we did get to spend some time in the city. In 1966 about a dozen of us went to Coney Island.

5. The 1965 and 1966 seasons. The corps rebuilt in 1964. Those two season we were very competitive and ended up in first in a dozen contests. Result of a lot of hard work with most members having come up through the Cadets.

What years were you a Corps member? 59-61 Cadets 62-66 Imperials

Yes I still can't believe they they just dropped us off at Burbon street and picked us up (literally) a few hours later. Can't drink a Screw Driver to this day.

And they didn't care how old we were, either. I was 14 and my little brother was 12, though I don't think either of us did any drinking. I don't remember having an option about going - they just put us on the busses, took us down, and left us! And both my parents were on the trip, but neither went that I remember.

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

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

Without a doubt, everything to do with State Fair 1979. That includes the practices during the week to try and "squeeze" the show to fit on the race track. I got run over by the middle voices in the little company front during Rampart. Good thing our first practice run through was without playing!! Winning prelims. Watching the audiance give us a standing "O" through the fence after the night show....and then finishing second to the Knights. The memory is still there...as vivid as the day it happened.

What did you do in the Corps? 2nd Sop

What years were you a Corps member? 1979

Everything except that last part was a good memory! But State Fair judging was always suspect, to say the least.

Where the heck have you been, guy?

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

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