[TPIN] Re: Military Bands - a new thread?

[Allegro69]

Good idea Mike. I'll start by saying that I was in the Navy from '64 - '68.
After playing in the RTC Band at GLAKES, I graduated from the S.O.M. (took
lessons from Master Chief Musician Richard Kitt), and formed up with Unit
Band 147 (ComNavAirLant) followed by a stint with the ComCruDesFlot 8,
concluding my hitch with shore duty on the Newport Naval Base Band under the
brief direction of Larry Harrington who was relieved by John May. While I
didn't know many from the Show Band, I did know pretty well Allen Whitcomb
who played squeeze box. Before we met in the Navy, we were from the same
neck of the woods in Massachusetts and worked together before we joined up.
Of course, I bumped into trumpeters Stan Mark and (first name forgotten)
Pero. I did know and hung out with a lot of dudes that went on to the
Commodores since I was stationed with them both at school, the fleet, and
shore duty. Included was bassist Lou Hinds, trumpeter Gary Adams, T-bone
player Howard Lamb, sax players Carl Wolfe and Jerry Greer (who played bass
with the Country Current group). The S.O.M. was like old home week where
when I attended Berklee in '63, a lot of my fellow classmates either joined
up or were drafted in the Army being they left Berklee as I did. I was a
draft dodger where rather than being selected by my friends and neighbors, I
enlisted in the Navy for four years. At the time, I was the 'typical' red
blooded American musician and HATED the military and couldn't wait to get
out. But in hindsight, my later years made me look back on my hitch as a
great experience. Thanks to the Internet, I'm beginning to rekindle old
friendships that I had in the service that advancing years and events caused
me to put on the back burner.

The next person in line please????

BOB
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <Vaxtrpts at aol.com>
To: <allegro69 at comcast.net>; <tpin at tpin.okcu.edu>
Sent: Saturday, January 06, 2007 11:50 PM
Subject: Military Bands - a new thread?


>
> In a message dated 1/3/2007 7:36:24 A.M. Pacific Standard Time,
> allegro69 at comcast.net writes:
>
> Fortunatelly I'm retired from my day job with the USPS, and for the  most
> part (aside from my Navy bands days) playing gigs was a moonlight
activity.
>
>
>
> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
> When were you in the Navy?  I was in from 1966-70. I was in the  original
> Navy Show Band.  This was before the Commodores even  existed.
> It might be really interesting to start a discussion on TPIN of military
> band experience.
> Mike Vax
>