OSMOND POST CADETS Drum & Bugle Corps Alumni
VFW Post #1692, Philadelphia, PA

From John Danks

Thanks to the encouragement of his cousins Pat and Joe Roach, John left the Olney American Legion Drum and Bugle Corps (he liked the US Navy Annapolis styled uniforms, and joined the Osmond Post Cadets  Their uniforms were styled after the gray and white of the US Army West Point Cadets. 

Pat Roach, George Smith, and Johnny Danks were among the "little kids" (10 & 11 year old) who went on Sunday nights to the home of Mr. John Smith for instruction on the 2nd horn parts to John Philip Souza's "The Thunderer."  John always had a problem "tonguing" or "tootie-cooing" when he'd play the one valve soprano bugle, but eventually graduated to playing the baritone horn in a mellow toned fashion, looking up to his cousin, Joe, and Dick Muir, his baritone playing idols.  John won the individual baritone Phila. City Championship medal for Osmond in the Winter of 1950 - 1951, before entering the seminary, and after five years with the Corps.

John Danks                                                       John Smith

From Bill Beckmann

           1951 VFW National Bugle Quartette Championship in NYC

         Having won the Phila City Championship Bugle Quartette in 1950, Dick McDonald, John Danks, Pat Roach and myself were entered in the VFW National bugle Quartette Contest. I guess we looked sort of nervous as we were being inspected by All American Judge Charlie Nabors.

         We wore tight fitting white whipcord trousers which made us look a little bulgy up front. Charlie commented under his breath, "Don't you boys think you're old enough to wear jockstraps?" We had a hard time keeping from laughing out loud!! We wound up winning by a good margin too. I guess the competition was too stiff for our opponents.

         By the way, if memory serves me correctly, we played "Nola" with Dick McDonald playing melody and "All night sitting in a tavern" as counterpoint. (Arranged by Lee of course)

Bill         John         Pat         Dick

Judge Charlie Nabors

From Pat Roach

John Cassidy and I were in the Marine Reserves. We went on summer encampment to the Camp Le Jeune Marine base in North Carolina. Willie Curlott who was on active duty was stationed there at the time. We got together and hit just about every bar in town. We all got pretty sloshed and all I remember after that was Willie getting a Tattoo as we went from bar to bar. It’s alright, it was where you could see it without him having to bend over.  

I was driving along Hunting Park Avenue one day and as I got to the intersection, the light started to turn red. I tried to beat the light but just then some kid thought he had the green light and started across the street on his bike and slammed into the side of my car I stopped and got out and picked him and his bike up and took him to the hospital. The guy in back of me followed us to the hospital. When the Police came to investigate, the guy told them I was not at fault and if I had not stopped, he probably would have hit him. Later, the kid’s Mother and this same guy tried to sue me. I told my Marine Corps Major who was also a lawyer. He said their lawyer was a shyster and he would take care of it. Man, he was all over that guy like you know what on you know what. The case was dropped.  

The Osmond gang went to the lake up on Street Road all in one car. I forget who was driving, but, since it was a $1 per carload, we had 3 in the front seat, two on the floor (including me), five in the backseat and 1 in the trunk.  

I used to own a Tavern on Ogontz Avenue right near the Cheltenham shopping center with Judge Woods as co-owner and Jack Woods was the bartender. We had a young crowd that always came in together. I got really friendly with the young guys and we used to sit across from each other on sides facing each other.. I would buy them a beer and they would buy me a beer. Well, one night I must have had a few more beers than I should have and when I left to go home, I ended up turning into some guys driveway.  I thought I was still on the road, and I kept beeping at him to get moving. He never moved.

From Bill Beckmann

Singing on the Bus

On the Way to a local Parade in the Phila area, we were singing as we usually did on bus trips! Dolores Siro was sitting on my lap, and we were having fun harmonizing with the rest of the Corps. It was about an hours drive, to the parade. When we arrived, I tried to stand up, but my leg and foot circulation had been cut off and I jokingly remarked “I may never walk again”. Dolores was very insulted by my remark, thinking I was implying that she was too heavy. (Not the case at all, she was just right!!)

At the 2002 reunion, I reminded Dolores of the incident and we both laughed. She did however ask me if my leg was OK now! Ouch, the ladies always have the last word!

                              Dolores Siro           Bill Beckmann

From Don Adair

So You Want To Talk Slot Machines

When the corps operated out of the post home then located at 2nd & Godfrey, the post operated a bar for the members in the basement of the home. Normally the bartender was a man with just one arm who every one referred to as Ott. I was later to learn that this was Helen Margerum's dad and he had lost his arm in World War 1. Helen, some of you will remember as Captain of the Guard and then a chaperone after aging out.
Getting back to the bar, it was well equipped including a slot machine. No, not the cherries and plum type you find in the casinos today but a "wings, camels. chesterfield" pack of cigarettes style. You had to get three of the same kind to win a pack of cigarettes.
At that time my father and Hymie operated the corps and would get together in the back of the bar room to handle the necessary business affairs after a rehearsal. I was about six or seven at the time and shadowed my father's every move. When they were about to start their business, they would sit me up on a bar stool at the far end of the bar, provide me with a bunch of pennies and a glass of root beer and I was perfectly contented. My winnings and there were a few, went to Hymie since I use to help "pop" roll his own.
I did this until I was nine years old and allowed to march.
I've often wondered what I would have done if the place had been raided. I can see charges of serving a minor, underage playing the slots, corrupting a minor. I guess it would have been the whole book. You can also see where I received my bar and slot machine early training.
                                                                 Don Adair

From Bill Beckmann

                                                  Jack Keenan Stories

When Jack reached the age of about 16, he began, without any effort on his part, to attract young ladies like a magnet! Girls in the corps were no exception. Jack had begun dating a lot of different girls, but the overage of attention began  to really annoy him.

One evening, Jack told me that he had made a date with two girls in the Corps to meet him on Friday night at 7:00PM outside of the post to go out on a date. He, of course, never showed up!

He figured when they discovered what happened,they would be so angry at him that they would leave him alone! Boy, was he wrong, it just made them even more determined to  go out with him!!

  The names of the girls have been omitted to protect the innocent!!

                                           TheWild Ride

One evening, Jack and I were late getting started for a color guard

Show. I told Jack, we’re going to miss a lot of Corps. He replied, Nah, don’t worry, I’ll get us there on time! Jack borrowed his Dad’s car, a Hot 47 Merc Coupe.

The contest was held in West Philly! We left Olney about 7:pm, Jack drove like a Man possessed, In and Out of traffic, running stop signs and redlights, passing trolleys on the wrong side. We arrived at the contest at 7:20, I was so scared I could hardly  talk, and refused ride back with him! He laughed his butt off!

By the way, he had not been drinking, just wanted to see if he could shake me up!