Rogerson's Ramblings

   Hey Bill, I have been reading Lee and Don's memories of the places that they hung out in those day's (The Early Days) well, we had our hangouts too. How could you forget Randall's, gosh I think we put that old guy in an early grave.  We would sit in the furtherst booth, from his counter, just so he had to walk the full length of the store,then order one soda, wait till he brought it back, then order another. Then one night when we came in he just pointed toward the door.If we had the girls with us he would wait on us, as long as we sat in booths near to him, and he really was cranky at times.

 

Then there was Fred's at front and Grange, he was okay. it was a good place to meet, and he had good stuff. Great parking. Remember the day we were at the post, cleaning something for an up coming show, and the guy watching the post (which was closed) asked if we would watch the place while he went home for lunch. I remember very vividly all of us just staring at one another, and a strange silence came over the place, until someone finally said sure. It was a day to remember. We didn't really do anything, but sit at the bar and drink beer. We were all 17 and 18,it was great, no one got hurt, we didn't steal anything, the old guy came back eventually, and we continued what we were cleaning. Oh, the group involved, Teddy, Keenan, the Wards, McDonald, you, and of course me.

 

                      That same group would meet at the Wards, and go up and listen to Big Wardy's tapes on that guy he made up, I think Jolly roger was his name. Tom really needed some serious help from a shrink, the guy was really on another planet. We would make so much noise up there old man Ward would come up, push open the door and start screaming, you could not see him for all the smoke, he would actually threaten all of us with bodily harm, and I think at times he really meant it. When we went to a party anywhere, Tom and Chuck would eat handfuls of hedge leaves so there breath would not smell. Well most of the time they got sick from eating all the hedge leaves and would throw up on each other, then stand in front of their parents and swear they were not drinking. Always got caught, it got so bad, that they would go home in shifts, with their own stories, that didn't work either. They always said they were with me, then when I came to the house, I got the third degree. It got so that you never went to the Wards on a Sunday morning.

Then the real kicker was they told Chuck that I was a bad influence on him, and they didn't want him to associate with me any longer. How could anybody be a bad influance on Chucky Ward. We laughed (me and Chuck) about that for years to come.

He told everybody that he was not allowed to play with me anymore. He was a great guy, and we always had so much love and respect for each other. God rest his soul.

 

There aren't to many organizations today that can boast of friendships that went on 24-7 like those guys did.

I loved all of them more than they will ever know, and God knows,That I loved the Osmond Post Cadets.

         There are so many stories from that group, (the Corps) I mean, I could go on all day,

              Please excuse me for rambling.      Don Rogerson

The only Dream contest that I was in with Osmond was in 1952. It was cancelled from the previous Sunday, because of rain I guess, so they had it on a Wednesday night. We had a real fine corps that year, a super horn line, even after losing Bob Adair, Penrod and Jim Meehan from the first horn line. But we picked up Jack Woods, and Ron Serocimo to replace them. Don Adair had taught a really hard, but excellent drill. The drum line was excellent. It had the makings of a really great corps. So, anyway we went to the Dream, and I remember having this really confident feeling, about our chances. Standing on the kickoff line, was really special. The stands there sort of rolled down at you, and gave the effect, that the people were right on top of you, if Im not mistaken, the field ran on an angle also.

 

Well they announced us, and the crowd gave us a nice hand, and I remember thinking how proud I was to be exactly where I was. We played the kickoff, which was one of Lee's product's. I don't think it had a name, I'd sing it for you, but I don't have my teeth in yet. Then came off the line with the Mounties, it was new that year. We formed small pinwheels, eight in one line of the wheel. The first horns were in the first line, well when we played the melody, the people really went nuts. Lee's music was always a head over anyone else. Well, Holy Name was there, St Joes, Liberty Bell, Irvington I believe, and a few others, I'm not sure, but I think we only beat one corps.

 

 

Those shows were fixed so bad, and it was blatent. That same year  they cancelled a lot of shows because of Polio scares. Something to do with Nationals also. Something else about that show,I  forgot my white socks,and nobody had an extra pair, I was panicy, and really upset, so they sat me down and painted my feet white to the top of the ankles, with shoe polish. Worked okay, just had cold feet.

 

At the post they always had a pinball machine,and we would always wait for a new one to come in, then form a crowd around it, get our trusty pen knife out, create a small hole in the bottom of it, stick a straightened out hanger up there, find one of those side ramps that the ball rolls through, hang the hanger on it and run up 50 or 60 games, and that would last us the whole night.

 

Real funny one, we were in the post ,changing for a parade, and two or three of the guys went into the head to go over a part, all baritones. Unbeknown to them "Jack the Barfly" was in one of the thrones doing his business.They came out, then he came out. His eyes were crossed, hair was messed up, shirt half out, and his lip stained butt hanging from his lower lip, cursing on high. Well we laughed for at least two days over that. It was absolutly georgous, the man was a real piece of work.

                              Talk to you later,   Don Rogerson

Corps	Score
1. St Josephs Cadets, Newark, NJ	89.90
7. Bracken Cavaliers, Bristol, Pa	88.45
3. Holy Name Cadets, Garfield, NJ	88.40
4. Osmond Hurricanes, Phila, Pa	87.95
5. Liberty Bell Pirates, Phila, Pa	87.90
6. Audubon All Girls Corps Inc, Audubon, NJ	87.15
7. Temple Cadets, Temple, Pa	84.25
8. Chicago Grenadiers, Chicago, Ill	81.70

Hey Bill,  Remember most Saturdays in the off season (afternoons) we would go down to Tookany creek by the railroad bridge to discuss all our worldly problems, usually around 10 of us. with quarts of course. You could bring any problem down there that you had, and it would be solved, or in most cases made worse.

That was a great spot, you could make as much noise as you wanted, no body ever called the cops on us. We always ended the day with some one saying "Well we haven't picked on Liberty Bell yet", and if it was nice out we all jumped in the creek, well most of us,"yes with our clothes on". Remember the day Jack Keenan fell off the bridge, and we were all sitting there. I'm pretty sure it was you that said, "I guess we should go over and see how he is" It took a few seconds, and we all nodded in agreement. He was okay, the ground broke his fall. Its a shame he missed the water. But he was fine, he walked out better than he walked in. And you had a big hill to climb up to get out of there. Which took quite a while for most of us. Its still there, but they put a walking path through there. That would have never worked.

                                               

We loved to get invited to peoples houses, to us that was like being invited to the White House. We had someplace to go, especially if it was cold out.

We always tried to be perfect gentleman, but there was always somebody that screwed up.(present company excluded) And if they had a nice Kitchen, it was great. I have no reason why, but there was always this facination for nice kitchens. It was funny, because if someone went to a party that you were not there, they would always say,"they had a great kitchen" did not take much to please those guys.

I remember one time we were all up Fred Eckerd's house, just for a visit, and out of no where he say's "Want to see the kitchen" Everybody says Yea, lets see it.

          His Mom thought we were nuts, well she wasn't that far off.

 

     I gotta go for a while, okay, my Depends needs changing.       love Roge.

 

Hi Guy Just got your e-mail address from Bill Beckmann.

 

Remember the other bar between 5th and 6th just above Erie? Remember Keenan following the taxi around wherever he went. I think the cabbie was scared and finally stopped and screamed at him. Another time at 5th and Chew, we were standing in the doorway of a store to get out of the rain. Jack saw the store window had a small piece of glass that was broken, so he slid his hand in and swiped a couple of ties 

Tuutie-cue riding around on his motorcycle playing his horn.

 

Some great memories for sure. Probably a thousand more.

 

Pat

 

Hulmeville Swimming

 

Tom Freidel

 

 

 

Good Times

John Danks  Joe Denny  Dick McDonald

 

This corp as I said before many times, came out of no where that year. Made up of the kids that were left over from the many corps that were breaking up in the area. But they had this attitude of "so what". We had gone through the season pretty well, losing state on a penalty.Now we were off on the infamous Milwaukee trip. The corp had to split up in Ohio because of those bloody buses breaking down. And it was really hard to see that bus leave ahead of us with the individuals,and color guard on it. Leaving us in this God forsaken town of Louisville Ohio. That was so hard on everybody. One day we decided to have a parade down their main street. Just humazoos and stuff.

                                              This cop pulls up in front of us, gets out, and asks us just exactly what we were doing. "Having a parade we answered"  You need a permit to do that he said. Well we said we just thought you folks would like some entertainment. Not today he answered. Back to the bus we go. By this time it had a very foul odor about it. The bus was finally fixed, and we were on our way, and most of us thought we would never make it in time. But Bob Cwalino had a mission, not to stop till we got there. It was absolutly awful You had to hold your bathroom duties for when he stopped for gas, anything in between, you were out of luck,and he made sure everyone knew that.

 

                              Well, I believe we pulled into the 4H park where we were staying around 10 or 11 am, and this was a really big, big, place, we just cruised around the lot looking for the corps bus,and couldn't seem to find it, when all of a sudden all the kids in the bus began singing,"For when the gray and White corp fall in line" and we sang it at the top of our lungs. Still cruising, we turned this corner, and saw our kids running from afar. They had heard us screaming this song, and came running. Bob stopped the bus, and hugging, and kissing went on for some time. We just had time to make the parade that was scheduled for that day. I remember we merged with West Reading Police Cadets at one point as a Pennsylvania thing. It worked pretty good. After the parade is when the lipstick got mixed with the uniforms, and made such a mess on some trousers. It had rained pretty heavy during the parade, and we all got pretty wet, and I can't really remember if they were getting them dryed or cleaned when it happened.

                                          Well we went to preliminarys, and we really rocked, I mean big time rocked. We were at the end of the day way ahead of our closest competition. And Vinnies had the option as reigning Champs to take a bye if they wanted, I don't remember if they did or not. But the word had spread to them how hot Osmond was. Well for what ever reason, we went all the way back to where we were staying. Did not take in mind the evening traffic coming back, were late, and got a two point penelty. As we were walking in the gate Hymie was there telling each one of us that we had a two point penalty. It was very depressing to say the least, I often wonder if he had told no one what might have happened. As we lined up on the ready line, Vinnies was half way down the field, where we should have been. You could hear the crying and cursing up and down the line. So much had happened to us this year, why weren't we allowed to show the drum corp world how good we really were. One of the guys came down the line screaming, I really can't remember who, "We are the Osmond Post Cadets" lets take this trophy home. I felt so bad, for every one there. We were good, yes, but as you went through the drill,and would pass one another, you could see the tears running down a lot of cheeks.

                                      With out the penelty.it would have been really close, and without the penalty, with the corp spirit that we had at that point, we would have been National Champions.         God bless all those kids where ever they may be,  Love you all,  Roge

Ernie was from the Bridesburg section of the city.He was originally from the Horn-Ross-Weiss drum and bugle corp, that was located in that part of the city. He came to Osmond in 1952, after the corp disbanded, with a few others, Harry Hall, Ed Holmes, Tom Parkins, were already there, as were a few others. He immediatly fit in with the guys, and was very attenative at practice, and taken back the first time Lee hollered at him, Lee also had this piercing stare that only Lee had. How serious it may be, depended on how long the stare was, or he would start singing it back to you while constantly slamming the sole of his shoe into the floor. That could be kind of scarey for a new guy. Ernie said Does he get upset like that all the time? No, I said only when all of us (section) are not together, or you don't know your part.

 What do you do he said. Practice I said. How about the second time, he says. Tell him you have to go to the head. He said, he won't buy that, I said, no, you're right, he won't.

He was fine, and an intregral part of the 1953 corps. We all miss our fellow drum corps friends, when they pass, because they wern't just friends, they were drum corps people.

                             We all gave up a lot for something, that paid no money, or special favors, to anyone, just the gratification of being a part of something that was so special to us, and other kids just like us, that if done correctly, could develop them into being champions.

 

                                  And Ernie Donnelly was a person like that.

                                    We all love you Ernie, save us a seat.

                                                Your friend,   Don Rogerson

 

 

Hi Folks

                      Yesterday,we lost another great drum corp friend  Ray Mountain, Ray was a great guy,he just blended with everyone. Always with a smile on his face,and ready to tell you a good joke.He also was a very talented baritone horn,in both Osmond, and the Reilly Raiders. We called him Shadow in Osmond, where that originally came from I really don't know,but it really seamed to fit him well. Ray was noted back then for always being late for leaving for the show we might be in that particular week.

                              One time always sticks in my mind. It was an afternoon show,and the weather was not really good that day. Well we were all at the post, waiting to leave. Hymie called the people running the show,and they informed him that they were canceling.

      We were all disapointed, but soon were all dancing ,and sitting around shooting the bull. Maybe a half hour passes,and the door opens, and in steps Ray, standing on the top landing.Now all of you remember the noise that door made when shutting.So as it did,everyone turned to see who was coming in,we all look up,and everyone starts breaking up. He hollers,What! Then they all procede to tell him he's not only late, the show was called a half hr. ago. Then he started to smile,then came the laugh.

                        Ray Mountain was very special people,and a very dear friend to all of us.A lot of us had the privlege to be with him in both corps. He played in some great horn lines,and having him there made them that much better.

            We will all miss him dearly,but never forget our dear friend "Shadow"

 

Don Rogerson

 

A "Shadow" Mountain Story by Pat Roach

 

 

      Rogerson's Ramblings