The Emerald Rose

Most people have never heard of “Drum & Bugle Corps”, (or call them “Bands”), but they are both historical, a sign of our passage of a number of critical skills and understandings from the WWII generation, (our Fathers, mothers and aunts and uncles),……but that was then, but what about NOW?

It was the transition of the Veterans, literally, and the wives who sacrificed SO MUCH during the War. When the mean came back they were “hardened”, and if it were not for the disciplines that were established by the wives, in the children, in the manner of living and growing as a family,…….THAT is all brought together to establish the “baby boomers”! But it continued through the education systems, teachers and schools as well.

I personally believe that because most husbands and “fathers” were away at war, and frankly when they got back it became the largest “culture shock” imaginable for them. Most of them survived it, BUT after years of battle, military lifestyle, and just plain “doing what had to be done”, they were ill-equipped to handle it well,….but the majority rose to the occasion.

I think the entire “Drum and Bugle Corps” era was totally the contribution they made to “create the next generation”,…. but like everything else in life it grew and evolved, not necessarily for the “good”, but for money, elitism, and why we look around today and say “What the hell happened, and how did we get to this mess we are in today?”

What were those of returning soldiers, sailors, and airmen? They learned to “follow orders”, march and maintain organization, and “make things happen”, but they also learned being “hard”, being “demanding”, and “accepting no shortcomings or excuses”.

As new Parents, they needed a way to transfer those skills, therefore they created a “shadow pseudo military” structure for their children. It was done with love, with concern and caring,….but it was basically imbuing in them what it is to be a FREE American, and not a fear ridden new society, and with beliefs and absolute personification of the love of each other, our Country, and a GOD and framework of unique opportunity and success as AMERICAN’s!

Here is prima facia evidence of that NEW spirit they passed on and nurtured through their and others children. It was never given with a “bad word”, or personal criticism, but in a frame work that we are ALL in this together, DO YOUR BEST FOR EVERYONE!

Read the following comments I recently read on an Internet page about Drum & Bugle Corps, but more importantly the LESSONS learned, and the SACRIFICE made for others that made AMERICA GREAT!.

I rest my case,….isn’t this the result we all want as parents, friends and neighbors and more importantly AMERICANS?

They passed on to us what we needed to know, how we depended on each other and to the “third string” little guys who had just joined the Drum Corps, they needed our help our support, and our joint brotherhood to be what we need to be in this world.

A personal reflection, In my first Drum Corps, we had a young man named “Rocky” and Rocky was a DEAF MUTE, but wanted to be in “the corps”. A few of the drummers and the instructors worked with him and taught him drumming by drumming the part and the song on his BACK,….and guess what after a month or so you could not pick him out of the drum line as anything other than a drummer with the other 7 drummers, there was no difference!!

Everything is possible if we really want to take the time and patience to help everyone learn to be a member of “The CORPS”!!

Who did you help out today?

-30-

March 20, 2019