Grenadier Timeline

by "Uncle Bert" Ellis

1958	Medford Fire Dept. takes over defunct V.F.W. Fife & Drum Corps. Total of 15 members.
1959	Add bugles - fifers become guidons. Compete in Nassau-Suffolk Assn. Standstill.
1960	Guidons become nucleus for a future color guard - now have 12 bugles - valve & slide
1961	Join new Sound of Suffolk Drum Corps Circuit - corps competes standstill
1962	Move from standstill to M&M corps - a big move
1963	Sound of Suffolk - Class A M&M Champions Play for John F. Kennedy at Commack Arena
1964	Join new Long Island M&M Circuit - Play for Robert Kennedy at Islip Airport
1965	Join Greater New York M&M Circuit - now competing 2 circuits Start traveling to Connecticut and Manhattan
1966	Within the corps create a winter competing color guard
1967	Long Island Color Guard Circuit - Class A Champions
1968	Compete L.I. & Greater NY Circuits - compete in American Legion Championships in Buffalo, NY - 11th place
1969	Losing members but compete in American Legion Championship in Syracuse
1970	Lose 26 playing members - merge with Kings Park Kingsmen
1971	Retain Grenadier competing color guard - compete in Metropolitan Circuit
1972	Best flag section - and guard runner-up - Metropolitan Circuit
1973	2nd time runner-up Met Circuit ( we are in a rut )
1974	Guard competes in New Jersey in the Met & Baltimore, MD
1975	Grenadiers re-activate as a Drum & Bugle Corps under Medford Fire Dept. Sound of Suffolk Class C Champions
1976	Bi-Centennial year - 75 members - 2 camps - Sound of Suffolk -Class A Champs Play for President Ford at Nassau Coliseum
1977	Year of building - 90 members (18 P, 43 H, 33 CG & major ) 2 camps - do Sunriser Show and lots of parades
1978	New horn & drum instructors - new outlook - complete change in sound - topping 100 members - first show L.I.M&M win by 8 points - runner up for season - plenty of F.D. parades
1979	Continue climbing - rifle line doing great ( 32 CG, 38 H, 17 P )
1980	Compete in Garden State Circuit - more travel - New Jersey, Connecticut & Maryland
1981	After marching for the Medford Fire Dept. For 25 years - the Grenadiers become self-supporting - have buses - Incorporate, with the lawyer Mr. Mars doing the leg work for free
1982	Compete in Garden State Circuit with Philadelphia PAL, Fantasia, Blue Max, Lancers & NY Vanguard Paraded for Governor Mario Cuomo and New York State Assemblyman Bill Bianchi in Patchogue, NY
1983	Finally capture Garden State Championship - next day win Northeast Championship in Delaware
1984	Start two tours - Rochester, NY for V.F.W. Championship (2nd) - D.C.I. at Rome, NY, Watkins Glen, NY, Pittsfield, MA (Guard wins Best Guard in DCI parade), Allentown, PA, & Toms River, NJ. Second tour ended in Atlanta, GA - D.C.I. Championship - 10th in Division II. A GREAT YEAR. Remember the armories. Played for Vice-President George Bush at the Colonie Hill, Long Island NY
1985	With so many members aging out - a year of re-building
1986	Bleak year - try every recruiting technique
1987	Enter newly formed U.D.C.A. Circuit
1988	Continue to compete and do 2 camps & parades - win U.D.C.A. M&M Championship
1989	Compete U.D.C.A.Circuit (19 H, 15 P, 8 CG, 1 flag elf ) Runner-up in M & M Division
1990	Compete U.D.C.A. Finals with a total of 45 members
1991	Last ever show was performed by the Long Island Grenadiers at Raider Stadium in August 1991 with 17 H, 15 P, 10 CG
1992	L.I. Grenadiers dissolved by Director "Uncle Bert" Ellis on March 10, 1992 - due to lack commitment of some of the members - A heart breaking thing to do after 34 years To all the wonderful members of the Grenadiers: Thanks for the memories and for all those years. "Uncle Bert" and "Aunt Ethel"
1999	41 years from the corps' inception a Reunion Committee was formed - with the following goals: West Sayville Golden Eagles Drum & Bugle Corps would sponsor the event underwriting the cost of stamps, envelopes, flyers, heroes, salads, and beverages. 700 flyers were sent with an additional 260 unknown addresses remaining. Reunion to be held in May for marching members only (due to space limits) To be updated after the reunion!

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