Spartans

Other Names:Milford Spartans

Nashua, NH United States
Founded: 1955

Active Junior
Open Class

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Results from final championship competition of the year Position: 208 Position 200+ indicates Division II, DCA Class A or DCI Open Class as appropriate to the year, Position 300+ indicates Division III, Position 400+ indicates Mini Corps, Position 500+ indicates International Division, and Position 999 indicates position unknown Score: 80.750
Repertoire for 2000
Glorioso
Gloriosa by Yasuhide Ito
Oratio
Cantus III
Diofestos

The Spartans Drum and Bugle Corps is an Open Class competitive junior drum and bugle corps based in Nashua, New Hampshire.

Berdie LaFlamme founded the Spartans in 1955. Mr. LaFlamme was succeeded as corps director by his son Peter in 1980. Since 2009, Albert’s grandson, Paul "PG" LaFlamme Jr. has been director.

The Spartans' rich heritage includes performances for Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, and George H.W. Bush. Spartans have been guest performers at Six Flags Theme Parks, Epcot Center, and Walt Disney World several times, and the corps participated in the 1996 Olympic Torch Ceremonies.

In 1990 the organizations was the recipient of a new corps facility worth more than one million dollars. The building also served as headquarters for the Spartans' twice-weekly bingo games.

The Spartans won the Drum Corps International (DCI) Division II World Championships in 1997 and successfully defended the title in 1998

Then in 1999 , a tragic fire destroyed all of the corps's instruments, uniforms, related equipment, and trailers. Through the determination of its members and staff and the generosity of the community and many volunteers, the Spartans rose from the ashes of this disaster, and continued as a stronger and better drum and bugle corps.

In 2003, the corps finished third in Division II/III finals, despite one bus breaking down only two days into a 20-day tour.

The Spartans again won back-to-back Division II World Championships in 2004 and '05 as well as the short-lived combined Division II/III title in its undefeated '04 season. The corps then added a fifth Division II World Championship crown in 2007.

Then came the Great Recession of 2007-09. In addition to the major economic downturn, the corps' bingo revenues dropped off so badly that the corps was forced to discontinue that fundraising activity. An attempt to sell the corps hall was going nowhere during the recession, even though the hall's mortgage payments were still coming due monthly.

The Spartans organization declared bankruptcy in 2009. and the corps went inactive. A change of management was a part of the reorganization. When the corps was finally able to sell the hall for enough to pay of the outstanding debts, it emerged from bankruptcy.

The Spartans returned to the field in 2010, and the corps has finished in the top five of Open Class each year since, winning the Open Class World Championship in 2019. The corps has also been a Wold Class semifinalist every year since 2012.

[Spartans Drum and Bugle Corps; Drum Corps World, multiple issues; A History of Drum & Bugle Corps, Vickers, ed.; Drum Corps International]

Members (69)

Member Name	Section	Years Involved
Acosta, Allan	Mellophone	2003
Banker, Tom	Battery	2008
Barsano, Mike	Contra	2002 to 2005
Barsano, Mike	Staff	2006 to 2007
Beemer, Thom	Drumline - Bassline	2001
Beemer, Thom	Bassline	2001 to 2003
Breen, Todd	snare(1990-1991) percussion staff(1992)	1990 to 1992
Brooks, Matthew	Soprano	2001 to 2002
Bryson, Joseph	Baritone	2003; 2005
Casimiro, Alex	Snareline	2004
Coffey, Derek	Drum-line (tenors)	2002
Connors, Jim	Brass	1991 to 1995
Correia, Christopher	Battery/Staff	1995 to 2001
Dufault, Shannon	ColorGuard	1997 to 2002
Dutile, Cassandra (Spud)	Front Ensemble	2000 to 2005
Eaglin, Jarret	sop	1999 to 2002
Eastman, Merle	Baritone/Bass Baritone	1962 to 1965; 1968
Eastman, Merle	Soprano	1962
Eastman, Merle	Baritone/Bass Baritone	1963 to 1965
Eastman, Merle	Bass Baritone	1968
Everson, John	Euphonium	2008
Everson, John	Tuba	2010
Floro, Timothy	Front Ensemble (Auditioning)	2005
Fortier, Andrew	Contra	2005 to 2006
Fortier, James	Baritone	2006 to 2007
Fortier, James	Drum Major	2010 to 2012
Gilchrist, Kelly	Guard	1990 to 1996
Gilchrist, Kevin	Drum Line	1993 to 1999
Girouard, Evan	Drumline/Pit	2002
Gissiner, Peter	Contra	2005
Godin, Jason	Pit	1991 to 1993
Gramazio, John	Pit/Colorguard	1995 to 1997
Gregoire, Rick	Drum Line	1995
Grelle, Frank	Instructor	1993
Higgins, Stephen	Mellophone	2005
Higgins, Stephen	Mellophone	2005
Hoover, Jim	Front Ensemble	1989
Hoover, Jim	Front Ensemble Arranger & Instructor	1990 to 1991
Hoover, Jim	Front Ensemble Tech	2000
Ingalls, Susan	Baritone	2005
Macuga, Dave	Baritone	2004 to 2005; 2007
Macuga, Dave	Contra	2006
Mamalis, Brad	Soprano	2000 to 2002
Marinilli, Joe	Trumpet	2010
Martins, Brian	Contra	1996 to 1998
Martins, Brian	Contra	1996 to 1998
McCullock, Brian	Contra	2005 to 2007
Montesion, Anthony	Baritone	2002 to 2006
Montesion, Anthony	Visual Staff	2007
Newman, Michael A.	Front Ensemble	1989 to 1992
Norato, Jon (Miami)	Mellophone	2005 to 2006
O'Leary, Ryan	Soprano	2001
Patrick, Dustin	Snare	2002 to 2003
Piantaggini, Lance	Snare	2001 to 2004
Poster, Eric	Baritone	2003
Sargent , Heather	Tenors	1983 to 1985
Scott, Joshua	Tenors	2005 to 2006
Snow, Jason	Contra	1997 to 2002
Veale, Keith	Cymbals	2005
Veale, Keith	Bassline, Age Out	2006
Veale, Keith	Staff - Cymbals/Drumline	2011
Weichel, Donnie	Snare	2001 to 2005
Whelehan, Jessica	Baritone	1997 to 1998; 2002
Willemain, Nathan	Baritone	2004
chouinard, kayla	soprano	2004 to 2005
gregoire, Rick	bass line	1995 to 1996
lund, josh	baritone	2007
pellerin, derek	Front Ensemble Timpani AgeOut	2008
rheault, joseph	Horns	1970 to 1971