The Columbians were created in November 1955,
but their history and relationship with American Legion Post #34 goes back to 1936.
by PNWDC.com
In 1936 a Boy Scout Drum & Bugle Corps was formed in Pasco Washington. It was co-sponsored by the Pasco American Legion Post #34 and the Boy Scouts of America. In October that year, the Legion Post took over sole sponsorship of the corps and renamed it the “Pasco Legion Jr. Drum & Bugle Corps”.
Dr. Robert Reeves Glen founded and directed that Pasco junior corps at the Legion Post where he was commander. In 1940, his corps won the Washington State American Legion Junior Championship title. He won it again in 1941 and 1942.
Dr. Glen’s corps disbanded sometime between 1942 and 1947.
In 1948 AL Post #34 formed a new SENIOR Drum & Bugle Corps with some notable names involved. Harlan Ritter was the drum major (he was the DM in Dr. Glen’s champion junior corps) with Neil Ault as his alternate. Neil Ault was one of the three directors that started the 1955 drum corps. Both Eldon Sargent and Larry Weltz (the other two directors that started the 1955 corps) were in the 1948 corps hornline. Dr. Glen himself taught percussion. No other information has been found on this 1948 senior corps. It is assumed that this corps was very short lived.
In 1953 the American Legion Post #34 again tried to start a SENIOR corps using Dr. Glen’s old equipment (see article below). This effort also failed to gain traction.
In 1955 the “Pasco Junior Legion D&BC” was formed, at Post #34. The directors of that corps were Larry Weltz, Neil Ault, and Eldon Sargent (all three were in the 1948 senior corps). Dr. Glen was an advisor to the corps. The 1936 and 1955 corps are connected not only through AL Post #34, but through Dr. Glen as well.
October 1936 Spokane Chronicle – Spokane, Washington
This 1939 photo of Dr. Glen’s “Pasco Drum & Bugle Corps” was taken in Spokane, Washington.
They look like Boy Scouts, don’t they?
This photo of Dr. Glen’s corps was taken in 1941.
New uniforms appeared in 1940. They are blue and orange.
1941 photo of Dr. Glen (in white) with his corps in the background. Notice the uniforms.
(Note that Harlan Ritter, the drum major, is also in the 1939 photo, back row, left end)
September 25, 1948
Even the guy in Dr. Glen’s white uniform is wearing a whistle, just like Dr. Glen.
These uniforms would go up in flames when the old legion post burned on February 29, 1960
