Senior Corps
Select red text below to access more data
December 2022 – This page has been recreated from scratch due to an unfortunate accident caused by your dear webmaster.
I’m sure the data is NOT as robust as it was. Our apologies.
Canadian Senior Corps
BC Regiment – Vancouver BC, Canada 19
Established: 1883
Commander: Lt. Col. David L. Vaughan
First known Documentation: 1964 19
Last documentation: March 20, 1965 news article
Disbanded: Unknown
Photo: 1964 Thunderbirds show program
Commonwealth Frontiersmen – Vancouver BC, Canada 5
Established: November 1, 1965
Formerly “The Dynamics” of Vancouver BC
Director: LT. W.E. Jones
Manager: Sgt J.F. McCorkell
Last documentation: July 30, 1966 Music in Motion show
Disbanded: Unknown
All members and staff were active military
Linksmen – Westminster BC, Canada 23
Established: 1966 (verification needed)
Manager: Bill Jones
Sponsors of the NW International Championships show
Last documentation: 1967
Disbanded: Unknown
Parent corps to the Richmond Ambassadors Jr. D&BC of Richmond, BC
Queen’s Own Rifles – Victoria BC, Canada 16
Established: April 26th, 1860
Manager: Canadian Government
Last documentation: 1967 Salem Optirama
Disbanded: Unknown
Washington State Senior Corps
Black Hawks – Auburn, WA 18
Established: 1927 as the Auburn Post #78 American Legion Drum Corps
Eight-time Washington State Senior American Legion Champions
Renamed the Black Hawks: Late 1960 39
Manager: Bob Powers
Last documentation: 1963 18
Disbanded: 1962 42
Photo: 1960
Blue Knights – Everett, WA 1
Established: 1945
AKA: American Legion, Earl Faulkner Post #6 D&BC
Washington State American Legion Champions 1964 thru 1967
Manager: Forrest Maxson (1962)
Last documentation: 1967 Wash State DC Association Sr. Champions
Disbanded: later than 1967
Photo: 1964
Falcons Sr. – Bellingham, WA 18
Established: 1922
AKA: American Legion, Albert J. Hamilton Post #7 D&BC
AKA: Fighting Falcons as of 1961
Manager: George Marus (ca1961)
Washington State AL Champions 10 times
Last documentation: 1963
Disbanded: 1963 (DCN May 22, 1963)
The Grenadiers – Bremerton, WA
Established: 1953
AKA: VFW 4th District, Kitsap Count D&BC
Co-founder: Jack Avery (1953)
Washington State VFW Sr. Champions: 1959 thru 1962
Washington State American Legion Sr. Champions: 1970
Last Field Show: 1970 15
Last documentation: 1984 Game Night fund raiser ad
Disbanded: Unknown
The Hurricanes – Seattle, WA 1
Established: 1927
AKA: American Legion, University Post #11 D&BC
Washington State American Legion Champions in:
1937, 38, 51, 53, 59, 60, 62, and 1963
Noted Members:
Jack Avery – Director/Horn Instructor, Seattle Thunderbirds & Cascades
John Broderick – Director/Drum Instructor, Seattle Shamrocks
Mike Stefanowicz – Drum Instructor, Thunderbirds
Frank Sousa – Founder/Director, Renton Blue Angels
Fred Lopez – Director, Marauders & 1970 Thunderbirds
Ray Frederickson – Music Director, Bell-Airs, Asst Mgr Shamrocks
Bob Aklin – Drum Instructor, Bell-Airs
Director: Jack Avery (1948 – 1964)
Manager: Warren Bagby (1964)
Drum Instructor: John Brodrick (1964)
Last documentation: 1965 5
Disbanded: Unknown
Photo: 1964 Thunderbirds show program
Nile Temple – Seattle, WA
Established: ca1949
Director: Jack Avery (Seattle Thunderbirds) 1949 thru 1954
Last documentation: 1973
Parade corps only.
Photo: 1950 California
Renton Eagles – Renton, WA 18
Established: 1954
AKA: Fraternal Order of Eagles, Post #1722
Manager: Marice Scalette, Mario Spillato (1960)
Five-time Washington State Eagles Drum Corps Champions 1956 – 1960
1961: National Eagles DC Champions (held in Minneapolis Minnesota)
Last documentation: 1963 Drum Corps World
Disbanded: End of 1961
Photo: 1956 Santa Claus parade in Tacoma, WA
Sedro-Woolley – Sedro-Woolley, WA 18
Established: 1926
AKA: American Legion, Sedro-Woolley Post #43 D&BC
Director / Manager: unknown
1926 – unknown: First iteration of senior corps.
1948 – unknown: Created Jr corps.
1958 – 1965: Second/last iteration of senior corps.
First known Documentation: 1926
First Field Show: 1962
Last documentation: 1965
Disbanded: 1965
Uniforms: Blue & white
Photo: ca 1960
Wenatchee Appleknockers – Wenatchee, WA 18
Established: unknown (after 1919)
AKA: American Legion, Wenatchee Post #10 40
AKA: Pippins – August 1962 Washington State AL Championships 41
Earliest known documentation: August 1925 Port Angeles Parade
Washington State AL Champions in 1941, 42, 47, 49, 50, 54, and 1958
Manager: Gordon Isaacson
Last Documentation: 1963
Last Known Show: August 9, 1963, AL State in Yakima, WA
Disbanded: 1963
(For those of us on the west side of the mountains, an appleknocker is a person who picks apples and a Pippin is a type of apple.
Both of which make perfect names for a corps in eastern Washington where both apples and Wenatchee are located.)
Oregon State Senior Corps
Go to “Historical Perspective” in the header above for additional Eastern Oregon corps articles
The Baker Scouts – Baker, OR 1
Established: 1952 as a Jr corps
Last Documentation: 2003
Last Field Show: 1964 (verification needed)
1965: Converted to a parade corps
1975: Reorganized into a senior parade corps
Disbanded: Still current
Photo: 1958
Leathernecks – Portland, OR 1
Established: 1955
AKA: American Legion Post #169
All members (in 1955) are ex-Marines, hence; “Leathernecks”
Manager: Bruce Plumb (1955)
Bruce would later be the Director of the Portland Hawks & Royal Lancers
Music Director: Don Bradley
Home Show: Drumkhana. First show June 6, 1964
Last Documentation:
January 21, 1967 – Salem Optirama (full corps)
August 1970 – American Legion Nationals Senior Color Guard Competition
Disbanded: after 1967
Photo: 1964 Thunderbirds Show program
Pendleton Sr. – Pendleton, OR 10
AKA; Pendleton Cowboys
Established: unknown
Earliest Documentation: July 29, 1956 Halftime Show
Mostly a parade corps
President: Ralph Isackson (1960)
Director: Ted White (1960)
Drum Major: Ted White (1956 – 1963)
[Ted would go on to be the Director & horn instructor for the Rangers]
Drum Instructor: Roger Allen (1964)
[Whose father was Founder/Director of the Pendleton Rangers Jr D&BC]
Last Documentation: 1963 Oregon State AL Championships
Last, last Documentation: 1971 newspaper article
Disbanded: 1963 or 1964
Photo: ca 1960
Uniforms: Red with white hats, belts, and dickies