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9:37pm 03-16-2012Bill Goodman
Year(s) in the Corps
1981 (Jan) - 1981 (September)Section in the Corps
Bugle and Corps Commander from May 1981 until I left in Sep 1981 for Germany.- Great times and wonderful people. Browsing below became NCOIC while I was the Corps Commander. All he speaks of was truly fun. Mardi Gras was great, women love a man in uniform..... I was in true Corps for the trip to Barksdale he speaks of. We stayed at the Hilton right off base and really were treated very well.
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9:48am 03-09-2012Gary Hart
Year(s) in the Corps
Fall '83 to Summer '84Section in the Corps
Styx (tri's)Your Favorite Food
varietyWhat You Want For Christmas
New Bass Guitar- I played the tri's my entire stay at Keesler. The Blue Knights made Keesler actually fun. I probably still hold the record for being a performing boot the longest as I simply refused the do what was necessary move to a performing member. But I also moved from performing boot to performing member to "Old Man Of The Corp" to being dubbed Blue Knight in a matter of days. Good times.
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4:40pm 03-08-2012Christian W. Nason
Year(s) in the Corps
1984Section in the Corps
Cymbals- "D n B" was one of the best times of my life. I remember volunteering to plant rose trees in front of the C.O.'s office to get out of P.T. I was also "Captain Cambodia" for the majority of my stay there April thru August 1984. I would love to get in touch with any of the people from that time...
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4:40pm 03-02-2012David Cook
Year(s) in the Corps
1981-1984Section in the Corps
NCOICYour Favorite Food
Burgers and PizzaWhat You Want For Christmas
To have all my friends and family to be healthy and happy- Being assigned to the Drum and Bugle Corps was one of my favorite assignments in the AF. When I became the NCOIC of the unit, we had about 45 people and when it was my time to salute out we had 118 members. The memories I have are truly priceless. I have many pictures and ropes and clothing articles from those times. If I can ever get the time to find them I will put them on the site. I remember the Mardi Gras's we did in New Orleans and all the miles we all put on our feet during those times. The beads that people came home with was beyond me how they got them. It was a blast to go do the parades. The shows we did was anywhere from a salute out to performing in front of a massive crows at Barksdale AFB, La Open House. We were flown up there on a C141, and Barksdale put us up in a very nice Hotel off base, we were there for 1 night.. The show was done in front of a a estimated 10,000 + people that was out there on the runway and stands area. We received a standing ovation for the awesome show that was done. As young Airmen in the AF they were treated as stars and catered to by NCO's and young Officers while there. Wow the memories are flooding back. I will have to get this all wrote out and get it sent in for all to see. Hit It Corps,, Break It Corps. Miss the Blue Knights Drum and Bugle Corps.
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12:09pm 03-02-2012GiGi Gany Collins
Year(s) in the Corps
1988Section in the Corps
CymbalsYour Favorite Food
Italian, Mexican, anything made by meWhat You Want For Christmas
World peace- Thanks for making this page. I was at Keesler March-May of 1988 (I was a pop tart if that still means the same thing there). My roomate was named Jeannie and she was the best. My nickname was Airman Skate. I remember a redhead named Vickie who married a blond guy named Dave (both in D&B) and they wound up at Minot after Keesler. I have fond memories of D & B. Anyone remember the breakfast club? Recon missions? Sgt. Odom was in charge of the corp while I was there. I wish that I could remember some more names but I do remember many people very fondly. I remember marching in a parade and all of the cymbals had to march backward nearly the entire time and it was really, really hot. My face was as red a beet that day. Good times.
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2:58am 02-26-2012Tuan (Calvin) Nguyen
Year(s) in the Corps
May - September 2003Section in the Corps
Horns/Brass (Mellophone - mids)Your Favorite Food
All kindsWhat You Want For Christmas
For my webseries "Day Zero" (http://www.dayzerotv.com) to be picked up by a distributor and to get paid for it!-
So awesome to see everyone who served in the Corps! Wow, such rich history
I was glad to be a part of that, though there doesn't seem to be as many proud members from the 2000s here (yet). lol. I really dug learning the Mellophone while I was there, and it was a great way to get out of the inspections sometimes during retreat. J/k! I was Honor Guard for 2 1/2 years in the Air Force, so I was already squared away, didn't do the drill team though, that would've been a bit much.
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11:34am 02-13-2012Wes"Arnie"Arnott
Year(s) in the Corps
12/83-5/84Section in the Corps
Contra Bass Bugle- I remember being the first contra player in 6 months, the brand new horn turned out to be a concert tuba we had to convert into a bugle. No music around, had to write my own made up spins for the beast for parades, etc. Would love to find footage of especially Mardi Grass and the Mobile flagpole dedication. Truly my favorite part of my Air Force career, voluntarily shortened because I stupidly got out for a "6 week wonder" who was also in the corps.
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4:00pm 01-28-2012BOB MANN
Year(s) in the Corps
63-64Section in the Corps
DRUMSYour Favorite Food
PASTRAMI SANDWICH- I got the Corps to go to the 63 World Open in Jersey City, NJ, we did a drill and all. I marched with the Sunrisers from 65-68. I played one of the first mellophones, Single valve back then. Did the Mardi Gras parades. Marched the student Corps to classes in the AM and back in the afternoon. A great time.
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6:00pm 01-18-2012Michael Warbritton
Year(s) in the Corps
1959-1960Section in the Corps
Bass Bugle/Assistant Drum majorYour Favorite Food
Anything-
Served in the Dumb and Bungle Corps at Lackland AFB from Aug 58-Oct 58. Found out the beauty of being in the Corps (NO KP!) so when arriving at KAFB, immediately went looking for the Blue Knights of Keesler. Had to wait until finishing BASIC before moving from Triangle to Old Base. We were the first group invited to participate in the Billy Bones Festival in Fort Walton Beach, FL. Flew there on a C-47 Gooney Bird. Very enjoyable time of my life,I was only 19 and thought I had the world by the tail.
Served 25 years before retiring in 1983, spent half of my career chasing electrons and the other half telling pilots where to go.
Would not have traded it for anything anyone has ever told me.
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4:27pm 01-14-2012Delbert Willeford Jr
Year(s) in the Corps
September 1973 to May 1974Section in the Corps
DrumsYour Favorite Food
SteakWhat You Want For Christmas
F4 Phantom II- The Corps was the best time in the Air Force. We marched some of the craziest parades I have ever heard of, Ocean Springs Mayors dog had puppies. Also had great times at Mardis Gras in1974, troop change, retreat and practice and practice and practice. The Corps was a great group of people. Redeyes, marching in the toilet, breaking starch everyday and removing loose threads. I would love to do it again. I played the cymbals and bass drum.
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11:01am 11-18-2011Tim Mullican
Year(s) in the Corps
1979Section in the Corps
HornsYour Favorite Food
SOS!What You Want For Christmas
To locate more of my old friends from Keesler....The only one here so far is Sharon Johnson and yes, I remember you!!!-
When I first visited the USAF recruiter, my goal was to become a member of the Air Force band. To my dismay, there were no openings on horn so I chose Air Traffic Control instead. That's what got me to Keesler. I was asked right after I got off the bus from Lackland if I had any music experience and the rest is history. Having marched in the band in high school, there was never any hesitation to want to be a part of this group.
My fondest memory was the "32". You heard many horror stories about this long ordeal, and don't get me wrong, it was TOUGH, but after it was over, you had such a great sense of accomplishment. I would not trade the experiences of my time at Keesler for anything. I have been trying very hard lately to find the whereabouts of John Myers, Bruce Biser, William Koehler, and Tim Spaulding. I did manage to find Dale Multer on Facebook today. If Sharon has any old photos, or has contact with any old members, please let me know.
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2:21am 10-14-2011Mike Luna
Year(s) in the Corps
1988Section in the Corps
Rifles and Corps CommanderYour Favorite Food
MexicanWhat You Want For Christmas
Stephanie Davis- Loved my time with the Blue Knights! Old friends can reach me here: [email protected]
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8:34pm 10-11-2011Jerry F. Norris
Year(s) in the Corps
late 1956-early 1957Section in the Corps
BugleYour Favorite Food
GermanWhat You Want For Christmas
Red Ryder BB Gun- Started in a D&B Corps at Lackland, Flight B56-17. At Keesler joined the Corps there. Got light details and got to eat chow at the WAF chow hall. Got severely dressed down one breakfast by Chow Hall NCOIC ( A Lady, for sure) for not having brass on my Class "A"'s. Never forgot again. Got to march in the Mardi Gras in NO while my new wife went to high school in Biloxi. Had to resign from Corps shortly thereafter. Dennis Swift and Richard Chapin were good friends at tech school and in the Corps. Dennis and I went to same base after school. Have long since lost contact. Retired and still married to "new Wife" 55 years later. Still many good times. Glad to see this site.
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3:37pm 09-16-2011David J. Kucera
Year(s) in the Corps
July 1970 to Febr. 1971Section in the Corps
Flag Corp.Your Favorite Food
Big Juicy SteakWhat You Want For Christmas
Health and Happiness to all!!!!!!!!!!!!!-
Came to Kessler in the summer of 1970 right out of basic training. Was going to become a ditty-bopper for good old Uncle Sam. Joined the Drum and Bugle Corp and had some of the best times with all my buddies and many a trip to New Orleans. Loved that Bourbon St. Got to march in the Sugar Bowl Parade in 1971. And remember one of my buddies giving his Drum and Bugle Corp helmet to a New Orleans lass for her "goodies". What a time!!!!!!!!!
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9:16am 09-13-2011Steve Giddens
Year(s) in the Corps
1988-89Section in the Corps
Horns, Arranged, Drill Design, Lead Drinker (Sometimes Soloist)Your Favorite Food
Choppin Vodka MartiniWhat You Want For Christmas
Win the $250 million lotto, buy an island and a Citation X, and disappear.- I arrived December 1, 1988 for Air Traffic Control training and was greeted by Donna Macon who promptly recruited me into the corps. I was an easy target as I played at Lackland AFB, as well as with the 1986 and 1988 Concord Blue Devils. I was a Green, then Yellow Rope under MSgt Fred Gossett (who I've remained friends with over the years). Dubbed Blue Knight. Fun times hazing pingers: mattress exchange, hurricane watch, and bay floods. Lots of drinking and chicks at the Vandy. Marti Gras in 1989. I'm still an Air Traffic Controller today and I still march (Racine Kilties). BTW, who has the California Golden Bear Rifle...?