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The 97^th Army Band was stationed at Fort Sill, Oklahoma – in Lawton – and was commissioned until May 6, 1970, when its members were reassigned to the 77^th Army Band. From XXXX to XXXX the 77^77th Army Band were simultaneously at Fort Sill. After sixty-nine years (since February 24, 1955), the 77^77th Army Band endures, today.

History

Like all modern U.S. military bands, provided a broad range of music services for the Army — some of which routine or scheduled, but often on short-notice such as (i) military ceremonies that might include parades, presentations, and receptions; (ii) reveille, (iii) taps, (iv) pop and classical wind ensemble concerts, (v) choral concerts, (vi) dance band, (vii) military funerals, and (viii) civilian community service events, which included radio and television broadcasts, regional concert tours, and recruiting. The repertoire of the military wind ensemble ranged from march music — particularly that of the uniquely American Sousa swing style — to original works, to avant-garde, to transcriptions of orchestral classics, to arrangements of popular music. Many musicians in military bands performed several roles and often had the ability to play multiple instruments in multiple styles. Many military musicians composed and arranged works. The disciplines required in military bands was education and cultivated leadership that was useful outside the military. Military musicians held ranks of enlisted personnel, yet many had formal music training and, with the growth of music education at university levels, several had music education at those levels. During the World War II, the U.S. military was the largest employer of musicians in the world, due in part to the military draft.

89th Army Band at Fort Sill (1950–1955)

The 89th Army Band is a unit of the New York Guard, but formerly was a unit of the U.S. Army National Guard. The unit is stationed in Rochester, New York. The unit was mobilized October 15, 1950 – at the breakout of the Korean War – distinguishing it as the fifth National Guard unit and first National Guard Band to be called into active duty for the Korean War. The unit deployed to Fort Sill, departing Rochester October 20, 1950, and remained active in Fort Sill until February 24, 1955, when it deployed back to Rochester. Initially, when the unit was activated in 1950, most of its members were from Rochester or the nearby area. And, although, Rochester, is the home of the University of Rochester Eastman School of Music, few were affiliated with the School.

Known as the "General’s Own" 89th Army Band, it is the official band of the New York Guard, a unit of the New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs. The New York Guard, as of 2024, has been in service for one hundred and seven years.

Directors

1950: WO Anthony R. Bacca (1915–1982), was the unit commander; Bacca left the unit in November 1951 for an Army assignment in Korea, where he directed the 7th Division Army Band

1950s: Paul F. Knickerbocker (1927–2014) became Director of the 89th Army Band at Fort Sill during the Korean War. source

89th Army Band personnel in 1950

MSgt. Michael John Falzone (1905–1990)

Sgt. 1 c James F. Clarke (1910–1999)

Sgt. Richard Charles Bennett (born 19 March 1928; Rochester); before serving in the 89th Army Band, Bennett had served in the 21st Regimental Band from 1945 to 1947, then the 21st Infantry Band from 1947 to 1948; then upon discharge from the Regular Army, he enlisted in the 89th Army Band

Sgt. Robert E. Byers

Sgt. Robert Henderson (né Robert Allen Henderson; born 7 Oct 1929; Cortland, New York)

Sgt. Norman Johnson (né Norman Lee Johnson; 2 Feb 1929; Rochester, New York)

Sgt. Paul Knickerbocker, trumpet

Sgt. Charlie Monachino (né Charles Russell Monachino; born 30 Mar 1928; Rochester, New York)

Cpl. Robert Joseph Digman (1929–1973)

Cpl. Erwin Lowry Duryea (1928–2008) graduated in 1953 from Brockport State College with a Master of Science in Education

Cpl. Robert Keller

Cpl. Benjamin ("Benny") A. Menegazzi (1930–1983)

Cpl. Charles Lenhart Morey (born 10 April 1931; Rochester), percussion

Pfc. Joseph Castelli (born 27 Jun 1931; Rochester, New York)

Pfc. Nick Peter Caterino (born 25 Sep 1928; Rochester)

Pfc. Frank Albert Cuomo (1919–2002) (grandfather of of Rivers Cuomo?)

Pfc. Carlton Fred Mante (25 April 1932; born Akron, New York), percussion

Pfc. William Enssle (born 27 Oct 1930)

Pfc. Alphonse John Salvaggio (1929–2005) (born in Rochester, New York)

Rct. Russell Sanguedolce (né Russell Basil Sanguedolce; 1930–2006) (born in Rochester, New York)

89th Army Band personnel, subsequent to 1950 activation

Joseph J. Ferrante, Jr. (1929– 29 June 1980, Saint Louis) (attended U.S. Navy School of Music) was a prominent jazz bassist in Saint Louis

David J. Bagozzi (1930–1964) (attended United States Armed Forces School of Music)

1954: Pfc. Bruce Gilbert Patterson (1931–1999) of Milwaukee

1954: Richard Early

97th Army Band personnel

Directors

1950–19??: CWO Adam Paul Shpakowsky (1916–1989) (photo, 1957) (in 1958, he was director of the 433rd Army Band at Camp Irwin)

1959–1961: CWO-3 Ray O. McCune (né Raymond Oliver McCune; 1908–1976) became director of the 97th in April 1959. Before entering the Army in 1941, McCune had played clarinet with Jan Garber, Emit Flint, and Joe Kayser

1962: WO Charles L. Pierson

Lt. Col. William E. Clark, who went on the direct the Army Field Band, commanded the 77th Army Band at Fort Sill

Musicians

1940s

WWII: James Alison Adams (1928–1965) – MICH TEC 5

1941: Pfc. Vernon Leonard, from Mason City, Iowa, son of Valentine Leonard, was promoted to Corporal August 1941

1941: Joe Shirley was promoted to Staff Sergent August 1941, he was the son of K.L. Shirley of Eugene, Oregon, formerly of Roseburg, Oregon

1941: Troy D. Straughn, of McKinney, Texas (son of W.S. Straughn)

1943: Jack Andrew Anderson (1921–2010), from Omaha

1939: Isaac Flowers Sr. (1919–1976)

19??: Ervin L. Lebeda (1934–2011)

1942–1944: Bill DeArango, jazz guitarist (he was drafted in 1942)

1950s

1950s: Gary McFarland was among the musicians.

1951–1953: Ernest Repass (born 1929), 02E, tuba, trombone, double bass; Earnest went on to become a high school band direct; symphonic musician (Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Fort Worth Opera)

1952–1954: Morris Repass (born 1932), 02B, trumpet; Morris, Ernie's brother, went on to become a prolific studio musician on trombone, recording on dozens of major labels with renowned big bands, including those of Clare Fischer; he played in the One O'Clock Lab Band in 1960

1950s: Bill Galanko (né William Robert Galanko; 1931–2012), 42R

1954– 1956: Bill Gaver (né William Defern Gaver; born around 1933), 02L, clarinet and saxophone (DMA - University of Missouri, Kansas City, 1971) (photo); Gaver received his discharge from the Army in June 1956

1953–1955: Pfc. Junior Rudolph Karas (born 1933) went on to earn a Bachelors Degree in Music Education from Peru State College in 1956 and his Masters Degree in Music Education from University of Northern Colorado in 1962 and became a music educator in Fort Morgan, Colorado

1953–1955: Ted Hegvik (né Arthur Theodore Hegvik; born 1932), 02L, clarinet, saxophone

1950s: Firmin J. Baye, Jr. (1931–2016) 02J, clarinet

1950s: Neil Slater, 02N, piano

1950s: Larry Wilson, 02B, trumpet

1954–1956: Gary McFarland

1953–1955: Earl H. Spindler (born 1933) (from Cleveland, Wisconsin, son of Mr. & Mrs. Norman Spindler)

1953: Clare Fischer, 02L, listed as saxophonist, but was a famous pianist

1953–1954: Dwight Beckham (né Dwight Russel Beckham, Sr.; born 1931), 02B, Trumpet

1956–1958: Spc3 Glenn J. Koca (born 1934) 037, saxophone

1955–1956: Frederick A. Mueller (1921–2002) (nl), bassoonist; from 1947 to 1955, Mueller was bassoonist in the 4th Army Band at Fort Sam Houston, San Antonio, the from 1955 to 1956, bassoonist with the 97th Army Band

1956: CWO Nicholas Keller was in charge of the 97^th Army Band

1959: SP3 Harold L. Harmon, trumpet

1954: Pfc. Stewart Richard Southard (1932–1998) went on to be a music teacher for 33 years at Red Jacket High School in Shortsville, New York

1959: SP3 Roberto Flores, trumpet

1955-1957? (guessing) Bob Slejko (né Robert Luke Slejko; born 1928), trumpet, from Cleveland, went on to study architecture at the University of Oklahoma, lives in Irving, Texas

1956: Al Treccia directed the 97th Army Dance Band in 1956

1953–1955: Thomas D. Warren (né Thomas Dale Warren; 1931–2002) was born and reared in Franklin, Tennessee; in 1953, he earned a Bachelor of Music in theory and composition from George Peabody College, now part of Vanderbilt

Ray McCune, Jr. (né Raymond Oliver McCune, Jr.; 1929–1971), clarinet (son of the director)

97^th Army Band Dance Band at Fort Sill (circa 1953)

Bob Slejko (leader), Ernest Repass (trombone), Prentice Jeffries (alto), Al Rosata (alto), Dwight Beckham (trumpet), Dick Kovac (tenor), Don Larsen (drums), George Unger (bass), Jim Ecker (piano)

1956: Al Treccia directed the 97th Army Dance Band in 1956

1960s

1961–19??: Pfc. Michael McIntosh, from Lansing, Michigan

1963–1964: Rocco Esposito 02M + Z / Percussion + Enl. Bandleader

1964–1965: Waddle 'Eddie' Edwards 02F / Tuba

1965–1966: Bob Glick 02D / French Horn

1966–1968: Craig Moody 02F / Tuba

1967–1968: James Hickerson 02J + L + Z + S / Clarinet +

1968–1969: Steven Lingle 02L / Saxophone

1960s: M. Sgt. Booker T. Beckwith, retired in 1969, after having served 25 years

1969-1971: C. Tom Lane (né Charlies Thomas Lane; 1950–2002), saxophonist from Des Moines; after his tour in the Army, Lane continued music, initially with territory bands

1967: Jim Bagby, trombone, formerly a sportswriter for the Lawton Constitution

97th or 77th?

19??: Maxey Adams, a trumpeter from Lawton, when on to become an orchestral trumpeter

1965: Zoltan Biro, assigned to a Fort Sill Band when is father, Zoltan Biro (1909–1965), a violinist, died in 1965

Enlisted 1963: Ancencion Gonzalez, from Corpus Christi

1956–1957: (confirmed, he was in the 77th for 21 months, but wasn't assigned to the 77th until September 1956) Stephen Paul Murdock, graduated from American Fork High School, had attended BYU (as of the 1958 source article)

Vernon Brown, from Chester Illinois, a graduate, as of 1967, of Valparaiso University

1953: Gerald Dean, clarinet, son of Earl Dean of Mason City, Iowa; He, with three others from Fort Sill, appeared on the Arlene Francis Talent Show on TV from New York, December 12, 1953

Not sure when

Late 1950s? SP4 Augustine Joseph Orlandi (1933–2016), long-time band director at Weir High School, West Virginia; he served in the 282nd Army Band at Fort Jackson, South Carolina and the 97th Army Band at Fort Sill

Darrell Cannedy, trumpet, went on to become a music educator; he held a music degree from Murray State College

1961 McCune farwell party guests (possible band members

1961: M Sgt. Victor M. Rosello

1961: Sgt. Manuel Figueroa

1961: Sgt. Harold W. Baker

1961: SP4 Paul H. Olshanski (drawer of cartoons)

1961: Sfc. Joseph W. Simms

1961: Sgt. Baker

1961: SP4 Larry L. Arrasmith

1961: SP4 Gary S. Griffith

1961: SP4 Thomas D. Schackleford

1961: SP4 Roy Johnson

1961: Sfc Ray Gordon

1961: Sfc Marvin E. Leach

1961: Sgt. Sherman E. Capel

1961: Sgt. Leonard W. Driver

1961: Sgt. Jose Torres-Santana

1961: SP4 Edgar Horne

1961: SP4 Otis Porter

1961: Pfc. David F. Bartlett

1961: Pfc. Vernon Gee

1961: Pfc. Kurt Hakonsson

1961: Pfc. Michael G. Hoyer

1961: Fce. Jon W. Matala

1961: Pfc. Charles Robinson

1961: Pfc. Lamar Turner

1961: SP4 Bobby Waldron

Audio links

97^th Army Marching/Symphonic Bands, 1953

"Stars in a Velvety Sky," by Herbert L. Clarke; Pfc. Beckham, trumpet solist; CWO Adam P. Shpakowsky, conductor

"Beguine," by Morton Gould, CWO Adam P. Shpakowsky, conductor (1953)

"Sells-Floto Triumphal" (screamer), by Karl L. King, CWO Adam P. Shpakowsky, conductor (1953)

97^th Army Dance Band

"Perdido," (Duke Ellington version), by Juan Tizol

source

Selected musicians from the 77th Army Band (when both were at Fort Sill)

• 1955?: Walter Charles Iacobucci, Jr. (1929–1998), composed (w&m) the "The Cannoneers Post March" (©1955), the official march of the Army Artillery; we went on to become a music educator in Western Pennsylvania; he was born in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, a few miles from a bandmate Neil Slater of Pittsburgh

Vietnam War era

• Martin Schwartz, Trumpet
• John Dulik, piano
• Woody Floyd, drums
• Frank Tusa bass

Image links

97^th Army Dance Band, 1955

Neil Slater (piano), Dick Walker, Fred Mueller (sax), Floyd Sullivan (bass), Ray Papa (alto), Bob Glover (alto), Chuck Yabenski (bass) (incomplete list)

Source: The Bugler 97^th Army Band, Ft. Sill, Okla. Newsletter, Vol. 3, No. 6, November–December 2000; source url www2.moreheadstate.edu

• See: 97^th Army Band Newsletter

List of other U.S. Military Bands

• 100th Army Band, U.S. Army Reserve, Fort Knox, Kentucky
• United States Army Band, Fort Myer (Arlington), Virginia
• West Point Band, U.S. Military Academy, Highland Falls, New York
• United States Marine Band, Washington, D.C.
• The Airmen of Note, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C.

References

Inline citations

Category:Bands of the United States Army

Category:Wind bands

Category:Articles containing video clips

Category:Ceremonial units of the United States military

Category:United States Army Band musicians