The same with the US Navy...then. Some warships, such as aircraft carriers, rated bands. Under those circumstances, all personnel, including band members were expected to have battle stations, often serving as medical assistants (read stretcher bearers) and so forth. Sometimes, helping man the smaller guns (must remember those earplugs!). On land, the bands were assigned to DC (of course), naval districts, and sometimes bases such as the Naval Recruiting Sations in San Diego (now long gone) and the Great Lakes. There have been many reorganizations since, so hopefully someone with later experience than mine (1950s) can chime in. Believe me, the land-based bands were full time duty stations--drills, ceremonies, endless recruiting gigs, dances (the usual swing band core of the group, horn sometimes playing an empty trombone part), county fairs....you name it.
I'll bet things have changed in the past 50 years, but I can't remember what they are..... Richard in Seattle On 1/29/2010 12:45 PM, Ralph Mazza wrote: > In 1957-1958 I was drum major of the Signal Corps band (349th, I think) and > the band was our only duty assignment. Every enlisted GI had a "Military > Occupational Specialty (MOS) then, and mine was 023.1, which I believe was > "player, horn, French." > A few years earlier, my oldest brother was a horn player in an Air Force > band at Mitchell Field, Long Island NY, and he had no other duty assignment. > After that my next older brother was a percussionist in an Air Force Band in > California (March Field?) and he had no other duty assignment. > > Can things have changed so much in a mere 50+ years? > > Ralph Mazza _______________________________________________ post: [email protected] unsubscribe or set options at https://pegasus.memphis.edu/cgi-bin/mailman/options/horn/archive%40jab.org
