Memories from a 3-peat! 1985 stories.

[Bill Hawkes]

Following Kevin's lead, Let's see how many memoirs we can generate about this history-making year. I remember Zingali climbing to the top of Giant's stadium to watch us and telling us afterwards that he needed to re-write pretty much all of Jeremiah.

[Christine Tripucka]

Was that the year everyone got sick in between tours? I was lucky I didn't get it, but I remember it was pretty awful.

I mentioned this on the other site, but during "Death Camp"..... Sully screaming, "I want straight lines, not crooked lines, straight lines!"

For the life of me, I can't remember why, but Peggy got real mad at the guard and we weren't allowed to talk for the entire day. LOL We all ended up in tears. That was in PA before finals I think.

Everyone's opening spot was just anywhere. Mine was off the field, way in the back and I felt pretty lonely thinking, "What if some wierdo decides to harass me?' Tom Smith running out of the tunnel to the block in Jeremiah. We all knew he'd make it. Anyone heard from him lately?

[Kathy Wygant Pantel]

Well, since the seasons to seem to all run into each other as we get older, I just remember seemingly being "home" (NJ) about every 2 weeks, and NOT having to do my own laundry. How about seeing Gary Coleman sitting in his directors' chair in Atlanta while we waited to march in their July 4th parade. And the follow-up at Six Flags over Georgia (with a horrendous electrical storm that caught us all somewhere in the park).

I also remember this being my last of 10 years in the activity, and having my whole life meet me at the door the very last time I got to put on the uniform. I was almost inconsolable while sitting on the front bumper of the bus. I think Chris Macatee & Michele Imbrogno (I marched w/ Michele my entire 10 years) were trying to calm me down. The 1985 season was an especially SPECIAL year for me and basically what I hold my life to even now. We were basically "self-taught" and learned we COULD do anything we put our minds to.

[Michele Imbrogno De Rosa]

I do remember that - you were so upset. I often think of what we all learned about ourselves - life. sounds so corney (sp?), but it's true.

[Kelly Barr Sophy]

My memories of ‘85”

Practicing at the abandon elementary school in NY where the shower heads where shorter then me. Also practicing in Orangeburg (?) some field in the middle of nowhere. The July 4th parade in Atlanta and going to Six Flags over Georgia and going on the Freefall ride with Kathy, Marci, and Lee. Having a party at the school we stayed at in Georgia and then getting on the buses that night to head to I think Kentucky. The Rookie Talent show took place that night, Craft Smith and I won it and I think the whole bus was shocked because everyone thought I was so quiet! Getting so sick in Indianapolis with many other members and having to go to the hospital for drugs! Staying in the dorms in Whitewater and sleeping in real beds. Going to see the movie “Witness” in Wheaton, IL. Death camp in Middletown, NJ. Lee and I sneaking off to a bar in Rochester, NY on my 20th BD. Performing in the US Open Prelims in Marion OH, it was 110 degrees on the field and having the staff poor buckets of ice on us as we marched off the field and members passing out. We won pre-lims and it was the first time we beat SCV that year. That night we tied SCV and we broke ranks on the retreat field and each corps member walked around and shook the hands of our fellow competitors, for just a few minutes, there was no competition, we then played to each other and marched off the field and Gail Royer saying “see ya next week in Madison, Garfield”. Oh we saw them all right!!!! And last but not least, I remember staying in Columbus, WI for finals week and the whole town coming out and making us this great dinner, we then performed our show for them. At finals I remember the Candide mishap and George telling us we would not win, standing on the retreat field waiting to hear our name anywhere from 4th place up and when they got to 2nd thinking for sure it had to be us and when it wasn’t I think it was one of the most surreal moments of my life..I still get chills thinking about it!!!! And, the morning after we won championships the city of Columbus, WI gave us the key to the city. They were so proud to have us staying in their town.

Kelly

[Kevin A. Phillips aka "Wamba"]

The funny thing I remember from that finals performance is the look on Rich's face as he counted 1, 2, 1, 2, NO WAIT!!! I can only imagine how he felt. The whole corp I'm sure was very upset at that moment. But a can't remember if he had done that in a few rehearsals leading up to that night. But when we stood there and they announced 2nd place, I remember seeing Hop jump from his seat almost 20 yards and then I remember the whole contrabass section both crying and laughing as they walked out with the medals. I don't remember anything that happen after that. Not even the encore.

[Kathy Wygant Pantel]

Thank GOD for the drum line getting us back on track. And I remember sitting w/ 2 of the judges at our party at the school that night (Jim Messina & Clark Williams) saying they were preparing to just have wine & cheese up in the booth watching us do our magic that night,until the "Candide Incident". But they gave us the show anyway because they said we were flawless otherwise (10 counts none of us will ever forget) and that the drum line provided such a miraculous recovery how could they not give us the title. Kevin - how 'bout my brother (Rick, remember him?) cracking in finals for the 1st time the entire season, then in the encore playing the solo ONE OCTIVE UP!!!

[Rick Wygant]

The best part about the crack was hearing all of the dopey HS bands that actually wrote it into their shows the following fall!! Well......if you're gonna miss, make it musical!!

[Kevin A. Phillips aka "Wamba"]

Kathy, WAIT!!!!! Rick's your brother?!?!?

[Rick Wygant]

No......Kathy's my sister!!!

[Lee Jeffryes]

Oh God! That was the most heart stopping 16 steps in my life. If we weren't so much on auto-pilot, things might have gone worse. Unfortunately for the drum score, the judge was right in front of us and got a front row seat for the mayhem. He told us later that the drum trophy was ours until that intro phrase. During the quiet section when the drums move back field (second theme in the music), the snares and quads started chanting, "it doesn't matter, it doesn't matter. Keep going, keep going!" My nerves were tweaked during that whole piece.

After we won, I remember Hop telling us in the corps huddle over and over, "They forgave you, they forgave you!" That's probably the most animated I've ever seen Hop, after that win.

Listening back to the recording, it's not nearly as disastrous and my mind was making it while on the field. But any departure for the norm in those circumstances is magnified 1,000 times over. Does anybody remember Tom Smith giving his amazingly loud "hut, hut, hut, hut!" to clarify things. It's loud and clear on the recording. Thanks, Tom!!!

On the Garfield Three-peat DVD, George talks about how the same miscue happened on our last rehearsal run through. But instead of stopping to figure out what happened, we moved on. He went on to say that in retrospect, we probably should have looked more closely at what happened while we were still in rehearsal.

[Chris Macatee-Conley]

Tom Smith - another spark to the memory bank! I remember that - now!

Anyone else remember the fear that struck when you heard the name....
Donny Van Buren!
I remember having to go out in the middle of the cafeteria at the Piedmont Hilton and play in front of everyone! Happily, I played well and wow what a relief when everyone clapped.

[Kelly Barr Sophy]

I remember when Donny came to practice and being scared to death!

Anyone know where Tommy Smith is? I remember him telling me that when we had really hard days on tour we wished we were home, sleeping in our own beds, eating good food, etc. but that as soon as we were home from tour for a few days we would wish we were back on tour and he was so right!