_edited.png)
Pat Chagnon – Remembering a Troopers Icon
- Michael D. Gough
- 2 hours ago
- 5 min read
In 1987, Patricia Anne Chagnon, a native of Massachusetts, arrived in Casper, Wyoming, to join the ranks of one of the most renowned drum and bugle corps in the world. It was the final year under the direction of legendary founder Jim Jones — the year following a finals performance that would be the corps’ last for over two decades.
Pat only marched one year, but that experience clearly moved her. She believed deeply that the corps could rise to even greater heights. This rookie learned quickly what “honor, loyalty, and dedication” truly meant — that they weren’t just words or a slogan, but principles to live by and care for.
Like many who have marched over the last thirty years, I met Pat somewhere along the trail. She was always working behind the scenes, offering help wherever her talents could serve. She picked up members from airports, drove them to rehearsals and shows, and spoke of Troopers past like a mythical and wondrous land we were now a part of. One by one, she turned countless Troopers into lifelong believers, workers, board members, and even Executive Directors.
Pat Chagnon started this very website (TroopersDrumCorps.org) before it was common for organizations to have one at all. In fact, it was among the very first drum corps websites in existence — and in those early days, it often won awards for its excellence.
As Dean Westman once said, “The connections you make with each other will define who you are and your experience on this Earth.” Pat lived that truth every day. She knew that connections to the past, present, and future were key to building a strong culture and a sustainable future. Before social media — which, one could argue, has achieved the opposite of its goal of bringing people together — Pat started message boards on the Troopers website that kept everyone connected. She moderated those boards for years, ensuring civil discussion and quietly teaching us how to interact with respect. She was a founding member of the Troopers Alumni Association, helped draft its bylaws, donated to countless fundraising efforts, and even marched with the Troopers in the 2001 Presidential Inauguration Parade.
In 2006, Mike Ottoes called Pat to inform her that a press release needed to go out — the corps was shutting down. Despite the shock and heartbreak, she stayed at her post, ever the volunteer and guardian of the Troopers brand. From that moment on, Pat was always there: taking photos, capturing moments of the corps’ return in 2007. With Mike Ottoes at the helm and the late Corps Director Fred Morris, who we lost last year, Pat Chagnon shepherded the Troopers’ message to audiences and young people alike. “Legends never die” was the motto that year. I was fortunate to work alongside Pat while filming the documentary America’s Core. It was no accident that she was one of the key people I interviewed to get the story right.
In 2009, while filming the follow-up documentary Hell Bent for Victory, I’ll never forget the overwhelming feeling of the corps making finals for the first time in twenty-three years. That night, the front page of the website changed to a mock newspaper, the headline in huge bold letters: “FINALS!”
After that, I moved on with my life — or so I thought. But in 2016, the mythology Pat had instilled in me called again. I soon found myself back in Casper, working as Marketing Director, handling many of the same responsibilities Pat once guided. The first thing I needed was photos of the 2016 Troopers. Believe it or not, there was only one person who had them: Pat Chagnon.
Over the years, I was continually amazed by how much Pat still did for individual members, just as she had done for me and so many others. And none of us could have predicted that her crowning achievement was yet to come.
In 2018, we were preparing for the Troopers’ 60th Anniversary Celebration in Casper. At the time, there was plenty of frustration that we didn’t have any alumni performance planned. So, Mike Ottoes and I scheduled a meeting at the Bingo Hall for anyone interested in discussing the idea of an alumni corps. Honestly, it was meant to calm the storm so I could focus the organization’s energy on more positive things.
But then… Pat showed up.
After about an hour of discussion, she sat to my left, slapped her hand on the table, and proclaimed, “I’ll do it!”In that moment, hundreds of lives were changed.
One of my biggest frustrations in life is when people say they’re going to do something but never take action — sometimes not even the second step. We’ve all been guilty of that at times. But when Pat Chagnon said she was going to do something… look out.
The first few years of the alumni corps started small, but then Pat had a brilliant idea inspired by what other organizations had done: allow alumni from other groups to participate. She named it the Troopers Legacy Corps — and her legacy was born.
Pat was inducted into the Troopers Hall of Fame in 2020 and went on to lead the Troopers Legacy Corps to its ultimate goal: performing at the Drum Corps International World Championships on Semifinals night. A dream many considered impossible — but she made it happen.
Within this historic organization, Pat carved out a place where people could come together and share in the experience of being a Trooper. She gave people the gift of belonging. She stayed the course in our worst years and in our best. She embodied the highest ideals and standards of what it means to be a Trooper — and defined what it means to be an alum.
We live in divisive times, often for no good reason at all. But amid the chaos of the modern world, this incredible person brought people from all walks of life together. She proved that when we put down our devices, look each other in the eye, and share a hug, we aren’t so different after all. When we aspire to act a little more like she did, we can achieve greatness — together.
Pat Chagnon is an icon, and through us, her legacy will continue.
Sincerely,
Michael Gough, Troopers Executive Director
A celebration of life party will be held with details coming soon, and all are invited to attend. Instead of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to the Troopers Drum & Bugle Corps (Wyoming) in Pat’s honor.
Pat’s warmth, wisdom, and generosity will be dearly missed, but her legacy will live on in the hearts of those who knew and loved her.
