Troopers Alumni Corps to Appear at America’s Hometown Celebration
Plymouth, MA - Armed with Honor, Loyalty and Dedication, alumni and friends of Troopers Drum and Bugle are in Plymouth, MA, to participate in the annual America’s Hometown Celebration.
The Troopers are a competitive world class drum and bugle corps founded in 1958 in Casper, WY. Long known as America’s Corps, the Troopers have welcomed members from throughout the United States and even internationally for decades. Now a number of alumni from across the years – commonly referred to collectively as The Long Blue Line - will proudly represent the ensemble’s long and storied history at this nationally ranked celebration of the nation’s heritage.
Troopers Alumni Corps (TAC) is the culmination of the TAC Project. The alumni corps will participate in this popular New England festival’s parade as well as America's Hometown Drum and Bugle Corps Reunion Concert, both Saturday, Nov. 20.
The parade steps off at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time from Plymouth Rock in the city’s historic waterfront. A live stream of the parade is available for viewing at USAThanksgiving.com. There is also a parade web app available from local television station, WCVB Channel 5.
“We couldn't be more thrilled with what Troopers Alumni Corps project has put together and cannot wait to proudly watch them represent our organization in this incredible event,” said Michael Gough, Corps Director, Troopers Drum & Bugle Corps.
America’s Thanksgiving parade, billed as this country’s only historically accurate chronological parade, portrays America’s heritage, representing five centuries of U.S. history, beginning with the era of the Pilgrims. Since Troopers Drum and Bugle Corps was founded in 1958, the TAC ensemble is grouped among the 20th century entries and will step off as the 87th unit in the 2021 parade.
On Saturday evening, Troopers alumni will perform in concert at Memorial Hall. Other musical units appearing at the concert with TAC include Blessed Sacrament Golden Knights alumni, Crusader Sr. Drum and Bugle Corps, Ct. Alumni, Defenders Concert Corps, Hawthorne Caballeros Alumni, the North Star Alumni Corps and the University of Massachusetts Marching Band. Tickets are available for purchase for in-person attendance online through the festival’s website.
Trooper alumni began arriving in the Plymouth area on Thursday, Nov. 18. Practices were scheduled Thursday evening, Friday and Saturday in addition to the planned appearances. The packed schedule was the result of months of planning and the dedication of TACP members.
“The Alumni Corps Project in Plymouth has been nothing short of amazing,” said Pat Chagnon, Director of the TACP. “Corp members came together as strangers and are living the full Troopers’ legacy. This is a historic event in the Troopers organization, and we are proud to carry the code of the West to New England.”
Following this weekend’s appearances, TACP will continue their mission to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the Troopers Drum and Bugle Corps in 2023. Their goal is for the TAC to perform a series of drum-corps-style performances that year. The TACP is now in the middle of a five-year plan to turn that dream into reality. Part of those efforts will include increasing both funding and participation. To find out how to help, visit www.troopersalumni.com/alumnicorps.
To learn more about the Troopers Drum and Bugle Corps, visit www.troopersdrum corps.org.
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