Military Musicians - Bands, Buglers, Drummers - Post them here

[Ranger-1972]

1st Cavalry Division at Ft. Bliss, TX in 1929.  The regimental band can be seen on the right-hand edge of the formation -- the tubas are visible.

 

 

[Ranger-1972]

1st Armored Division Band at Ft. Bliss, TX in 2024.  Note the 1AD insignia and campaign streamers embroidered on the baldric of the drum major.

 

 

[Ranger-1972]

Baldric of the drum major of the 1st Infantry Division Band at Ft. Riley, KS 2022 during a military tattoo in Vilnius, Estonia.

 

 

[Ranger-1972]

3rd Infantry Division Band in Savannah, GA in March 2018, and again in 2023 (in Disney World), and again in 2024.

 

 

 

[Ranger-1972]

4th Infantry Division Band, Ft. Carson, CO, 2019.

 

[Ranger-1972]

Sketch for concept of the Baldric for the drum major of the 7th Infantry Division Band, and photo of the band during the division's deactivation ceremony at Ft Ord, CA in 1994.  The division headquarters was reactivated at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in 2012 (though there is no band assigned).

 

 

[Ranger-1972]

8th Infantry Division Band in Bad Kreuznach, Germany during the Cold War.  The division was deactivated in 1992.

 

[Ranger-1972]

10th Mountain Division Band in 2023.

 

 

 

[Ranger-1972]

24th Infantry Division Band design for the baldric for the drum major.  This division was deactivated in 2006.

 

 

24th Infantry Division Band in Augsburg, Germany in 1959.  The division was in Germany from 1958-1970.

 

[Ranger-1972]

25th Infantry Division Band, Schoefield Barracks, HI.

 

 

[Ranger-1972]

11th Airborne (Arctic) Division Band.  Formed as the 9th Army Band, it became the 11th Airborne (Arctic) Division Band when that division was reactivated in Anchorage, AK on 6 June 2022.  The band played its last concert on 11 May 2024 and was deactivated.

 

 

 

[Ranger-1972]

82nd Airborne Division Band, Ft. Bragg, NC, showing the drum major's baldric and the 82nd Airborne Division shoulder insignia on his gauntlet.

 

 

 

 

82nd Airborne Division Band in the winter of 1953 -- playing while wearing snowshoes and parkas in the "old division area" before the "new" cinderblock barracks were constructed.

 

 

In August 1944 in Leicester, England, the 82nd Airborne Division Band led the entire division as it passed in review before General Eisenhower.  And in July 1945, just prior to the Potsdam Conference, the division band led the 505th Regimental Combat Team of the 82nd Airborne Division as it passed in review before General of the Army Eisenhower at Templehof Airfield in Berlin, Germany.

 

 

 

On 20 August 1945, the 82nd Airborne Division Band participated with the division's Guard of Honor in a ceremony at the meeting of the Allied Control Council in Berlin.

 

[Ranger-1972]

101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) Band.

 

 

 

 

 

 

101st Airborne Division Band in Vietnam.

 

 

14 March 1945 - General of the Army Eisenhower presents the Presidential Unit Citation to the 101st Airborne Division for "extraordinary heroism and gallantry in defense of the key communications center of Bastogne." The ceremony took place at Mourmelon-de-Grand, France. It was the first time the PUC had been awarded to an entire US Army division.  The 101st Airborne Division band is on the right flank of the assembled division.

 

[Ranger-1972]

1st Cavalry Division Band, including the baldric of the drum major.

 

 

 

 

 

In Japan performing occupation duties in the early 1950s.

 

 

On Los Negros Island during WWII.

 

[Ranger-1972]

1st Armored Division ("Old Ironsides") band.

 

Baldric design for the 1AD Band's Drum Major (background later changed to red, white and blue, as shown below).

 

 

 

 

1 AD Band playing a 'farewell concert' for the departing division commander in August 2014 at Ft Bliss, Texas.

 

 

In September 2007, the 1st AD Band (along with the Division HQ), deployed to Iraq - this is the going-away ceremony at Wiesbaden, Germany.

 

 

In 2014, the Brick posted the cover of an album produced in April 1982 by the 1st AD Band in Germany.

 

 

 

[Ranger-1972]

The US Army Field Band, stationed at Ft George G. Meade, MD.

 

 

 

 

The Concert Band (one of four components of the US Army Field Band) in March 2020:

 

 

The Jazz Ambassadors (another component of the US Army Field Band):

 

[Ranger-1972]

The US Army Ceremonial Band ("Pershing's Own") stationed at Ft. Myer, VA along with the 3rd Infantry Regiment ("The Old Guard").

 

Drum major:

 

 

View of the baldric worn by the Drum Major:

 

 

In front of the White House:

 

 

Photo of the Drum Major after "Pershing's Own" was formally created in 1922, the Drum Major in the summer white uniform, and in the blue uniform:

 

 

A.E.F. General Headquarters Band (known in French newspapers as "Pershing's Own") in 1919:

 

 

Parade down Fifth Avenue after end of WWI:

 

 

[atb]

Bombs are "deactivated." Army units are inactivated, which is the official terminology. Though, most folks in and out of the Army consistently use the incorrect term. Oh, well.

[Brig]

On 12/30/2024 at 11:05 PM, Ranger-1972 said:

18th Army Band, Ft Devens.  From the haircuts, this appears to be sometime in the 1970s.  That band, tracing back to a band formed in 1917, was stationed at Ft Devens from 1948-1993.

 

 

I'm guessing this is in what is now called "The Hall of Flags", though I guess it could be in one of the buildings that was returned when the base was chopped up in 1995.

 

I'm stationed on Devens now and it's really just a bunch of micro-compounds spread around town

[Ranger-1972]

2 hours ago, atb said:

Bombs are "deactivated." Army units are inactivated, which is the official terminology. Though, most folks in and out of the Army consistently use the incorrect term. Oh, well.

 

Good point -- thanks.

[easterneagle87]

I'm glad I posted recently and got some life back into this thread. Great color shots and especially of the baldrics.  

[Ranger-1972]

The US Military Academy Band is the oldest continuously operating band in the Army.  It was created in 1817 and has remained at West Point ever since.  Very distinctive uniforms, unlike those worn by any other band in the army -- including "tar bucket" shakos similar to those worn by West Point cadets -- but with white cords front & back.  They also wear white trousers in summer and blue trousers in winter.  And the NCOs wear white chevrons, similar to those worn in the early by infantrymen in the early 1900s.  The drum major wears a feather plume instead of a pompom on his shako and carries a cadet-style straight-bladed sword.  The commanding officer of the band also carries a cadet-style straight-bladed sword rather than the standard M1902 officer's curved-bladed saber.  The scarlet trim on the epaulette and waist sash is a reminder that the West Point band was originally part of the Engineer detachment stationed at the Military Academy.

 

 

 

The USMA Band consists of the Concert Band, the Benny Havens Band, the Hellcats, the Marching Band, the West Point Brass Quintet and Support Staff.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

West Point band marching in President Truman's inauguration in January 1949 (note they are wearing blue double-breasted overcoats with half capes folded back to expose the white lining):

 

 

 

West Point band marching in President Taft's inauguration in 1909 (wearing the cadet-style shakos - the 'tar-bucket' design was adopted by the cadets in 1899 and by the band in the early 1900s, but with no white pompoms for the bandsmen). The drum major quit wearing the bearskin hat by this time; the commanding officer wears the regular M-1902 full-dress uniform coat and bell-crown visor cap.

 

 

West Point band about the time of WWI:

 

 

West Point band between 1902-1907, when the M1880 spiked helmet has been replaced by the M1902 visored, bell-crown hat:

 

 

In the 1880s-1890s, the USMA band wore the spiked helmet with their dress uniform (as did the rest of the US Army & US Marine Corps with their dress uniforms).  The bandsmen's coats retained the fancy frogs in white trim on the front.  Those were the uniforms & helmets worn by the West Point band when it played at the 1893 Chicago Exposition (second below), but by then a white horsehair plume had replaced the spikes on the helmet.

 

 

 

In 1873, the West Point band switched again to a dark blue coat, which has remained the color worn to today.  Photo below shows the band in the mid-1870s wearing the M1872 shako with white pompoms, and with fancy, staggered white frogs on the front of their coats.

 

 

After the Civil War, the band switched back to a white coat with red trim from 1867-1873, with the jackets tailored to the same pattern as the USMA cadet gray coatee - waist length in front with tails in the back.

 

 

In 1850, the War Department changed the uniform to a blue frock coat with red trim on the collar and cuffs.  Below is the West Point band during the Civil War:

 

 

Second below is the West Point band in 1818, wearing red tunics and 'tombstone-front' shakos with white over red plumes. The red coats were worn until 1820, when the USMA Superintendent switched them to wearing white coats with red trim, as shown by the sketch below of the drum major in the 1820s. 

 

 

[Ranger-1972]

On 9/29/2024 at 11:21 PM, Ranger-1972 said:

Given that the band is wearing the helmet that was authorized beginning in 1880, this photo must date from 1880 or later. 

 

The shape / height of the helmets, as well as the helmet plates, in this image is wrong for the version introduced in 1872, which was only for mounted (cavalry and artillery) units.

 

Good catch.  BTW, there are only three of the M1872 lobster-tail helmets with scarlet horsehair plumes for mounted artillery batteries still on the market.  One is in the Smithsonian and the other two are in private collections.  The last time one of them was sold, it went for $20,000.  Hence, the popularity of reproductions -- some of which are exceedingly well done.

[Ranger-1972]

Division bands are relatively new to the US Army.

 

Prior to WWI, divisions were formed by amalgamating regiments for a particular action, such as during the Civil War.

 

During WWI, permanent infantry divisions were created, each consisting of two brigades of infantry (each of which had two infantry regiments) plus a brigade of field artillery (which had two direct support cannon regiments and one general support howitzer regiment), as well as various combat support units (logistics, medical, etc.).  While each infantry, cavalry, field artillery, and coast artillery regiment had their own regimental band, there were no brigade-level or division-level bands.

 

In the runup to WWII, the Army reorganized from the "square division" (of four infantry regiments) to a "triangular division" (with three infantry regiments) and a division artillery composed of four FA battalions (vice the previous three FA regiments). In addition to the manpower saved by trimming away an infantry regiment and multiple FA battalions, the Army also did away with regimental bands, and the first division-level bands were created.

 

Per the Lineage and Honors Branch of the US Army Center for Military History at Ft. McNair, DC, the bands of some of the Regular Army divisions were constituted as follows:

 

     1st Infantry Division Band - 12 October 1943 (activated 9 December 1943 in England) - division remained in German on occupation duty as of June 1946

     2nd Infantry Division Band - 2 August 1943 (activated 10 August 1943 at Camp McCoy, WI) - division remained on active duty as of June 1946 at Ft Lewis, WA

     3rd Infantry Division Band - 20 August 1943 (activated 1 December 1943 in North Africa) - division remained in Germany on occupation duty as if Hybe 1946

     4th Infantry Division Band - 30 July 1943 (activated 4 August 1943 at Ft Dix, NJ) - division inactivated in March 1946

    1st Armored Division Band - 1 December 1943 (activated in Italy) - division inactivated in April 1946

 

CMH does not list the lineage of the other Regular Army divisional bands on their website. There is some information on several National Guard division bands on the website.

 

5th Infantry Division was inactivated in September 1946 at Camp Campbell, KY.

     The 5th Division had been reactivated in the Regular Army on 16 October 1939 and formed at Ft McClellan, AL. It was reorganized and redesignated as the 5th Infantry Division on 1 August 1942.  The Society of the 5th Infantry Division indicates the Division Band was in Iceland in 1942 (photo below), but it may have been a regimental band. CMH shows that the Order of Battle of the Division included a band, but it does not show when the division band was constituted or activated.

 

 

6th Infantry Division remained in Korea on occupation duty in June 1946.

     The 6th Division had been reactivated 10 October 1939 at Fort Lewis, Washington, and redesignated 9 April 1942 as 6th Motorized Division. It was reorganized and redesignated again on 21 May 1943 as 6th Infantry Division. CMH has no information on when the division band was constituted or activated.

 

7th Infantry Division remained in Korea on occupation duty in June 1946 (division band shown in Seoul below). 

     The 7th Division had reactivated 1 July 1940 at Camp Ord, California, and redesignated 9 April 1942 as 7th Motorized Division. It was reorganized and redesignated 1 January 1943 as 7th Infantry Division. CMH has no information on when the division band was constituted or activated.

 

 

 

8th Infantry Division was inactivated in November 1945.

     The 8th Division had been reactivated I July 1940 at Camp Jackson, SC, and redesignated 9 April 1942 as 8th Motorized Division. It was reorganized and redesignated 15 May 1943 as 8th Infantry Division.  CMH shows that the Order of Battle of the Division included a band, but it does not show when the division band was constituted or activated.  However, the booklet "These Are My Credentials" includes the following:  "In March 1943, the division moved to Camp Laguna, Arizona, for six strenuous months of desert training. During the latter part of this period, it was demotorized, reverting once more to its original status as a standard infantry division. During this period the 8th Division Band was organized from the 13th and 121st [Infantry Regimental] Bands in the division, the 28th Infantry [Regimental] Band having been ordered by the War Department to the 65th Infantry Division, stationed at Camp Shelby, Miss., as their band."

 

9th Infantry Division remained in Germany on occupation duty in 1946.

     The 9th Division had been reactivated I August 1940 at Fort Bragg, NC, and reorganized and redesignated I August 1942 as 9th Infantry Division.  CMH shows that the Order of Battle of the Division included a band, but it does not show when the division band was constituted or activated.  This is a photo of the 9th Infantry Division Artillery Band playing in Les Pieux, France on 4 July 1944.  The same website states that there was also a 9th Infantry Division Band, but that "little is known about this band."  CMH has no information on when the division band was constituted or activated.

 

10th Light Division was constituted 10 July 1943 in the Army of the United States and activated 15 July 1943 at Camp Hale, CO. Redesignated 6 November 1944 as 10th Mountain Division and inactivated in November 1945. The US Army website for the 10th Mountain Division includes the following:  "When Soldiers of the newly formed 10th Mountain Division were conducting specialized winter training at Camp Hale, Colorado, in 1942, they would often play instruments and make up songs to entertain themselves in the barracks at night.  From these jam sessions, “90 Pounds of Rucksack” became a signature song across the division."  That implies there was no division band at that time.

     CMH indicates that the 10th Mountain Division Band (post WWII) had its origins with the 505th Coast Artillery Band on April 13, 1942. The band was activated on June 20, 1942, at Camp Edwards, Massachusetts. It was later reorganized and redesignated as the Army Ground Forces Band on June 27, 1944, relocating to Italy, only to be inactivated the following year on Sept. 25, 1945.  It was reactivated as the 232nd Army Band on May 17, 1947, and then again as the 10th Infantry Division Band on June 18, 1948. This unit was allotted to the Regular Army on June 25, 1948, and activated on July 1 that year at Fort Riley, Kansas.

 

1st Cavalry Division had been constituted 20 August 1921 in the Regular Army and activated 13 September 1921 at Fort Bliss. TX. It was reorganized and redesignated 4 December 1943 as Headquarters, 1st Cavalry Division.  It remained in Japan on occupation duty in 1946.  While CMH has no information on when the division band was constituted or activated, the following is found on Wikipedia:  "The modern 1st Cavalry Division Band was activated in Luzon, Philippines on June 3, 1945 and initially formed of personnel and equipment transferred from the recently deactivated band of the 7th Cavalry Regiment, as well as personnel from the bands of the 1st and 5th Cavalry Regiments [bands]."

     

[easterneagle87]

FB Mkt offering out of Clayton, WI. 195th Cavalry Band