American Legion Post 7 Drum and Bugle
Corps History
By WALTER HARRIS
(written Nov. 24, 1973
The John Donald Garbutt
Post No. 7, American Legion drum and bugle corps has
served as
good will ambassador for the city of Sheridan for the past 76
years.
The Legion corps was first organized in December,
1929, with the late T. T. Tynan
serving as drum master. Since
that time the corps has taken part in state and
national
American Legion conventions in addition to rodeos and western
celebrations
in many towns in Wyoming and Montana.
The
Sheridan corps first drew state-wide recognition when it presented a
45-minute
drill at the state Legion convention in Cody in 1931.
During the years the snappy
Sheridan unit has walked off with
its share of first place awards during drill
competition at
state Legion conventions.
The Sheridan unit won its first
state championship trophy at the state Legion
convention in
Casper in,1934. Several members of that championship unit still
reside in the city. They are Albert Johnstone, George Ostrom,
Art Blum, Roy
Ramsey, Phil Garbutt, Harold Lewis, ; H. R..
Woolston and Perry Kitchens.
Claude Businga who lives in Story
and Howard Sharp who lives in Florida were
also members of this
championship corps.
In 1932 the Sheridan corps went to
Portland to take part in the national Legion
convention parade.
Members of the unit included Calvin Cox. Claude Businga,
Art
Blum, Tony Preston, Cleo Thompson, H, C. Fleischer, Orlando Miles,
C. R.
Fleming, Carl Crawford, Horace Tschirgi, H. P. Fleischer,
Dean Johnson, Cal Van
Blitter, George White, Bob Totman, Russell
Hinman, Leo Oneyear, Harold Lewis.
C. L. Griffin, H. R.
Woolston. |C. P. Scott, Howard Sharp, Burdette Logan and
T. T,
Tynan.
The following year the Sheridan unit was on the go
again. The highlight of the
1933 season was a trip to the
national convention in Chicago, Sheridan Legion
naires who made
the trip to the windy city included H. R. Woplston, Louis Griffin,
Howard Sharp, H. C. Fleischer, Claude Businga, Calvin Cox, Art
Blum, Charles
Scott, Bob Totman, Elmer Hall, C. R. Fleming,
Frank Yager, Ted Edelman, John
Van Slitter, Harold Welch, Harold
Lewis, Malcom Joyce, B. F. Blackledge, Roy
Ramsey, Orlando
Miles, George Ostrom, Russell Hinman, George White, Cleo
Thompson and T. T. Tynan.
Eight years later, 1941, the
Sheridan unit was headed for the national conclave.
This time it
was in Milwaukee. The corps that year was comprised of T T
Tynan, E. S. Lewis, Harold Lewis, Art Blum, Fred Davis, John Van
Slitter, Perry
Kitchens, Horace, Tschirgi, William A. Parker, Al
Johnstone, Guy Brockman,
George Ostrom, Pete Preston, Jim
McDonald and George White.
In 1954 the. Sheridan unit took
on a new look with members being attired in new outfits, which were
authentic reproductions of the military dress of General George A.
Custer's seventh cavalry unit. The uniforms were purchased by
Sheridan merchants. A great deal of research was done to obtain the
correct uniform for the men and for that of the drum major who
dresses as General Custer. The shoulder patches were designed by
Bernard Thomas, former Sheridan artist.
The unit made its
debut in its new uniforms June 25, 1954 at the 78th anniversary of
Custer's last battle. That year the corps also walked off with top
laurels at the drum and bugle competition at the state Legion con
vention at Rock Springs. Bill Rathburn was the original General
Custer with the unit. Other charter members of the unit who wore the
seventh cavalry uniforms for the first time were Leo Lawler, Darokl
Brandt, Louie Poulos, Mike Dabney, Don Hamstreet, Edward Hartman
Jr., Byron Elmgren, Robert Wilmesmier, Robert Noel, Hugh Bird, Joe
Taberna, William Fleming, Douglas Munsell, Ellsworth S. Benth, H.
Wl-Chalfant, Franklin J. Reed, Marvin Fritz, Richard Saunders, Keith
Brandt, E. W. Lewis.
Several years ago the corps hit a new
low. But despite the lack of suitable personnel it carried on the
best it could. The last year it looked like the good old days when
more than 30-musicians turned out for the corps. It was kept busy
during the summer months participating in various celebrations in
Wyoming and Montana.
The Legion corps over the years has
earned the title of "Sheridan's Outstanding Ambassadors,'' an honor
no unit can take away.
Lyle Davis, Robert Holstedt, Selwyn
Madia, Paul Mock, Cecil Parsons, Lionel J. McEwan, Fred Joyce,
Wilfred Catterall, Howard Smith, Leonard Waterman, Bud Campbell,
Malcoftn Joyce, Charles Fitzpatrick, Donald A. Moore, H. L, (Tex)
Austin, Carl Wake, John J. Madia, James Rothwell and Bill Rathburn.
Twirlers were Jo Hammond and Charlene Babcock. Davis served as
director of the corps. Over the years since its inception the
Sheridan seventh cavalry unit has made quite a name for itself at
rodeos, conventions and western shows.
