For over 60 years The United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum corps has entertained millions of spectators worldwide with music that once inspired Revolutionary War Patriots. Formed from infantry Soldiers of the 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), the Corps' humble beginnings are now in sharp contrast to the integral role the unit performs as a national musical ambassador.
Formed from infantry soldiers of The Old Guard, the Fife and Drum Corps was created to support ceremonial functions of the Military District of Washington and to entertain people with the sights and sounds of early American music. Of the 33 performers only 8 had prior musical experience. With the assistance of three instructors from the Army Band Specialists 5 George Carroll, Robert Sheppard, and Rowland Lazare, the corps prepared for their first performance on April 23rd 1960 ... The Old Guard Change of Command ceremony. Performing in Class A uniforms, the Corps was an instant success.
"The valuable contribution which The Old Guard Fife and drum corps has made to the battle group cannot be overemphasized and has earned for itself a solid and enviable reputation and one which reflects great credit upon the United States Army."
The Corps solidified it's place in the Army when on June 23rd 1960 Secretary of the Army Wilbur Brucker awoke on his birthday to the sound of fifes and drums. Stepping out onto his porch in his bathrobe the Corps serenaded him for 20 minutes playing "happy birthday" and other selections.
From their humble beginnings, The Fife and drum Corps would grow to become a valued asset to the United States Army. Over the next decades, the Corps performed both nationally and internationally, quickly gaining renown at such venues as the World's Fair, the Kentucky Derby, and the Indianapolis 500. In addition to making national television appearances on "The Today Show" and "The Ed Sullivan Show," the Fife and Drum Corps completed a one-month tour of Europe. In 1969, The Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps was given the military occupational specialty 02S, designating them a "Musical Activity" instead of a "Class One Field Activity." For the first time, the members of the Corps were recognized solely as musicians and not infantryman.
The following decades also saw a period of drastic organizational change. By the 1970s, the Corps had more than doubled in size, recruiting members directly from civilian life. the Corps' base rank was raised to Specialist 5 and then in the mid 1980s to Staff Sergeant, gaining the recognition as a premier army band. The duty was also stabilized allowing Soldiers to spend their entire career with the Fife and Drum Corps. In 1982, Specialist 5 Sandy Hollowell joined the Fife section and made history as the first woman in The Old Guard. For 12 years, The Fife and Drum Corps remained the only unit assigned female Soldiers in the entire regiment.
From its inception in 1960 until 1995 the Fife and Drum Corps was always attached to an infantry company of The Old Guard. In 1995, the Fife and Drum Corps left H company and became their own separate company. Chief Warrant Officer 4 Stephen Campbell was assigned as the first band master commander of The Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps.
"When September 11th happened we were prepping for 'Spirit of America' at the time. FDC had a mission that day to go out and do some promotional performances. We were in the middle of that final rehearsal when someone came into the room and interrupted the rehearsal to say the Pentagon had been struck. Within 15 minutes there were a dozen of us who had changed uniform from colonials to the BDU’s (battle dress uniforms).”
September 11, 2001 is a day burned into the soul of our Nation. Members of the Fife and Drum Corps, like so many other Americans, watched in disbelief. Almost immediately following the attacks on the Pentagon, Soldiers of the Corps were in Battle Dress Uniform and headed to regimental headquarters to assume their long-standing contingency mission of access control to the building. Throughout the following days, Fife and Drum Corps members fulfilled additional responsibilities as liaisons at the Military District of Washington Emergency Operations Center. They provided additional security for Fort Myer and helped to establish command and control systems at the Pentagon crash site. Most notably, some Soldiers of the Fife and Drum Corps were part of the work force to enter the Pentagon to remove the remains of those killed in the attack.
For the Fife and Drum Corps, September 11th is both a sad and proud day. It was later determined during a review of The Old Guard's activity following September 11th the Fife and Drum Corps was the one unit in the command that consistently performed duties outside the scope of its duty description. Two months after the attacks Master Sergeant Brian Pentony put that two-week period into perspective for many:
"I've performed in spirit of America since '83, inaugural parades, for presidents, in tattoos, and so many other things but the memory I will cherish the most from my time here is having been part of The Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps at its finest hour that hour came on September 11th and the days that followed"
Since the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy in 1961, the Fife and Drum Corps has had a unique and special relationship with the President of the United States. As part of The Old Guard, we fulfill the mission of the Official Escort to the President. Chosen to represent the Nation at all White House arrival ceremonies for visiting heads of state, the Corps has honored world leaders such as Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev, Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom, Russia's first president Boris Yeltsin, and Pope Benedict the XVI, to name a few. The Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps has marched into every Presidential Inauguration parade since that of John F. Kennedy and participated in the state funerals of presidents Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, and George H.W. Bush.
Through a strong educational outreach program the Corps has been able to interact with audiences beyond the normal scope of their performance mission to highlight the historical significance of the Army Soldier-Musician. Such a program is their annual Juniors Workshop. Started in 2005, this popular event welcomes young fifers and drummers from all over North America to work directly with the musicians of The Fife and Drum Corps. In addition to musical instruction, participants also gain insight into an important part of American history, the traditions of The Old Guard, and the many music career possibilities in the U.S. Army.
The Corps also participates and shares the traditions of their art as clinicians at national and international music symposiums such as the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC), the International Trumpet Guild (ITG), and the National Flute Association (NFA). For over 60 years the men and women of the United States Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps have kept these important traditions alive, allowing audiences worldwide to experience firsthand a piece of America and a part of our United States Army.
