REILLY RAIDERS
  ALUMNI DRUM  BUGLE CORPS
  WILLOW GROVE, PA

 

The year - 1946 - America's young warriors were wearily returning from both the European and Pacific theatres of World War II. A small number of those returning veterans had been members of a long-standing junior corps in Philadelphia before the war, the A.K. Street Post.

First, they welcomed each other home, and then . . . . made plans to reorganize as a senior corps. The then-current members of 'A.K. Street Post Junior Corps' were offered an option: they could march with the veterans, but only for parades and exhibitions. (The VFW and American Legion competition rules, at the time, required documented age and veteran status for membership in a competing senior corps.)

Russ Murphy was the music arranger and bugle instructor. Bob Cotter Sr. instructed and wrote for the percussion. They both awaited the return of the former A.K. Street Junior Corps Drum Major, William "Wild Bill" Hooton, to be 'their' Drum Major and to write and instruct the drill.  Word soon spread of the 'new' senior corps and age outs from Osmond, Yearsley, Olney Legion, DAV, East Germantown, and other Philadelphia Junior Corps migrated to the new senior corps.


The original A.K. Street Post Senior Corps was outfitted in khaki uniforms with white pith helmets.  However, thoughts of a unique uniform were top priority, whenever funds would become available.
It was general consensus the German Officers, and, in particular, the 'SS Troops' were, beyond any doubt, the best dressed military of all nations in WWII. The dominance of the color black carried the message of strength, mystery and class.

The hat was the "coup de grace," exhibiting power and stature the likes of which no other drum corps had ever imagined. Reilly wore the black visor cap leveled two fingers above the nose. This cap position required a slight backward tilt of the head for vision. This posture was admired, and then duplicated nationwide, as other corps copied the design. Wearing of the cap has been duplicated and imitated many times, but no other corps could ever capture the true essence.   Street Post did not want to be like 'everyone else,' and this uniform certainly would set them apart from all others.

The members then decided to honor a fallen comrade, Cpl. Frederick W. Reilly, by naming the new senior corps after him. When they adopted the Reilly name, the word 'Raider' was a natural, and well. . . . the two, combined, indicated to the drum corps world that there was a new force in town.


But, the name Reilly also implies an Irish connection, hence, the addition of 'bits of the color green, laddie' (in just the right places) and, with a 'Gaelic' music theme to match, this molded it all together in one complete package.

All this was not a one person decision. Typical of Reilly, it became a democratic effort by all members and the rest, as they say, is history. It took a while before the uniform was accepted by other veterans and non-veterans alike who remembered the Nazi war atrocities. There was some ridicule in the early months following the war, but this was to eventually fade when the Reilly Raiders would soon be known as the Notre Dame of Drum Corps.

The corps eventually formed their own VFW post, Cpl. Frederick W. Reilly Post, #7947, Reilly Raiders. The post home was located at the corner of 5th Street and Venango St in Philadelphia. The motto over the door read "Through this door pass the best damn bugle corpsmen in the world".

During the war and for a short time thereafter, new bugles were not manufactured as the factories formerly producing war effort materials had to retool for musical instruments. This required a year or two before new horns began to slowly trickle down. Meanwhile, the seniors had to use the same bugles that were manufactured in the 1930's and most were in pitiful condition at best.  Intonation was one of the major problems. The cause was due to air escaping from the many tiny pin holes appearing along the tubing. This was due to the thousands of brass polishing during the contests of the 1930's and early 1940's.  The Reilly Raiders, always known for their creativeness and "firsts", came up with a very unique fix. In 1947 they decided to paint all of their bugles "green" to match their brand new uniforms. But it turned out to be a three-fold solution. The automobile enamel was not only a colorful idea but it covered the pin holes improving intonation and the only polishing  necessary was the inside of the bell. Many drum sticks were also polished with A-1 once buglers found out they became an excellent ram-rod tool for the bell.  Reilly used these "green bugles" until the arrival of their new horns, and as they say, 'the rest is history'.

In 1948, Reilly was invited to Webster Music Hall in New York City to make several recordings on the Palda Record label. These would be the first professional recordings ever produced of a Drum & Bugle Corps. There remain a few in existence to this day.

Reilly, a distinct underdog, was the winner of the very first Dream Contest held at Roosevelt Stadium in 1949. It eventually had to be moved indoor to the Armory in Jersey City because of inclement weather. Competing against the National Champions of the VFW, Lt. Norman Prince, Boston, MA, and the National Champions of the American Legion, Jersey Joes of Riverside, NJ the Reilly Raiders, were crowned the Dream Contest Champions. This set the stage for their phenomenal winning record that was to follow in ensuing years

Reilly won their first National Championship in 1950, a sentinel accomplishment, from formation to the ultimate prize in only 4 years. Two years later, under the leadership of their Hall of Fame Drum Major, "Wild Bill" Hooton, they became the only Senior Corps in the United States to hold both the VFW and American Legion Championships. They eventually won 7 National Championships and 16 Pennsylvania State titles. From 1946 to 1959, they entered 129 contests with a phenomenal record of 90 first places, 31 second places and 8 third places. This enviable record and their competition accomplishments combined to catapult them to their highest honor, induction into the World Drum Corps Hall of Fame in 1965 as the Senior Corps of the 1950's.

Reilly lost many members in 1967 due to the war in Vietnam and ceased competing. But, such was the 'esprit de corps' that existed among the members, they were reborn as an alumni corps in 1994.  In April of 1994, the Reilly Raiders Alumni Corps was formed, consisting of a majority of members from the past, complemented by a younger breed of Reilly families and friends, reaching down into three generations of Reilly Raider families, to keep the Pride of Reilly alive. The Corps presently fields 55 Brass, 23 Percussionists, a Silk Line of 12, 4 Guideons, and an Honor Guard and Banner Section of 14 members. As time goes on, the Corps will be keeping the Reilly Raider Tradition alive by complementing our heritage with the challenge of the twenty-first century, while never losing sight of our traditions to make the Reilly Raiders distinctively Reilly.

REILLY RAIDERS LIFETIME MEMBERS
 

* - Deceased 

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