[Trombone-l] Basic and trombone

[Elliott Moxley]

I was one of the last persons to (almost) get his draft notice here in NJ
back in '72.  I say almost because I knew it was coming; I had recruiters
calling all the time for several weeks.  The day or so before it came, I
enlisted in an Army National Guard Band.  I had to withdraw from college,
as my basic and on the job training with an active Army band would bridge
the fall and spring semesters.   The dean at school was surprised, as he
hadn't had anyone drafted for several months.   (And of course, if I had
been born a year earlier I would have gotten a deferment; a year later and
'Nam was over-).

My basic was only about an hour from home, so on the few weekends I had
leave, I did get to play a bit, but not actually at basic.  I even played a
church gig at Christmas while home on leave, and before reporting for my
OJT in January.   As for the OJT, it was probably the musical low point in
my life-   We played all the basic training orientations and graduations,
same for the tech schools.   Most of us had the CG's welcoming speech
memorized.  

We used to pass around a clipboard, before the CG got there, with the
announcement "If there are any US or RA personnel here who play an
instrument like you see here and would like to audition for an Army band,
please put down your name and Basic Training Company".   Amazing how many
people played brotone horn, coronet, bongas or clarionettes; our SOP was
that if the person couldn't spell the name of his instrument, he most
likely couldn't play it, either-

Our son is now an Electricians Mate in the Coast Guard.  His basic training
was at the USCG's only boot camp, Cape May, NJ.  They had a recruit band,
and he got out of a bit of less desirable duty while playing with them.  He
played the first part of his own graduation, then he and the rest of the
graduates in the band joined their companies for the rest of the ceremony. 
(Of course, he plays trombone and euph, if anyone is wondering-) 

I have to give a lot of credit to the Chief that was running the USCG
Recruit Band, with literally a new roster of personnel and instrumentation
every week or so, based on who is graduating.   When our son graduated,
there were something like three bass drums, and four cymbals, out of maybe
thirty players.  The band sounded pretty good, though.  I asked our son
about all the extra percussion, and his answer was that they were guitar
and bass players but "the Chief won't turn anyone serious away".

BTW, I stayed with the Guard for 24 years, and will have a pension in a few
years.  The Guard was better than the active side, at least for me.  The
paycheck and a re-enlistment bonus helped with school, and I got REAL good
with mezzo-soprano clef, playing horn parts.   Then I broke in a "new", but
vintage Conn 8D that was hiding in supply.  Now I play tenor horn in a
brass band, 'cause no one else wants to.   Such is life