Long Island Grenadiers

The Long Island Grenadiers (a.k.a. Medford Fire Department Grenadiers) was a Junior corps from New York's Long Island. They were directed by Bert "Uncle Bert" Ellis for their entire 34 year existence.

[edit] History

(History written by Uncle Bert for use on the Grenadiers Alumni web site. Reposted here by that site's webmaster.)

Total of 15 members.

1959 Add bugles - fifers become guidons. Compete in Nassau-Suffolk Assn. Standstill.
1960 Guidons become nucleus for a future color guard - now have 12 bugles - valve & slide
1961 Join new Sound of Suffolk Drum Corps Circuit - corps competes standstill
1962 Move from standstill to M&M corps - a big move

Golden Grenadiers, 1963

Play for John F. Kennedy at Commack Arena

1964 Join new Long Island M&M Circuit - Play for Robert Kennedy at Islip Airport
1965 Join Greater New York M&M Circuit - now competing 2 circuits

Start traveling to Connecticut and Manhattan

1966 Within the corps create a winter competing color guard
1967 Long Island Color Guard Circuit - Class A Champions
1968 Compete L.I. & Greater NY Circuits - compete in American Legion Championships in Buffalo, NY - 11th place
1969 Losing members but compete in American Legion Championship in Syracuse
1970 Lose 26 playing members - merge with Kings Park Kingsmen
1971 Retain Grenadier competing color guard - compete in Metropolitan Circuit
1972 Best flag section - and guard runner-up - Metropolitan Circuit
1973 2nd time runner-up Met Circuit ( we are in a rut )
1974 Guard competes in New Jersey in the Met & Baltimore, MD
1975 Grenadiers re-activate as a Drum & Bugle Corps under Medford Fire Dept.

Sound of Suffolk Class C Champions

1976 Bi-Centennial year - 75 members - 2 camps - Sound of Suffolk -Class A Champs

Play for President Ford at Nassau Coliseum

2 camps - do Sunriser Show and lots of parades

1978 New horn & drum instructors - new outlook - complete change in sound - topping 100 members - first show L.I.M&M win by 8 points - runner up for season - plenty of F.D. parades
1979 Continue climbing - rifle line doing great ( 32 CG, 38 H, 17 P )
1980 Compete in Garden State Circuit - more travel - New Jersey, Connecticut & Maryland
1981 After marching for the Medford Fire Dept. For 25 years - the Grenadiers become self-supporting - have buses - Incorporate, with the lawyer Mr. Mars doing the leg work for free
1982 Compete in Garden State Circuit with Philadelphia PAL, Fantasia, Blue Max, Lancers & NY Vanguard

Paraded for Governor Mario Cuomo and New York State Assemblyman Bill Bianchi in Patchogue, NY

Garden State Finals 1983

1983 Finally capture Garden State Championship - next day win Northeast Championship in Delaware
1984 Start two tours - Rochester, NY for V.F.W. Championship (2nd) - D.C.I. at Rome, NY, Watkins Glen, NY, Pittsfield, MA (Guard wins Best Guard in DCI parade), Allentown, PA, & Toms River, NJ.

Second tour ended in Atlanta, GA - D.C.I. Championship - 10th in Division II. A GREAT YEAR. Remember the armories.

Played for Vice-President George Bush at the Colonie Hill, Long Island NY

1985 With so many members aging out - a year of re-building
1986 Bleak year - try every recruiting technique
1987 Enter newly formed U.D.C.A. Circuit
1988 Continue to compete and do 2 camps & parades - win U.D.C.A. M&M Championship
1989 Compete U.D.C.A.Circuit (19 H, 15 P, 8 CG, 1 flag elf )

Runner-up in M & M Division

1990 Compete U.D.C.A. Finals with a total of 45 members
1991 Last ever show was performed by the Long Island Grenadiers at Raider Stadium in August 1991 with 17 H, 15 P, 10 CG

Director "Uncle Bert" Ellis and "Aunt Ethel" Ellis, circa 1990.

1992 L.I. Grenadiers dissolved by Director "Uncle Bert" Ellis on March 10, 1992 - due to lack commitment of some of the members - A heart breaking thing to do after 34 years

To all the wonderful members of the Grenadiers:

Thanks for the memories and for all those years.

"Uncle Bert"

and

"Aunt Ethel"

1999 41 years from the corps' inception a Reunion Committee was formed - with the following goals:

West Sayville Golden Eagles Drum & Bugle Corps would sponsor the event underwriting the cost of stamps, envelopes, flyers, heroes, salads, and beverages.
700 flyers were sent with an additional 260 unknown addresses remaining.
Reunion to be held in May for marching members only (due to space limits)

The corps usually held 2 weekend camps in mid-May and early June. The bulk of that summer's show would be learned and cleaned up during these weekends.

The Theme from Magnum, PI was a long-time staple from the early 1980's on. Even when not being used in field shows, it was useful as a parade tune.

1981 - New World Symphony (Dvorak), Everybody Loves the Blues, Comedian (Drum Solo), Bellavia (Chuck Mangione), Bolero
1983 - Conquistador, Loco-Oddo (Drum Solo), Rainmaker, Theme from Magnum PI, Come in From the Rain
1984 - Conquistador, Loco-Oddo (Drum Solo), Rainmaker, In Like a Lion (aka "Boom!"), Netherlands