Although the route of the Inaugural Parade is only a mile and a half long, preparation and staging the event proved to be a daunting task. I was fortunate enough to perform in the parade as part of the Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps from Allentown, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1934, the Cadets are the oldest and most honored continually active Drum Corps in the World with 9 world championships to its name. The Corps rehearsed last week from Friday through Monday. Buses departed from the practice site in Woodstown, New Jersey at 2 am Tuesday morning. The Cadets arrived at the Pentagon at approximately 6 in the morning for the security check. Everything on the bus had to be removed and inspected. Members walked through metal detectors. Bomb and drug sniffing dogs investigated personal bags and instrument cases. The entire process lasted almost 2 hours.At 10 am, the corps reached their staging site at the White House Ellipse. The Cadets were scheduled to step off at 3:30 pm, but delays caused by Senator Kennedy’s seizure pushed the starting time to after 5. So for 7 hours, the Cadets along with almost one hundred other groups, waited outside. Temperatures never reached above freezing. Instruments valves froze. Several students in high school marching bands were removed by the Secret Service after experiencing the preliminary stages of hypothermia. The sun was setting when the Cadets finally entered the parade. Most of the spectators had left, but once the White House was in view all of that discomfort became muted. The President was still in the reviewing stand and applauded each group as they passed by. If you were unable to see the parade live or just want to see it again, be sure to visit C-SPAN.com where full video coverage of the event is available.
-Joe Lewis, Cadets Horn Sergeant
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