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Dance Band
(courtesy: Norm Thoemke & Ben Grisafi)
(Click on image for large view) |
Dixie
Division Dance Band
at Fort Jackson, North Carolina
Front Row - l to r:
Ben Edwards, John Nielsen, Joe Godagno, Don Schlundt, Dick Fiume, Ben
Grisafi, and Jow Tello
Second Row - l to r:
Bill Ryan, Don Faffley, Bill Hamilton, Carl Weiss and Paul Schultz
Third Row - l to r:
Norm Thoemke, Amado Rodriguez and Wayne Jaeckel |
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(Click on image for large view) |
Dixie
Division Dance Band
at Charlotte, North Carolina
Front Row - l to r:
Joe Godagno, Don Schlundt, Dick Fiume, Ben Grisafi and Joe Tello
Second Row - l to r:
John Nielsen, Ben Edwards, Herb Seyler and Paul Schultz
Third Row - l to r:
Bill Ryan, Bill Hamilton, Don Faffley and Carl Weiss
Top Row - l to r:
Nick Geracimos, Wayne Jaeckel, Amado Rodriguez and Norm Thoemke
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Dixie Day
Celebration Says: Welcome 31st
The Indianapolis Star, May 5, 1952
Host of Civic Leaders Take Part to Greet New
Atterbury Unit
by Ed Kennedy
Today is "Dixie Day" in Indianapolis. The city laid out
the red carpet for the 15,000 members of the 31st Infantry
Division. The event was to be an all day affair - starting in the
morning and ending at midnight. A morning parade to the Governor's
house by the Division's massed colors and honor guard was the first part
of the parade. Gov. Schricker bade all the soldiers welcome and
proclaimed them all honorary Hoosiers.
Reception
Held
The Statehouse ceremonies during which General A. G. Paxton, division
commander presented the Governor with a Confederate Flag, followed by a
"coffee" held at the Indianapolis Servicemen's Center, Inc.,
111 North Capitol Avenue. The Governor in return for the General's
gift flag presented the division with an Indiana Flag which will be
flown during the unit's stay in the Hoosier state.
"Magnolia
Ball"
Highlight of the day's activities will be the "Magnolia Ball"
tonight at the Indiana Roof ballroom under sponsorship of the corps of
cadets of the Servicemen's Center. The dance starts at 8 p.m. and
the only requirement for admission is the red double "DD"
patch worn by every Dixie Division trooper. The division orchestra
will play for the dancing and the _____ corps, nearly 1000 strong
will be on hand to entertain the guests.
Dixie's Great Band Makes
Even Southerners Like Yankee Doodle
At the first strains of "Dixie" the audience rose to its feet clapping and whistling-Confederate Flags waved and "rebel yells" pierced the air.
This scene was enacted over and over In the nine principal cities In which the famous Dixie 'Division Band played goodwill concerts on Its route from Ft. Jackson, S. C., to Exercise Long Horn maneuvers in Texas.
Switching from Dixie to Yankee Doodle the response was almost as great as the people of Macon, Ga., Montgomery, Ala., Tuscaloosa. Ala., Meridian, Miss., Jackson, Miss., Vicksburg, Miss., Palestine, Tex., and Temple, Tex. thrilled to the powerful music making of one of the finest service bands in the nation.
Originally composed entirely of men from Alabama and Mississippi the band's ranks have been swelled by Northerners since activation In January of 1951. Today, almost two thirds of the musicians hall from above the Mason-Dixon Line.
For the last 14 months the 102-man Military Band, dressed In its distinctive uniforms of
Dixie-gray and gold, has been traveling around the East and South, participating in every kind of function from Bond rallies and recruiting drives to football games and veterans' encampments.
Since first drawing national recognition when It led the annual Veteran's of Foreign Wars. parade down the thoroughfares of New York City last summer, the Band has traveled over 12,000 miles in its music making excursions.
Soon after the veterans' parade In New York the band headed south to gather more national laurels at the American Legion's annual convention In Miami, Fla.
In November came the huge Carolinas Carrousel (Christmas Festival) in Charlotte, N.
C. where they performed before almost one-half million spectators.
The annual Blue-Gray football game In Montgomery, Ala., accorded the band Its first opportunity to return to its National Guard home station. The band left Montgomery with only 39 musicians when the 31st Division was called into active service In January, 1951. It returned almost a year later with more than 100 men to march In the Blue-Gray pageant resplendent In their colorful uniforms.
Besides these out of town functions, the band, which Is under the direction of Chief Warrant Officer Daniel Miller of Union, S. C., has played numerous engagements In Columbia, the capitol of South Carolina.
There they have been the nucleus of "Dixie Alms," a 30-minute musical program heard in South Carolina and throughout Alabama and Mississippi.
The Dixteites also maintain three dance bands which have been In constant demand at the division's numerous social functions. These bands are made up of professional dance band musicians and have at their command a selection of music that would delight the heart of the most rabid "bop" fan or a lover of rhythms with a slower beat.
For more than a week the men of the band, who had preceded the main body of the 31st Division to Ft. Hood, Tex., in March, journeyed to the Temple Airport to "play-in" the rest of the division as It arrived from South Carolina in a history-making air lift of combat troops.
With Camp Atterbury as the Dixie Division's new home the people of the Hoosier state can look forward to seeing this outstanding military band perform the precision marching which has brought it national acclaim and hear the fine playing which has won fame throughout the service.
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I think the drum major
here is Joe Hardison. -- Sure would love to find
him! I believe the city is Columbia, S. C.
L. Everett Sanders
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The mail call picture was taken in 1952, during our maneuvers near
Brownsville, TX. The one with the sunglasses, just to the right of
center is Nick Geracimos, now deceased. He was our assistant band
director for lots of rehearsals. About two in back of him, with no hat,
could only be the big, open-mouth grin of Joe Hardison.
L. Everett Sanders
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Norm Thoemke, Don Faffley, Dick Fiume, Nick's driver,
Bill Ryan, Joe Tello, Nick Geracimos, John Nielsen,
Ben Grisafi, Harry Chellel
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