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.

## History

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

* 1958 Medford Fire Dept. takes over defunct V.F.W. Fife & Drum Corps.

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
* 1963 Sound of Suffolk - Class A M&M Champions

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
* 1977 Year of building - 90 members (18 P, 43 H, 33 CG & major )

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
* 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
* 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)

## Traditions

* 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.

## Repertoire

* 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