By Jim “Mac” McKenzie
By 1968 Jack Whelan was already known nationwide as a potential Drum Corps Hall of Fame member. His years marching with the Lt Norman Prince “Princeman,” being a local and nationally known judge, M&M instructor of award-winning drill teams and drum corps, and owner of one of the most friendly personalities in the drum corps world, he was certainly a person I have been proud to know. I was fortunate to have Jack as my M&M instructor when I marched with St. Mary’s Cardinals in Beverly, MA.
This story about Jack begins in 1968. I had enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and, after attending basic training in Amarillo, TX, I was sent to Keesler AFB, in Biloxi MS, for technical training as a Ground Radio Operator.
Upon arrival, I was assigned to a unit of PATS (Personnel Awaiting Tech School) since my training class was not going to start for another 3 weeks. PATS was not a great assignment. Airmen spent their day doing details all over the base; painting, mowing the lawn, KP, cleaning barracks, etc. One of the most notorious was the Oyster Shell Pile. Personnel were given shovels and ordered to move a pile of oyster shells 10 feet away from its current location. Once that task was completed, the pile would be moved back to its original location. This process was completed day after day. This was Uncle Sam’s attempt at fighting the old adage, “idle hands make for devil’s work.”
After a couple of days, I saw a notice that the base drum and bugle corps, known as the Keesler AFB Blue Knights, was looking for new members. As a 10-year drum corps member in my hometown, I said, “Hey, this is for me.” After a brief interview, I was reassigned to the 3310th Student Squadron, home of the Blue Knights.
The corps was made up entirely of tech school students. We had members from corps all over the country, such as Blessed Sac, Kilties, Cavaliers, Cardinals, Garfield, Black Knights, and Muchachos, as well as some former band members. We performed in off-base parades, on-base drill exhibitions, weekly Retreat, and daily “troop change” for students marching from morning classes and other students marching to their afternoon training class. Our repertoire consisted mainly of military marches but also included some familiar drum corps songs of the era such as “Charades,” “Man from LaMancha,” “How the West Was Won,” and “Brazil.”
Keesler Air Force Base Blue Knights – 1970
The 1968 50th Anniversary American Legion Convention was being held in New Orleans, only a 2-hour drive from Keesler AFB. So some of us drum corps guys decided to head to “The Big Easy” for the weekend and attend the preliminaries and finals.
Our plan was to rent a car on Friday afternoon, load up the car with gas, Jax beer, and ice from the PX, leave on Saturday morning, and head west on Interstate 10 to enjoy the drum corps weekend. Since we had to be back by Sunday evening to get to bed and attend our 5:30 AM roll call and 6:00 AM classes on Monday morning, we would leave right after the finals and head east on Interstate 10 back to Keesler AFB.
Things started off as planned. We arrived in New Orleans around 10 AM, parked the car, and wandered around the Bourbon Street area for a few hours, taking in the atmosphere and indulging in a few high-priced adult beverages.
It was getting late, so we decided it was time to find a place to sleep for the night. Being low-ranking G.I.’s we did not have a lot of money, so after some deliberation, we thought we would save some cash and sleep outdoors. We easily found a park along Lake Pontchartrain, drank some beers, and laid down on beds of pine needles to fall asleep.
Sometime later in the night, a car containing two of New Orleans’ “finest” drove up to our little “campground” in the park, asked for our IDs, searched us along with the car, and wanted to arrest us for vagrancy. We explained who we were, where we came from, and that we were in New Orleans for the American Legion convention. Finally, the officers said we could go, but we had to leave the park and find someplace else for the night.
As I said before we didn’t have a lot of money for a motel room for four, so we found a cheap place and of course, only paid for a room with two single beds. The other two guys snuck in after hiding in the backseat of the car. So, after a few beers and planning for the next day, we drew lots for the two single beds and the other two had to sleep on the floor.
The next morning, Sunday, we got up early to go to the field where the junior and senior prelims were being held. When we arrived, we discovered that very few junior or senior corps had made the trip, so there would be the finals only starting at 5 PM. We decided to head into the city and see some tourist traps on Bourbon Street, where we imbibed in a couple of expensive “adult beverages.”
Returning to the field later in the afternoon, we had to pool our funds to pay for our admission tickets. FUNDS WERE GETTING VERY LOW. As we walked along the field’s fence to the 50-yard line, I looked at the judges lingering on the field and saw the one, the only, Jack Whalen in the middle of the group. I immediately hollered his name and he turned and recognized me right away. He came over to the fence with his patented smile on his face. I introduced him to my companions and gave him a brief rundown of our experiences after arriving in the city.
Jack Whelan
The corps were coming to the “Start” and “Ready” lines so he had to get ready for the performances, but we agreed to meet again after the junior finals. St Lucy’s was the only corps I had ever seen perform before that night and they won by a wide, wide margin over the second place corps. If I remember correctly, most of the other corps were from Florida, Louisiana, and perhaps Texas.
Before the senior corps finals, we met again at the fence. Surprisingly, he invited us to the judges’ hotel rooms for an “after” party. The senior contest was similar to the junior contest in that the Sunrisers won by perhaps 20 points or so. If I remember correctly, only four or five senior corps made the trip to New Orleans.
Driving back to the judges’ hotel, I noticed that the gas tank was really getting empty. As a matter of fact, I was concerned we didn’t have enough gas to get back to Mississippi. Between the four of us, we had less than one dollar, just enough for a gallon or two, not enough for the two-hour return trip. We arrived at the hotel and brought our remaining four cases of beer from the trunk to the judges’ room and spent a couple of hours socializing and talking drum corps in general. Definitely a unique experience for us four airmen.
Apparently, Jack overheard the four of us discussing our financial dilemma and our concern about returning to the base before we would be cited for being AWOL (Absent WithOut Leave). Seems that he had brought up our concern with some of the other judges and they offered to buy our remaining beer so we could buy enough gas to make the return trip. We were able to get enough gas and returned to Keesler AFB around 3:30 AM. With roll call at 5:30 AM and our classes scheduled to start at 6:00 AM, we had made it back in time not to be considered AWOL.
I ran into Jack again in 1970 at the Mission Drums contest, about a week after I returned from Vietnam. I thanked him for buying our beer in 1968. He did reveal to me that he and his friends never drank it. They just wanted to make sure we got back to our base without being AWOL.
Keesler Air Force Base Blue Knights, circa the 1960s
Jack was one of the nicest people I ever met and certainly the nicest in D&B. I first met him in the early 50’s when I was a drummer for St Anthony’s drill team. He was not the drill instructor when I started in ’52 but was with them sometime after. The ladies of the drill team decided he reminded them of Spanky from the Our Gang series. We often embarrassed him by yelling “Yay Spanky” when he was introduced as a judge. I met him and saw him off and on throughout the 50s and he always treated me like and old long lost friend. Great person.
Jack was an ace of a guy. Had so many great memories judging band competitions in Maine-a true gentleman. As a member of the Boston Crusaders in 1970 Jack was on the field in the Orange Bowl when we came within tenths of winning the VFW National Championship. Jack got inside the Troopers circle burst and ticked a number of interval errors. The other M&M Judge Don Pesceone from the Midwest stayed outside and had Casper first. I remember years later at a DCI Meeting jabbing Don with how Jack had it so right and he so wrong and that was the reason Eastern corps supported Don to be DCI’s first Director-to get him off the field. When I relayed the story to Jack he roared with laughter as was always the case. Love and Miss Jack Whelan.
Nice memory. Never saw that pic of him in uniform before.
Great story, Mac!!!
Mac I used to got to the Cardinals practice with my Dad and Do remember you! What a great story. It’s nice for his 4 kids to continue to read stories like this
Thanks for sharing!
Did you supply that picture?
Great Story Jim… I remember Jack well from my years with The Cardinals! What a great guy, always smiling, and laughing… He had that bellowing laugh that I still remember to this day :) He taught so many corps, bands, and drill teams in the area, and was an icon!
Jeannie, I remember you and your siblings, especially Jackie too. I remember him sitting on the stage at the old Salem Armory and goofing around with him. All of you were always so well behaved as youngsters, so I assume you were as you grew older too. LOL
Your Dad was a one of a kind individual. He seemed to have a smile that just never went away and a laugh to go along with it.
Cherish his memory.
Great story, Loved the articles about the Kessler Drum Corps. I taught/managed the drum corps at Lowry AFB 1969-1973, We had about the same corps makeup as you did with a bunch of corps guys from Troopers, Kilties, Hurricanes, St Josephs, Pittsfield and Chicago Cavaliers among others as well as a bunch of “Band Cats”. We did field shows for the Denver “Drums Along the Rockies” contests in 1971 & 72. The Base and the corps are long gone disbanded and shuttered years ago under the “BRAP” program,
Always Loved Jack. Myself and my brother Stephen got to know him first , while Stephen was teaching the great St. Patrick’s of stone ham ma. Color Guard, and while we marched and taught the 27th Lancers. Jack had such a calm and soothing personality and the everlasting smile that would just bring comfort to people, that would make us feel so much better about ourselves. He was the ultimate example of an all round wonderful human being.
God bless Jack ! ❤️
Gary, I remember your brother teaching St Joe’s of Medford.. he’s was so frustrated losing to Bruce’ St Anthony’s and georges Qusar. My dad told him his guard was leaving too much on the the floor and should run around. That night the girls rippped it up and the audience at McCall went nuts. My dad said, yeah like he’ll listen to me now…but he, your brother, did and reworked the ending. To this day I think about that guard every time I hear Earth Wind and Fire.
Mac, you hit the nail right on the head when you said “ the owner of the most friendly personalities in the drum corps world”. Jack was a special man. When the Tournament of Drums restarted the alumni group would get together at Frank Raffa’s house to plan for it and Jack would come and there where many times we would get off subject as he would get into one of his many drums corps stories. He was so proud to be part of the planning committee. He loved the Cardinals. For me personally Jack nominated me to the Mass Drum Corps Hall of Fame. I was so proud he thought of me to nominate me. My induction was the same day he took a stroke and later passed. That night was one of the happiest days and ended up one of worst days of my life
Jack Whalen was my older sister Elaine & my 1st instructor at St Anthony’s Allston DT. But I first met Jack the morning my sister Elaine passed away suddenly & unexpectedly. After hearing the news early in the AM, he drove to Allston to express his shock & sadness to my mom & dad. He stayed a long while. Although it was many years ago, I vividly remember him saying to my dad, ” I keep waiting for someone to tell us this was a mistake, it can’t be true”. He was so kind to me during my marching, teaching & judging years. He NEVER forgot every person he taught. He loved having his children with him and we lived watching them play at rehearsals. Fir a not so big guy, his love for his family & this activity was huge. I will NEVER forget you Jack Whalen. ❤
This was all long before my time in dci or dca…I was just out of diapers at the time!
But mentioning Keesler brings back memories, as I did tech school there and was in the Blue Knights from
Day one.