The Portland Trail Blazers’ loss was the Canby Cougars’ gain this week, as the United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps and Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon performed their routines before a packed assembly at Canby High School Tuesday after their planned halftime show appearance was canceled due to a scheduling snafu.
Students were encouraged to dress in red, white and blue and show their patriotic spirit. Local veterans and other special guests were invited to attend, including 99-year-old World War II Marine veteran Golda Hammell Fabian, of King City.
Founded in 1934, the US Marine Drum and Bugle Corps consists of 80 active-duty Marines who perform in ceremonial red and white uniforms.
It is the only full-time active-duty drum corps in the United States Armed Forces. Its mission is to provide music and drill ceremony for the Commandant of the Marine Corps, hence its official designation and nickname as “The Commandant’s Own.”
The United States Marine Drum and Bugle Corps travels more than 50,000 miles every year, performing over 400 events worldwide.
The Marine Corps Silent Drill Platoon is a 24-man rifle platoon that performs a unique precision drill exhibition designed to exemplify the discipline and professionalism of the U.S. Marine Corps.
The Silent Drill Platoon first performed in the Sunset Parades of 1948 and received such an overwhelming response that it soon became a regular part of the parades at Marine Barracks Washington, D.C.
Photos by Tyler Francke, The Canby Current:
