Sang with the Great Lakes BJC during Boot Camp, through Hosptal Corps School and Operating Room Tech School from 1959 into early 1961. Earl Sandager, a civilian, was the Director. Many memories of performances on Sunday mornings as well as trips taken.
Jim Licquia, HM3 Hon. Discharged.
Replies
Dear Jim,
I joined the BJC Great Lakes NTC in March of 1957 and sang with the group through Boot Camp and EM"A" school. We had to have known each other. Were you on the trip to Dallas to sing at the Easter service? Do you remember Mr. Sandager inhaling a June bug during a concert at a huge black church in Chicago? We were singing The Battle Hymn of the Repoblic, I had a high descant solo over the rest of the choir and Mr. Sandager always mouthed the words in case we forgot them and a june bug flew into his mouth. Needless to say we lost it and he had to explain to the audience what had happened and they thought it was hugely funny and then we started over.
I got out after my first 4 years, did the required 2 years in the reserves and was discharged in 1963. I rejoined the reserves in 1978 and did 20 more years retiring as a Chief Boatswain's Mate in 1998, the day before my 60th birthday.
Herb
Herbert,
I sang with the Blue Jacket Choir during August and September, 1959 while in boot camp. I was one of the guys selected by Sandager to go to Washington DC to sing at the National Presbyterian Church for Dwight D. Eisenhower. Unfortunately, he didn't show up. I have wonderful memories of the Blue Jacket Choir singing on a bus with all the windows open while driving around Washington. All that saw and heard us were cheering us on. Coincidently, I was only one of two Larry Stanley's that were invited on that trip to Washington, and he was also still in boot camp. It would be nice to communicate with him at this late date in our lives.
Larry Stanley