Diamond State Cadets

The Diamond State Cadets drum and bugle corps was originally organized as the Diamond State Junior VFW Post 2863 of Richardson Park.

From 1940 to 1950, the corps was active in local and military events, participating in several VFW conventions, including the 1941 State and National parades and entered the field of competition in the 1951 VFW National preliminaries for the one and only time in their history. The corps went on to compete in the Delaware VFW encampments, winning the 1951 and 1952 titles and organized their first drum corps competition in 1953, the “Cavalcade of Music”. Unfortunately, the show wasn’t a success and the corps reorganized as a parade unit in 1954.

In 1955, sporting a new uniform comprising of pearl shakers, white pants whit a gold stripe, white shoes and boots for the color guard, they remained active within the community. The next year, as the renamed Diamond State Cadets, they were crowned the 1956 state champions, defending their title the following season and entered the realm of circuit competition in 1958. Over those last five years, the corps was under the musical leadership of future Hall of Famer, Dominic “Ted” Sciarra.

In fact, Ted founded a cross-town rival the next year, the Blue Rock junior corps, and subsequently, the Cadets lost their state title in 1959, placing 2^nd. That same year, they also hosted their first annual “Pageant of Music”, which they would successfully run until 1964. After a season of rebuilding in 1960, the corps re-entered the field competitively over the next 4 years.

They disbanded in 1965.

Paul Legault (DCX)

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