Americanos

The Americanos drum and bugle corps was initiated in late 1935 with a meeting by the Oney Johnston AL Post 38 of Appleton to generate interest in forming a SAL Squadron unit.

The Kaukauna SAL Squadron, the 1935 SAL State champions, were invited to perform at the Johnston Legion to promote the formation of the corps. This would prove to be the Americanos' first incarnation in 1936. Edward Arndt Sr. and Clarence Baetz among other Post members. The corps was then an all-male group performing as the Sons of the American Legion.

In their inaugural season, the SAL Squadron finished in 2^nd place in the SAL State championships, ironically ahead of Kaukauna SAL. The following year, they finished in 3^rd position. The corps began presenting a Spanish theme in 1938, the same theme that the corps proudly continued throughout their history and won their first SAL State championship. Although the corps participated in the 1939 State parade, they opted out of defending their championship title to march in the National Fraternal Congress parade in Detroit. They did, however, compete at the AL Nationals SAL class, placing 11^th.

The following year saw the Appleton unit return to the State convention with a 2^nd place finish and captured the 1941 and 1942 SAL State championships. After the second World War, the corps returned to form with a third consecutive State championship in 1946. In 1947, the newly renamed Oney Johnston and Edward Blessman AL Post 38 hosted the State convention and as such, could not compete to defend their title that year.

Over the next three seasons, the corps would finish as bridesmaid for the SAL title and would go on to be crowned the SAL State champions from 1951 to 1954. In 1955, the corps adopted the name Americanos and performed quite successfully under the sponsorship of the Johnston Blessman AL Post 38 along with private donations, personal fundraisers, and the most supportive parents in the activity.

By 1962, the corps remained active but didn’t field a competitive corps that season. Returning to the field of competition, the Appleton unit would participate mostly in “Class C” competition from 1963 to 1966 before reverting back to a parade in 1967. By 1968 the organization's membership had dwindled to a mere 15 marchers. The members were stunned when that fall, management announced that after 33 years the corps was opening its membership to females.

The coed Americanos entered the 1969 season with nearly 80 members, showing great promise for the years to come. The following year, they didn’t disappoint, proudly placing 6^th at the AL National championships. In 1971, the corps participated in the World Pageant of Drums, finishing in 12^th position and competed at their first VFW Nationals the following season with a respectable 23^rd place finish.

Another first for the corps occurred in 1973 with an appearance at their first DCI championships, placing 31^st as well as competing in the “Open Class” division at the American International Open and US Open preliminaries. The 1974 season resulted in a 29^th place finish at the DCI Worlds and a finalist position at both the DCI Midwest and US Open championships. The following year, the Americanos attended the American Legion Nationals, finishing in 2^nd position as well as preliminary appearances at the DCI Midwest and the US Open.

The 1976 season was one of the most successful years for the corps post SAL, when they finished 15^th at the DCI Midwest preliminaries. Unfortunately, by season end, the corps had lost several members which forced the organization to go inactive in 1977. The burden of travel costs, equipment, and declining membership resulted in the decision to perform as a parade corps only in 1978. But a dedicated core of marching members, parents, alumni, and local volunteers took the initiative to rebuild the corps.

In 1979, the corps returned to field competition, expanding its membership throughout the Fox Valley and renaming the corps “Fox Valley Americanos”. In 1980, an influx of members from the Green Bay Northmen parade corps joined for two seasons as Fox Valley made an appearance once again at the DCI “Open Class” championships, with a 39^th place finish and also making the VFW finals, placing 7^th.

They returned to DCI “Open Class” competition in 1981 with a 45^th place finish and missed out of the American International Open finals by one position, placing 13^th. In 1982, the corps competed regionally within the DCM circuit before going inactive from 1983 to 1986 for the second time in their storied history. 

In the interim, their feeder corps, the Toros continued performing during this period and in 1986, they took the field of competition in a new beginning, building a lasting foundation for the future of the Americanos organization. In 1987, the Toros were converted back to the Americanos and joined the DCI circuit “Class A/60” division with a 12^th place finish that year. The two following seasons saw the corps as an “A/60” finalist, placing 4^th both years.

By 1990, the corps had once again claimed a spot with the most competitive units, climbing up to the DCI “Class A” division and finished 3^rd in the finals. They also qualified for the “Open Class” preliminaries, placing 18^th. Over the next two seasons, the Appleton group went back to DCI “Class A/60” action and were a finalist in 1991 (6^th) and finished 8th in the “Division III” class the following year.

By 1993, the Americanos had won the US Open “Division III” championship and had earned a finalist position at both the Canadian Open and DCI championships, placing 5^th. A spectacular1994 secured the corps the prestigious DCI “Division III” title. Along the way they picked up additional honors with the Drum Corps Midwest (DCM) and Drum Corps East “Division III” titles, and a 2^nd place finish in both the US and North American Opens.

The Americanos returned to a 5^th place finish in 1995 before ascending to “Division II” activity for the next four seasons, alternating years between the finals (1997 & 1999) and prelims (1996 & 1998). 1999 also saw the corps finish fourth overall in “Division II”, capturing the high brass award in the preliminary round. This was their highest DCI finish to date, capturing titles in various regional events including the “Division II” DCM title in 1999.

In 2000, the corps returned to “Division III” and narrowly missed out on another DCI championship title, capturing the Silver Medal. They finished third in “Division III” in 2001, and fourth in 2002, as well as claiming the "Spirit of Disney" Award as most entertaining corps for both years. In 2003, the 47-member corps finished 18th in the “Division III” prelims and returned to finalist status the following year, with a 7^th place finish.

The corps disbanded in 2005.

One of the longest-lived junior corps in the activity, the Americanos, from its inception was a SAL Squadron, winning 7 State “SAL” championships between 1936 to 1954 and appeared in DCI competition 22 times, including every year since 1987.