Blue Star Cadets

The Blue Star Cadets drum and bugle corps was originally formed by the Gittens Leidel American Legion Post 595 of La Crescent, MN, in 1965. This came about when the Legion announced its post colors would be carried by the newly formed Blue Stars drum corps.

Consequently, the Legion’s own drum corps, the Apple Arrows, would become known as the Blue Star Cadets, feeder corps to the Blue Stars.

The corps initiated as a parade and exhibition unit until 1968, when they entered the field of competition for one season, competing at the MN American Legion championships, finishing in 2^nd position. They remained active from 1969 to 1975 and then went inactive over the next 6 years, returning to activity in 1982. In the fall of 1982, after the Blue Stars “Open Class” corps had ceased operations with no sponsor and staggering debt, some alumni reorganized the Blue Star Cadets, incorporating as LBS Cadets, Inc.

For the next four years, the Blue Star Cadets competed regionally as a member of Drum Corps Midwest and worked at repaying the old corps' debt. In the first two seasons, the corps competed as members of the “Cadet Corps International”, placing 8^th in 1983 and 5^th in 1984. The following year saw the corps participate in the Drum Corps Midwest (DCM) preliminaries, placing 6^th and missed out by one position at the 1986 DCI “Class A/60” championship finals, finishing in 7^th place. 

In the fall of 1986, the group had repaid sufficient of the old units' debt to reclaim the Blue Stars name and legacy.  The Blue Star Cadets reorganized in the fall of 1988 and competed in 1989 in the DCM circuit before resuming as a feeder corps. The Cadets added woodwinds in 2004, becoming a marching “winds and percussion” group rather than a drum corps.

As a feeder corps, the Cadets were a parade corps. They added woodwinds in 2004, becoming a marching band rather than a drum and bugle corps. The unit performed until 2011. 

They disbanded in 2012.

Members (5)