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This page provides reminiscences, anecdotes, and
stories from members' personal experiences in the Navy Music Program. (The following was contributed by Jack Rodway) I don't know if you are aware that back in the 1960's there was a proposal by a Captain Alendorfer (not sure of the spelling on that name) to take E-6 Musicians and put them aboard ships to organize ship's company bands. He had seen how top heavy bands were back then with E-6's and thought they would be of more use to the Navy if they were aboard ships and put together bands from the ship's crew. Finding anyone who could play an instrument and go from there. Theoretically a good idea. The problem is, as I saw it, was that if the E-6 did a good job then he would be hurting the Music Program. If he did a bad job he killed his own career. Lose, lose situation. There were two E-6's to get the "honor" of doing just that. The first in 1962 was Duke Garrett , a trumpet player in the COMCRUDESLANT Band stationed in Newport. He was given one musician striker to help him. Richard Auger. To the best of my knowledge Duke and Rich did a good job, although Duke came back from a 3 month cruise to South Africa with part of his stomach missing from ulcers. Of all places for a black man to have this operation in the 1960's was Cape Town South Africa. By the way this cruise was on a Destroyer Escort. Captain Alendorfer was the Commodore on that cruise. He introduced Duke to the band and the band to Duke and said, "OK, Let's hear something!" As far as I know Duke has since passed away. The following year, I was "volunteered" to do the next one. At least I was given a month to rehearse my group. We did it in the COMCRUDESLANT bandroom at night during our liberty time. I was given an MU striker by the name of Chuck Jones, now a New York musician known as Olu Dara, who sings and also plays guitar and cornet. His son is a big Rap star now. Chuck was "volunteered" because he was black and they wanted to show the Africans how well the races got along in the states. We had a 13 piece band and a 4 piece combo out of it. Two guitars, me on Alto sax and Chuck played drums for us. We did everything with that band that a regular Navy band would do from morning colors on out. Our combo played cocktail music for the President of Nigeria while we on a cruise. The Van Voorhis was a Destroyer Escort. We went from Newport to Norfolk, from Norfolk to Trinidad where Commander McDonald was the XO He came to hear us at a dance we played there swapping sets with Gerry Minard's COMCRUDESFLOT 4 dance band. From Trinidad we went across to Freetown, Seirra Leone, then Lagos Nigeria, Capetown, Malagasee, Madagascar, Red, Sea, Aden,Saudi Arabia, the Suez Canal, Athens, Naples, Barcelona and back to Newport. In all, it was a three and a half month cruise. I lost 23 pounds, but came back with my stomach intact. Following is a picture of that combo as we played a concert at the Nigerian National Guard barracks. I'm the E-6 sax player in the center and Chuck is behind me.
Here's another, taken in Diego Suarez (Madagascar). Chuck is playing trumpet on my right.
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