Blue Angels

The Blue Angels drum and bugle corps, formed in the fall of 1961, was sponsored by the Veterans’ Council of Danvers. The corps was named after the Navy’s crack aerobatic team, the Flying Blue Angels. Their original uniform was white and blue, sashed with bright green.

In the early years, they were a member of the Yankee Circuit, placing 8^th in the 1962 championships, joining the All-American circuit the following season. In 1963, they sponsored their annual
“Serenade of Champions” contest. In 1964, they competed as members of the Eastern Massachusetts circuit, in the “Class A2” division, winning the 1965 title and adding the Mayflower “Class B” championship that same year. The corps participated in the 1966 World Open “Class A” championships, placing 17^th in the prelims and finished 19^th at the American Legion Nationals in Washington. They moved up to the “Class A” that year in both the Eastern Massachusetts and Mayflower circuits, placing in 6^th and 2^nd respectively.

In 1967, the Blue Angels competed at their first of many World Open “Class A” championships, placing 24^th in the prelims and finished 4^th at the Mayflower circuit contest. The following season saw the corps return to the World Open with a 30^th place finish. The 1969 VFW Nationals were held in Philadelphia where the corps finished 44^th along with a 28^th place finish at
the World Open “Class A” and a 6^th place finish at the Mayflower circuit championships. 1970 proved to be a very successful year, placing 16^th in the World Open “Class A” prelims and participating in the “Open Class” prelims of the US Open, placing 18^th. They capped off the season with a 3^rd position at the E-Mass championships and won the 1970 Mayflower “Class A” title.

The 1971 season was yet another strong year for the corps, placing 24^th at both the World Open and US Open preliminaries and moved up to a 2^nd place finish at the E-Mass “Class A” while defending  their Mayflower championship trophy. The following year, the Blue Angels returned to both the 1972 World Open and US Open prelims, placing 21^st and 25^th respectively. They opted not to defend their Mayflower title that year. In 1973, the corps competed at the US Open prelims, finishing in 41^st position, resuming their Mayflower circuit conquest with a 4^th place close. That fall, tragedy hit
the corps when their director, Ralph Serino, died suddenly in an automobile accident. In their final year of competition, they participated at the Labor Day Invitational, placing 9^th.

The Blue Angels merged in 1975 with the Immaculate Conception Reveries of Revere to form the Blue Angel Reveries.

Members (10)