I had the pleasure of serving at the Barracks from January of 1965 through June of 1974. I was a Corporal who had served in Viet-Nam with HMM-261 in 1963 and was still a Corporal when I reported for service with the US Marine Drum & Bugle Corps as Unit Clerk and Section Leader of the 3rd Soprano Bugle Section from 65 through early 70 when I was transferred to the US Marine Band as PIO where I remained until I was discharged in 74 as a GySgt. I then became an officer with the Charles County Maryland Sheriff's Office where I served with 25 years retiring in 1999 as a Lieutenant.

US Marine Drum & Bugle Corps marching off after Battle Color Ceremony at the US Naval Ordnance Station Indian Head, Maryland in May 1965. Photo by Mr. Reuel A. Wright, From the Collection of GySgt David B. Wright

Members of the US Marine Silent Drill Platoon and the Ft. Henry Guard inspect the Iwo Jima Monument really up close in 1970. From the Collection of GySgt David B. Wright

Assistant Director of the US Marine Band Major Jack Kline (Later Director) confers with Assistant Drum Major MSgt Jimerson and Operations Chief MGySgt John Bourgeois (later Director) with GySgt David B. Wright in the background on the phone. 1973. From the Collection of GySgt David B. Wright

The US Marine Band, "The President's Own", Drum Major MGySgt James Donovan 1972 or 73. From the Collection of GySgt David B. Wright

Photo taken in the Director of the US Marine Band, "The President's Own" From Left to Right. Band PIO GySgt David B. Wright, Maj Jack Kline Assistant Director (Later Director), Assistant Drum Major MSgt Jimerson and Operation's Chief MGySgt John Bourgeois (Later Director). 1973 or 74. From the Collection of GySgt David B. Wright

The United States Marine Band, "The President's Own" on the South side of the White House. The Director LtCol Dale Harpham is front and center with Assistant Director Jack Kline to the left and Assistant Director 1stLt William Rusinak to the right. On the right is Drum Major MGySgt James Donovan and on the left is Assistant Drum Major MSgt Jimerson 1973 or 74. From the Collection of GySgt David B. Wright

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Here are some photo's that were taken of the Ft. Henry Guard's visit to the Barracks in 1970. They marched in the Iwo Jima Parade as well as the Friday Evening Parade at the Barracks.
(Actually it might have been a special Thursday Evening Parade at the Barracks I don't remember exactly)

This is a photo taken in our 1969 visit to Ft. Henry of the evening Tattoo. 1stLt Jim Bathurst was our parade commander.



In the below photo the Regimental Sergeant Major of the Fort Henry Guard shakes hands with the Barracks Sergeant Major Neil King (a Mohawk Indian)
and looking on is the Guard Company First Sergeant Crawford. Crawford went on to become Sergeant Major of the Corps.



In the below photo the Fife and Drum Corps of the Ft. Henry Guard and our troops are visible. The Ft. Henry Guard Fife & Drum Corps
carries a snare drum that was presented to them by the Marine Drum and Bugle Corps during the first exchange of visits and when they
leave the field they also march off the the US Marine Hymn! Incidentally the Commandant of the Marine Corps is the Honorary Commander
of the Ft. Henry Guard and maintains the keys to the Fort.



Ft. Henry Guard doing Bayonet Drill at Iwo Jima Parade



Sgt Chesty and the Ft. Henry Mascot, a goat, march across the Center Walk during the Barracks Evening Parade.


The Color Guard of the Corps and the Color Guard of Ft. Henry Guard.



For those members of our Association who are not fully aware of the Fort Henry Guard they are composed of Canadian College Students who compete keenly every summer to become a member. They must learn the drill of the British Army of 1867 and wear those era uniforms. They are paid to do this each summer and receive extra pay if they grow facial hair. As for the military conduct they put the Brigade of Guards to shame. In fact they were once invited to London to parade with the Brigade of Guards and really embarrassed them by their appearance and precision of their drill they have not been invited back! At Ft. Henry they hold gun races. They use an Armstrong 3 lb. breach loading gun with a caisson that is pulled by manpower using ropes. The guns are spotted on a center line and on a whistle, with a great deal of exertion get the runs rolling at a dead full out run. They travel 50 yards where spots are painted with the wheels of the caisson must be placed and the gun placed. To stop all this heavy weight the gun crews all plant their boots on the black top surface and lean back as far as possible pulling on their ropes and literally are slid across the blacktop until they manage to stop the guns. Then by the commands of 1867 artillery drill they load each round and fire it, swab out the barrel and fire another round until 3 rounds have been fired as fast as possible. Then the guns are limbered back up onto their caissons got rolling while turning them around 180 degrees and then they race 100 yards to another set of spots and repeat the performance. After firing the second set of 3 rounds they again re-limber, turn the guns around 180 degrees and race 50 yards to the finish line. The time in which they do this in is well under 3 minutes and is truly amazing to watch it being performed.

Ft. Henry itself was built around the time of the War of 1812 at Kingston, Ontario, Canada to defend Canada from the Americans. During WWII it was a prison for German prisoner of War. It has since been restored to how it appeared in 1867 and the barracks are made up as if the troops had prepared it for inspection and left. The college kids live and breath the military aspect of all of this and we really had to take our "A" game when we were around them.

During their performance they do a bayonet drill by the numbers which is quit instructive as to how war was conducted then. Then they fight a battle against an imaginary foe. They fire by rank in the traditional 3 ranks deep method with the firing like a clock ticking. After firing the kneeling rank moves back and the next rank fires while the previous rank reloads. The Armstrong Cannons with their Caissons add support as well as a couple of small mortars carried on a litter like carriage. Then one wing about faces and slowly marches back to a new position while the other wing continues to fire. One the 1st wing has reached it's position and begins to fire covering the other wing the remaining wing about faces and marches back. This is repeated a couple of times and then they form the famous British Square with the colors in the center and the armstrong gun on the corners and on command fire a single mass volley! Watching this show is really a history lesson for military personnel in how battles were fought back then and the iron command and control that was necessary to fight in this manner becomes readily apparent.

Ft. Henry Guard fires volley during performance during Evening Parade in 1970 at the Marine Barracks in Washington, D.C. From the Collection of GySgt David B. Wright

SERVING THEIR 3 LB. ARMSTRONG GUNS AT IWO JIMA PARADE



FT HENRY GD PASSING IN REVIEW AT BARRACKS WITH THEIR GOAT MASCOT LEADING FOLLOWED BY 2 HUGE PIONEERS (Engineers) The one with the eye patch was a Scotsman who had served in the French Foreign Legion and was wounded losing his eye in the Algerian War. I brought him home (we lived in St Charles down in Waldorf) for a promised steak dinner and he wore his full Scottish gentleman heavy woolen coat with tails, kilt, soprain and dirk in his sock. He was as big as an NFL D Lineman and had to turn his shoulders sideway to fit through door into our kitchen to meet my very awed wife.



Fife & Drums fo Ft Henvy Guard Sounding Off at Iwo Jima



Drill Team Sgt shows the Bks Plaque at Center Walk to the Commander, Regimental Sergeant Major and Drum Major of the Ft Henry Guard



Ft Henry Guard Artillery firing 3 lb Armstrong guns with limbers that were hand drawn by their crews to suppor their Infantry on the Brks Parade Deck



Officers March Off down Center Walk at Barracks



Ft Henry Guard at Barracks

Semper Fi
Submitted by 8th & I Marine David "DB" Wright, Drum & Bugle Corps and Band, 1965-74 / USMC 1959-74, Vietnam veteran, Las Vegas, NV