Crossmen

Location	San Antonio, TX
Division	World Class
Founded	1975
Director	Mark Chambers
Uniform	Black jacket with white Cross pattée and shoulder accents, black pants, black aussie, red Cross pattée, white band, and black plume, black cape

The Crossmen are a World Class (formerly Division I) drum and bugle corps from San Antonio, Texas. Founded in 1975, they are a current member of Drum Corps International. The Crossmen have had various geographic homes over the years, beginning in the southeastern Pennsylvania and Delaware Valley areas. Their longest stays were in West Chester, Pennsylvania and Newark, Delaware.

The corps was created as a merger between two suburban Philadelphia drum corps, the Keystone Regiment and the 507 Hornets. The name "Crossmen" was chosen by the members of the newly created corps, and can be traced back to American Legion Post 507, which was named in honor of war veteran John Welsey Cross.

In the winter of 1996, the corps became an official program offering of Youth Education in the Arts (YEA), an umbrella organization which also includes the Cadets drum corps and the United States Scholastic Band Association. In the autumn of 2006, the corps relocated to San Antonio and made their official return to independent status in late August 2007.

In addition to numerous Eastern States Circuit Championships, the 1977 American Legion Championship, and the 1981 VFW National Championship, the Crossmen have been consistent finalists in the Drum Corps International circuit, finishing in the elite top 12 twenty-two times. Their official corps song is Russian Christmas Music by Alfred Reed.

Part of the mystique surrounding the Crossmen are references to "Bones." Bones is considered to some people as a mascot and apparent fan of the corps. Bones appears at the top of the back stands or in other prominent places to help inspire the Crossmen before a big performance. Dressed in a 1978 Crossmen uniform with ankle-length red cape and a skull mask, Bones arrives as the corps enters the field, spreads his cape to audience approval, and then vanishes once the Crossmen begin their performance. He is there to pass the torch from previous generations of Crossmen to the current corps. Bones is also the nickname for the corps, and for the members who have marched there. The corps' most prominent motto is "When all else is gone, the Bones always remain."

The corps director is Mark Chambers.

[edit] External links

• Crossmen homepage
• Crossmen Alumni Association homepage
• Drum Corps International