The Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps
Competitive junior drum and bugle corps
The Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps (formerly the Holy Name Cadets, Cadets of Garfield, Garfield Cadets, and Cadets of Bergen County) was a junior drum and bugle corps that operated from 1934 to 2024.
Most recently based in Erie, Pennsylvania, the group was among the thirteen founding corps of Drum Corps International (DCI). It was a ten-time DCI World Champion in the World Class division and was the oldest continuously active junior drum and bugle corps in North America.
On April 2, 2024, The Cadets filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, citing the costs of defending a 2020 sexual abuse lawsuit and an inability to get liability insurance coverage.
History
In 1934, Charles Mura, Michael Koeph, and the Rev. Edwin Garrity of the Holy Name Catholic parish in Garfield, New Jersey founded the Holy Name Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps as an activity for the boys in the parish. The corps quickly became one of the top competitive corps in the country. In 1937, the song, "O Holy Name", was written for the corps. The lyrics were taught to new members each summer and sung to the tune of "O Tannenbaum".
In 1940, the Cadets won the American Legion Junior National Championship in Boston, the first of a record nine Legion titles the corps would win between 1940 and 1964.
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