My Life in the Army Chuck Booker

In the fall of 1971, I was newly with the ability and high musical President Johnson died and we married to Claudette [DeRocher], standards achieved by this group, took part in that service too. a trumpet player, and attending St. and I remember telling Claudette I continued with my writing Mary’s University of San Antonio, that someday, I would love to be and playing trumpet for the next majoring in Music Education. in that band. Also, while at the two years, and even did some After having dropped piano for the School of Music my son Erik Lee at the Ft. Sam Houston third time, and tiring of school, I Booker was born. Playhouse Theatre. I left the Army joined the as a After graduating from the at the end of my enlistment and trumpet player. After training my School of Music I moved my moved my family to Denton assignment would be as a member family back to San Antonio and to attend North Texas State of the Fifth U.S. Army Band at started my career as a trumpeter University in the spring of 1975, Fort Sam Houston, Texas. with the 5th Army Band. It is here majoring in composition. After I entered basic training in I met future Texas band directors two months, I realized I missed January 1972 and graduated in Gary Potter and Larry Schmidt. the camaraderie and hands-on April. Claudette and I packed up Bob Howard, my best friend from excitement of an Army band so our 1965 Rambler Classic and high school, was already in the I re-enlisted into my old unit at drove to Norfolk, Virginia to the band. John Pearson, band director Ft. Sam Houston and we moved Armed Forces School of Music. I at MacArthur High School, was back to San Antonio. attended the school until the first kind enough to let me bring charts That summer, Claudette and I of September, during which time, over to try out with his band. bought a house and settled down I began to write music for the jazz Occasionally, I played gigs on (we thought) to the routine of bands that rehearsed everyday. My trumpet with Dale Schultz in the Army life. In August 1975, my first attempt was disastrous, but a Paul Elizondo . My high Bandmaster offered me two free Navy instructor took pity on me, school band director, Al Sturchio tickets to see The Army Field pointed out my mistakes, and told commissioned me to write jazz Band of Washington, D.C. perform me to rewrite it. We did this over charts for his jazz orchestra. at Trinity University. At first I and over until I got it right. At the During Christmas 1972, declined, but at the last minute school and in my first two years President Truman was very ill decided to go. As luck would have in the Army, I must have arranged and our band was put “on alert.” it, one of my senior sergeants was at least one new piece a week. We were to support any funeral at the concert and pulled me back During my stay at the “School,” ceremonies that would be held stage at the intermission to talk the Army’s premier touring jazz at the President’s home. The day to the commander of the Band, band and part of the Army Field after Christmas we got word that Major Sam Fricano who needed a Band performed there. Known as President Truman had died. replacement for his chief arranger the Studio Band, they later were That evening we boarded a (Dave Volpe) who was retiring. renamed “the Jazz Ambassadors.” C-130 at Kelly Air Force Base and I flew to their headquarters in I was really amazed and impressed flew to Kansas. Two months later, Ft. Meade, Maryland (just outside

25 Bandmasters Review • September 2006 Texas Bandmasters Association My Life in the Army

of Washington, D.C.) for the audition, and of an overabundance of energy and determined to was accepted. succeed at everything. Looking back now, I believe In March 1976, I sold my house, packed up the I must have been exasperating to my sergeants, family and drove to Ft. Meade. I immediately began especially the older ones. We all survived and they writing new music for the Field Band for their spring taught me how to be an . In 1978, the band tour and continued to write for the . flew to West Germany for Reforger ’78. We performed I also took private composition lessons at Towson for six weeks throughout the military exercise area State University from the great jazz composer and near Frankfurt, enjoying the German hospitality— arranger, Hank Levy. Although especially the beer and I had my first two pieces schnitzel. published by Kendor Music One of the highlights of that year, I knew I wanted to my time at Fort Polk, was do more than write music for conducting the 5th Infantry the rest of my military career. Division Band at the 1980 I not only wanted to write it, Arkansas Bandmasters I wanted to conduct it, and Association conference and someday, hopefully become the performing with Harvey Director of the Studio Band. Phillips. What I remember To do that, I would have to most about Ft. Polk was that become an Army Bandmaster, a Claudette and I were blessed Warrant Officer. I asked Major with two more children, Fricano for his permission to Adam and Colleen. request admission into the In 1980 I received orders Bandmaster course. He smiled to Frankfurt, West Germany knowingly, and said, “I was wondering when as Bandmaster of the Third Armored Division. I flew you were going to get around to it.” to Germany first, and six weeks later Claudette and On the first day of December, I was accepted for the kids followed. In January 1981, the American Bandmaster training at the School of Music. In four hostages held in captivity by the Iranian government weeks, I cleared quarters, raced my family back to were released. Our band performed for their San Antonio to stay with Claudette’s parents, and flew departure from Rhein-Main Air Force Base to the to Norfolk, Virginia. The course of instruction was states. I remember conducting the band during six long grueling months. We began with eighteen “God Bless America” and suddenly found myself candidates, and only ten of us graduated. being hugged by one of the released hostages who My first assignment was at Ft. Polk, Louisiana was crying and thanking me for being there. where I spent three enjoyable years as Bandmaster of I may have cried a little bit, too. Each year the the Fifth Infantry Division Band. I was twenty-five band provided music at the World War II memorial and the youngest Bandmaster in the Army. I was full service at Margraten, Netherlands and at the annual Nijmegan Marches, also in the Netherlands. 26 Bandmasters Review • September 2006 Texas Bandmasters Association My Life in the Army

In 1983 the Bookers were once again moved by The band marched in the Presidential Inauguration the Army to Brooklyn, New York where I became the Parades in 1989 and again in 1993. We performed Commander and Bandmaster of the 26th Army Band: in Tokyo, Japan in 1993 in a centennial celebration “The Army Band of New York City.” During this time of the birth of Glenn Miller. We performed at the band provided music for all visiting heads of the Midwest International Band and Orchestra state, for Mayor Koch’s city ceremonies, concerts in Conference in Chicago twice, but my favorite of all the park and at the World Trade Center. In 1986, the performances was at the 1991 Texas Bandmasters band performed for many of the activities in support Association Conference in San Antonio. of the Centennial of the Statue of Liberty. I left the military in 1993, and spent one year In May 1986, I was asked to be the Director of as Director of Bands at Fork Union Academy in the Army’s “Jazz Ambassadors.” I took about one Virginia. Our family returned home to San Antonio second to think it over and said, “When do I start?” the following year, and I became assistant editor of In August 1986, I reported to the Field Band for Southern Music Company. I finished my Masters the second time in my life and by October, I was on degree in Instrumental Conducting from the a 40-day coast-to-coast concert tour of the United University of Texas at San Antonio in 1996, and was States with the Jazz Ambassadors. appointed the acting Director of Bands at Trinity During my seven years as their director, I took University 1996-97. I received my Texas Teaching the Jazz Ambassadors on many tours throughout Certificate from Southwest Texas State University in all sections of our great country and in many parts 1997, and taught public school music until appointed of the world. In February and March of 1989, the in 1999 to my current position as Director of Bands Department of the Army sent the Jazz Ambassadors at the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith. on a 30-day tour of India performing in New Delhi, Over the years I have come to realize how Calcutta, Madras, Bombay, Bangalore, and Poona. important my 21 years in the Army Band program We even paid a visit to the great Taj Mahal. In were. There was always a sense of accomplishment; summer, the band did a 26-day tour of six countries time and freedom to learn my trade, and I strongly in western Europe which included performances at believe I served my country to the best of my the Nice Jazz Festival in France, the North Sea Jazz abilities. I highly recommend any of the military Festival at The Hague in the Netherlands, and the band programs. The opportunities for learning and Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. We performed leadership are there for anyone who has the desire to with Louie Bellson and Don Menza at the 1987 be the best they can be. Sound familiar? National Association of Jazz Educators in Atlanta.

27 Bandmasters Review • September 2006 Texas Bandmasters Association