My name is Toni O'Kelley-Pope and I marched with the Des Plaines IL,
Vanguard from 1965 through 1969. I was also a color guard instructor for
both field and winter guard for many years. I wrote for Drum Corps Digest
("The Hap'nin' Set") for about seven years as well.

I have embarked on a new drum corps project and it has a lot of
facets. First of all, in our quest to reunite the members of the George L.
Giles Yellow Jackets Drum & Bugle Corps that represented American Legion Post #87 in Chicago,
IL (1933 - 1967, the first African American drum corps in the Midwest),
we are requesting that anyone who has marched with, instructed, assisted in
managing or was an associate of the corps, please contact us as soon as
possible. I am designing a Web site for the alumni of the Giles Yellow Jackets
and would like to be able to include everyone.

We are searching for photos, articles and any other memorabilia for the
Yellow Jackets. All items will be returned. We are also submitting a
proposal for Mr. John M. Turner, the corps' founder, to be admitted to the
World Drum Corps Hall of Fame.

Any assistance that I receive from you will be greatly appreciated, no
matter how small the gesture. If you have a drum corps Web site or group
e-mail listing and can post my request for help, that will give us a very good
start in our efforts. My contact information is listed at the end of this
letter.

Steve Vickers, publisher of Drum Corps World, has suggested that I expand
the Web site to include all African American drum corps (past and present) and
I will certainly do that if I receive the information along with photos and
articles.

Thanks to Steve Vickers and everyone for helping a friend in need.

Yours in Corps Spirit.

Toni (O'Vanguard) O'Kelley-Pope
gilesyellowjackets@yahoo.com
773.651.3375
8523 South Maryland Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60619