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Crossmen Alumni Association Announces Class of 2010

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2010 Crossmen Hall of Fame Inductee Dave Oechsle

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2010 Crossmen Hall of Fame Inductee Grant Davis.


The Crossmen and the Crossmen Alumni Association are proud to announce the two newest members to the Crossmen Hall of Fame, Dave Oechsle and Grant Davis.

 

Dave Oechsle joined the Crossmen’s administrative staff in 1975 and was with the corps until 1986, and from the minute he joined the Crossmen organization, Dave was a doer. He served as tour director, treasurer, driver, fund raiser, mechanic, and assistant corps director. He spent untold hours planning the summer tours and was always there to help do anything necessary to make the corps operate as smoothly and efficiently as possible. 

 

He generously donated the use of his own Winnebago and van as a staff vehicle and drove many miles and many hours over the course of his years of service to the corps. He and his wife Carol would go down to the fabric district and get the material for the guard flags, offering their home as a site for all those flags to be sewn. Eventually, Dave took over the financial management of the corps. When the corps rented a building in West Chester looking to establish a permanent home, they ran bingo twice a week, and Dave was there calling numbers and helping the Crossmen every night.

 

In his selfless dedication and commitment to the Crossmen for twelve long years, Dave has embodied the giving spirit and the values of hard work, teamwork, and sacrifice that make him a more than worthy addition to the Crossmen Hall of Fame.

 

Grant Davis was originally a member of the great Crossmen drum lines from 1978-1981. As a member, Grant was one of the most dedicated and determined individuals in the corps. His relentless effort and pursuit of perfection was one of his greatest assets. He later went on to teach the drum line after he aged out and continued to demand excellence from the members. He was one of the most respected members of the staff, always able to get the most out of the kids he taught.

 

Grant’s greatest contributions to the corps came from 1986-1989. Grant was very instrumental in keeping the corps alive during that 1986 season when it looked like all was lost. He was involved with instruction, show design, recruiting and administrative duties. There were times when the task of getting the corps down the road seemed impossible and Grant was one of the key people who made it happen. He was also very involved in the five year plan to get the corps back to the top 12 in DCI, doing whatever it took to help the corps while managing to hold down a full-time job in the "real world." His dedication and commitment to the corps during this time was unparalleled, and as a result, the five year plan to return the corps to finals was accomplished in four!

 

Grant later became involved with the YEA Board of Directors where his efforts affected even more kids. It takes people like Grant with his passion and caring to make the drum corps activity work. When you think of the Crossmen Hall of Fame, you think of people who have gone above and beyond to make a difference for the past, current, and future members of the Crossmen. Grant Davis has earned and is deserving of this honor as a member of the Crossmen Hall of Fame.

 

The Induction Ceremony for the Crossmen Hall of Fame Class of 2010 will take place at the alumni tent in the park outside J. Birney Crum Stadium in Allentown, PA on Saturday August 7th at 4:30pm.