The Charles Dickerson Drum Corps of New Rochelle, New York went from its humble beginning as part of an all black boy scout troop in 1929 to a national drum corps. In a time when segregation was the norm in the Untied States this African American Boy Scout Troop provided opportunities not available to the average Black male in America, such as musical skills, friendship, travel, competition, and guidance. The Corps first crowd pleasing performance was in New Rochelle 's 1929 Memorial Day Parade. The Drum Corps, once formally organized, was named after Second Lieutenant Charles Dickerson, who was a fellow member of Troop 16 Boy Scouts of America, and an U.S. Army pilot killed during World War II. Many of the corps members have participated