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DCA Honors Moe Knox in Bridgeport, CT

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In April at the DCA Spring meeting, it was voted unanimously to honor longtime drum corps photographer Moe Knox with the first ever DCA Heritage award for his contributions to the drum corps community. The award ceremony took place here tonight in Bridgeport, Ct. at the Champions on Parade competition sponsored by the Barnum Festival committee.

Spanning a career of fifty plus years of taking photographs of individuals and drum corps, Mr. Knox has captured over a half century of drum corps history.

Before today’s modern technology arrived and the Internet, Fan Network, and all of the other communication needs set in, we only had Drum Corps News and Drum Corps World to gather our drum corps fix for information. With those publications were the many thousands of pictures taken by Moe Knox. Without those historic pictures from Moe, those issues would contain blank pages. Without those pictures a great deal of history from ” back in those days ” would not exist. We would not be able to enjoy those pictures if it were not for his contribution to the drum corps activity we all love.
How many of us had our picture posted in one of the drum corps publications or now on the Internet courtesy of Moe Knox? How many parents have their children’s photos framed because of his pictures? How many of our loved ones who have passed away have their memories still live on due to one of his photos? The great legends of our activity still shine bright in his pictures.

Moe Knox has made it personal and at the same time fun in his fifty plus years in taking these many thousands of photographs. Yes, this award was given by Drum Corps Associates, but these thousands of pictures are also without the DCI, Alumni, Parade Corps, and standstill units he has photographed. Drum corps of the past are still alive in his historic pictures that bring back so many memories for the drum corps community.

DCA Secretary, Glen Johnson, summed up all of the above in his ceremony speech to the fans and drum corps on the field. DCA President Gil Silva, Vice President Allen Buell, and Treasurer Michael ” Red ‘ Corso were on hand to participate in this award ceremony. A much deserved and long overdue standing ovation was given by all in attendance on the presentation of this award.

Moe has now gone modern as he shoots digital pictures and I am sure that Eastman Kodak is not happy about this and their lost revenue from his film use. His knowledge of the history of drum corps plus the information he provides to the fans is truly historic.

In summation, just think for one minute about what this one man has done for the documented history of our activity. His pictures are proof of how our activity has grown over these many years and the history that goes with it. I am not going to get involved as to why Moe Knox is not in the Hall of Fame, but to put into publication as to what he has meant to and done for the drum corps activity.

Respectfully Submitted,
Bill Flaker DCW Staff Writer