300,000 People Watch, January 20, 1973

The inaugural parade, a tradition since George Washington took office, marches down Pennsylvania Avenue today with 11,634 performers depicting American life from the landing at Plymouth Rock to the landing on the moon.

The parade features 35 floats, 14 equestrian units and 55 bands, including the largest marching band in United States history--1,976 Fairfax County students.

"Spirit of "76," the parade theme, symbolizes not only the country's past, but the future, looking ahead to 1976 when the nation celebrates its 200th birthday.

Complemented by banners, color guard and rifle carriers is the New York Knickerbocker Drum and Bugle Corps.

(74) The U.S. Park Police Horse Mounted Unit is a familiar sight in inaugural parades. In the past three decades, the unit has participated in a number of inaugurals, including those of President Eisenhower, Kennedy and Johnson.

(75) On April 30, 1780, George Washington appeared on the balcony of Federal Hall in New York City to take the oath of office. New York's entry in the 1973 parade celebrates the first Inaugural.

January 20, 1973 Presidential Inauguration Parade Up Close

January 20, 1973 Presidential Inauguration Parade

City Band Set To Drum Up Nixon's Day by Bryant Mason

When the New York Knickerbockers Drum and Bugle Corps performs at the presidential Inauguration in Washington Saturday, it will be the first such performance by a city band since the old police band played at Teddy Roosevelt's swearing in , in 1898. " We have had a number of honor's" says Harvey Berish, the band's 33-year-old general manager. Of course this is doubly unusual in that this is the first time since the turn of the century that a New York City band has been invited to play." The official band of the New York Yankees, the Knickerbockers unit is made up of 200 members who practice in a renovated, second-floor bowling alley at 2415, Westchester Ave. , near Zarega Ave. in the Bronx.

Knickerbocker band to play for Nixon

The New York Knickerbocker Drum and Bugle Corps, familiar to thousands of Yonkers parade-goers, has been chosen as New York's official musical unit at the Presidential Inaugural Parade Jan. 20, 1973, in Washington, D.C.

And a Yonkers appearance helped them on their way.

Harvey Berish, the band's general manager, says the Knickerbockers caught President Richard Nixon's eye in Getty Square during his motorcade through Westchester County on Veterans Day.

Then the band applied to the state inaugural committee, and recently received word of its official designation. But Berish feels the band was" selected by the President.'

The Knickerbockers, who are based in the Bronx, have appeared in Yonkers parades for a number of years and won a trophy as "The Best All Around Musical Unit" in the Centennial and Columbus Day Parade in October.

KNICKERBOCKER ALUMNI 1968 -to-1973

Please not I added another blog to google, called Knickerbocker Alumni 1968-to-1973.

The link is: http://knickerbocker-alumni-1968-to-1973.blogspot.com

Please forward all pictures and bios to me at email address: knickerbocker69@aol.com

Thank you.

Yankee Stadium 1973