The Contra Flag - A History

As members and alumni, we all know and take part in the many traditions of the Crossmen, some of which are as old as the corps. However, a new tradition has been started which holds great honor and pride despite being relatively "young." It is one that carries the spirits of those gone but not forgotten-- those spirits that take the field with the corps every night. Those spirits are the ones with the corps when they are standing on the ramp going into J. Birney Crum, when the corps is taking the long path down to the field in Sevierville, and when the corps is standing proudly on the field at Finals. I'm talking about the Contra Flag, which first appeared in Allentown in 2003. As a former contra player, I can tell you that we take as much pride in this flag as we do our traditional dog collars. Hopefully this story will give everyone an understanding of what this new tradition is and what it means to us.

The flag was a gift to us from Shane Esterly (2002 Baritone). Shane had made the contra line in 2003 and was excited about assuming a new role in the corps. However, things would not work out and he left the corps before spring training. We didn't really see him much on tour until Allentown. As most of you know, the contra line has the tradition of earning dog collars the last week of tour, starting at Allentown. I remember being excited and overwhelmed with happiness when I got mine. As we were getting the collars, Shane approached us with something black that was folded up. He told us he wanted to give us something to remember our hard work and to take pride in as a section, along with thanking us for what we meant to him. He unfolded the item and before us was a big, black bed sheet with a large red maltese cross attached to it with safety pins. We carried the flag with us the rest of tour and placed it on the field in our retreat block that year. On finals night, the flag was folded up and taken by one of the guys in the section and put away.

I don't really recall how it happened but the flag ended up with me before the 2004 camps started. Before I knew it, my mom had sewn the cross on and the safety pins were removed. I chose to march euphonium in 2004, but my heart never left the contra section. The love I had for the section caused me to feel immense grief when I received word of Shane's unfortunate death in December 2003. Not only had we lost him, but shortly after came word of the tragic passing of Sarah Slominski (2003 Flugel Horn). The returning members were overwhelmed with grief. It was hard to get over their deaths. However, the contra section chose to continue to carry the flag with them throughout the summer. It came out at the Allentown retreat and again at Finals. That year, the hornline had passed around pictures of Shane and Sarah to put inside our jackets to remember them at each show. However we wanted a more permanent way to remember them. That would take another event for it to finally happen though.

I only had the pleasure of knowing Joe Kempf (2001 Euphonium, 2002 Drum Major, 2004 Visual Staff) for one year. But anyone who knew him could lay claim to the profound effect he had on them. The corps was hit hard again when Joe passed away in December 2004. It had been only one year since Shane and Sarah, and many of us were not ready for it to be happening again. When I got word of Joe's death, I immediately decided to go up to Lancaster for the funeral. I packed the flag up with me and had in my mind what needed to be done. While at the funeral, I discussed my plan with some other tubas. They all thought it was what needed to happen. The flag was to have Shane, Sarah, and Joe's names embroidered on it. Fortunately we were blessed to have Mrs. Ebert, mother of Eric Ebert, on board with the corps as a volunteer. We approached her about embroidering the flag and she did it perfectly. We carried the flag all summer and began taking it on the field with us. Our staff would place it somewhere for the corps to see so we could always have them with us.

The past few years have seen many alumni pass away. Although this is simply a fact of life, it is still something we never get used to. As Crossmen, regardless of when you marched, we feel a connection to everyone who has ever worn the Cross. It's what gives us the ability to instantly form a bond when we meet a fellow alumnus for the first time. That same spirit is what fills that flag. It is a permanent memory of those that many of us never got the chance to really know because they were taken from our family. We often talk about the ghosts of Crossmen past when we take the field each summer. This flag takes them with us. It reminds us that Bones is always with us regardless of the show. And lastly, it's something that the Contra section holds dear to their hearts and always take pride in. The flag will continue to take the field with the corps in the last week of the season, as it originally did in 2003. It will be put up so future generations of Crossmen know they aren't alone and so those in the stands can remember their friends.