Karen King

The summer before my freshman year my family moved to Bakersfield from Oklahoma.  When I saw the BHS campus, I was both excited and terrified.  Most freshmen came with a few friends from junior high, but I knew no one and was overwhelmed by a school that was twice as large as my home town.

The one thing that helped me gain self-esteem and an identity was being in the Driller Band, known as one of the best in the state at the time.  I didn’t feel lost in a sea of strangers any more.  I was a member of the great Driller Band.  It didn’t take long to understand why the band was topnotch.  It was because of  Col. Moore’s leadership.

Col. Moore ran the band as if it were a military unit.  The few girls in the band were expected to match their uniforms exactly with those of the boys. This meant we wore men’s white tee-shirts under our uniform, men’s shoes (very comfortable by the way), and kept our hair tucked under our headgear.  If during band practice Col. Moore saw a student chewing gum, he would simply point to that person and shout “Swallow it!”

Col. Moore merely tolerated the front row of majorettes when we performed.  At one band practice on the field, a majorette was doing some practice throws and her baton almost hit Col. Moore In the head.  You never saw the majorettes again after that or the years I was in school.

My love of music today is directly related to my time in band with Col. Moore.  After high school I enrolled in the U.S. Navy Waves and after four years with Col. Moore, I  had no problem follow orders!

Karen King, Class of 1960

This story was submitted in response to a call for memories about Bakersfield’s own Wes Moore, the late Colonel Moore, who directed the Bakersfield High School bands from 1946-79 and positively influenced countless youth. For the original call for submissions, click here.

My first encounter with Col. Moore was in his office for a formal interview and tryout in the fall of 1950.  I had just graduated from Emerson Jr. High where I was first chair, first clairinet.  Col. Moore asked me if I wanted to be in the “BAKERSFIELD HIGH SCHOOL MARCHING BAND”  and I timidly responded, “I think so.”  YOU THINK SO!!!! He roared back at me and put me in seventh chair, second clairinets probably as much for my timidity as my playing ability.

My fellow band member Dick Engel and I also played football — first with the Bits and then with the Sandabs.  Col. Moore didn’t like this.  He wanted us to do one or the other.  The Sandabs usually played a game before the varsity game and Dick and I had little time to change out of our football pads and into our band uniforms before the band went onto the field for the pre-game ceremony.  My parents always came to the games and brought my instrument and band uniform but once at the Fresno High School game in Fresno they didn’t bring my uniform cap.

As the band was assembling to go onto the field there I was in uniform, minus the cap, and Col. Moore spotted me immediately.  He told me I wasn’t going out onto the field without my cap and I was to see him in his office at 8:00 am Monday morning.  He informed my friend Dick that he should be there also.  Col. Moore gave us a choice — band or football.  Dick and I felt the same way — we chose football.  Our reason?  The girls were much more attracted to football players than to band members.  We didn’t tell Col. Moore this of course but he accepted our decision and told us to turn in our uniforms.

The one year I was in the band we won the All Western Band Review in Long Beach and as a reward marched in the Rose Bowl Parade.  I was very proud of Col. Moore and the band for those accomplishments.

Bob Myers, BHS Grad, Class of 1954

This story was submitted in response to a call for memories about Bakersfield’s own Wes Moore, the late Colonel Moore, who directed the Bakersfield High School bands from 1946-79 and positively influenced countless youth. For the original call for submissions, click here.

I met Colonel Wes Moore in 1953, when I began dating a member of his Driller Band at Bakersfield High School.  Lawrence Brooks (Larry) was in the middle of his second senior year when we met; this was not only his fifth year in high school but his fifth year as a proud member of the Driller Band. Larry had dyslexia which resulted in him having difficulty with studies – reading, spelling, math, reading music to name a few.  As a result, he felt pretty stupid, although he was actually a very smart guy.

Colonel took him under his wing, teaching Larry to play the tuba at first, then eventually moved him into the trombone section.  Being tall, he carried the tuba proudly.  Eight across, the tuba section had the letters D-R-I-L-L-E-R-S stretched on the bells, swaying their horns with precision and swagger while marching – an imposing presence.

Colonel was a huge fan of John Philip Sousa (director the U.S. Marine Band and composer of many marches) and carried forward that military discipline.  When competing in Regional Band Reviews, their marching skills as well as music competence always garnered high marks.  Because Larry’s brother, Leroy Brooks (Lee) followed him in the tuba section of the BHS Driller Band, we traveled to Long Beach to attend many reviews; Colonel’s band always competed well against bigger and better endowed schools.

Colonel expected excellence from his students; he got it out of them, along with their unqualified respect and desire to give their best.  Larry succeeded in life primarily due to Colonel’s early encouragement and care.

In 1999, as Larry was losing his battle with lymphoma, Colonel telephoned Larry during the last days of his life to again provide him with affirmation and support.

Submitted by Patricia Puskarich (formerly Patricia Brooks)

This story was submitted in response to a call for memories about Bakersfield’s own Wes Moore, the late Colonel Moore, who directed the Bakersfield High School bands from 1946-79 and positively influenced countless youth. For the original call for submissions, click here.

BAND ATTENTION !!!!!
Just read the story of the B.H.S. students looking into the life of Col. Wes Moore. What memories that brought back. “The Colonel” was one of the most influential people in the lives of literally thousands of young people. He was truly one of Bakersfields best. I’ve had two heros in my life that I loved and respected. The first was my dad, the second was “The Colonel”. Someone should write a book about the life of this wonderful man. We all miss you Col. BAND AT EASE !!!!

Michael B. Huestis
Lieutenant, Driller Band, 1966

P.S. All my best to” Mrs. Col.”

This story was submitted in response to a call for memories about Bakersfield’s own Wes Moore, the late Colonel Moore, who directed the Bakersfield High School bands from 1946-79 and positively influenced countless youth. For the original call for submissions, click here.

I was in the Driller band from 1948 to 1952. We marched in the Rose Parade all four years. I remember loading into school buses in the wee hours of the morning New Year’s Day for the 2-3 hour trip to Pasadena, arriving before dawn and standing in formation for what seemed like hours before our band was called to begin the march down Pasadena Avenue. Once we got started it passed pretty rapidly and the buses were there to pick us up at the end of the parade. We always went to the Rose Bowl game after the parade and had seats together for the entire band. As I recall we had over 100 musicians marching ten wide in ten or eleven rows with 10 big tubas in the last row. One year someone smuggled a bottle of Four Roses inside one of the tubas! I remember It helped you to sleep in the bus on the way home, purely medicinal. Those were the days!

Larry Foster

This story was submitted in response to a call for memories about Bakersfield’s own Wes Moore, the late Colonel Moore, who directed the Bakersfield High School bands from 1946-79 and positively influenced countless youth. For the original call for submissions, click here.

In 1946, I was playing trombone in the KC band and Mr. Moore asked me to change to the baritone. He told me I would be using the same mouthpiece as the trombone but would use valves instead of the slide to change notes.

I fell in love with the instrument. He furnished me with a euphonium which has two bells, one for treble and one for bass and has a more mellow tone than the trombone or baritone. He taught me a simple way to transpose the treble to bass. In one of our concerts, in a solo I was supposed to play, I made a mistake. Afterwards, he had a discussion with me that I very well remember.

He told me I had a natural talent for playing the instrument but I didn’t practice enough. So, I started practicing more and suddenly I felt more pride in my playing. This advice I have always kept in my mind. I no longer play the instrument but in every endeavor I’ve gotten into since I’ve found that practice has always helped. When he passed away, I had the honor of being asked to officiate at his Masonic funeral. Wes Moore was truly a great teacher.

John D. Denney

This story was submitted in response to a call for memories about Bakersfield’s own Wes Moore, the late Colonel Moore, who directed the Bakersfield High School bands from 1946-79 and positively influenced countless youth. For the original call for submissions, click here.

Jim Harrison

When I hear stories of how young people’s lives are touched by an individual, it usually relates to a teacher.  No one person comes to mind except for Wesley Moore.  He was more than a teacher.  He was a leader, organizer, director and disciplinarian.

My story begins as a BHS freshman (KCUHS in those days) recruited by a band member friend to flesh out the bass (tuba) section for the marching band.  The band was large, well organized and operated in a military sort of way in that there was a lot of drilling/marching and delegation of authority.  Section leaders were responsible for their ranks.  The Colonel (Wes Moore) commanded respect as he took one hundred plus members and molded us into the premier high school band on the west coast from 1948 to 1952.  As I recall, we marched in the Rose Parade and attended the Rose Bowl games those four years.  I observed and was impressed with the Colonel’s command authority in controlling teenagers in off campus settings.  A stern look was as good as a reprimand.  No one messed with the Colonel.  It was out of respect.

I went on to attend Bakersfield Junior College (on the same campus then) and entered the USAF.  Basic training was easier for me than others as the marching drills and maneuvers were old hat.  I went on to fly some great airplanes for the Air Force and United Airlines over a forty year career.  The example of the Colonel never left my memory as an Air Force officer, Airline Captain and retired Driller Band member.

Wes Moore instilled pride through accomplishment by his demand for excellence.  In other words – you do it until you get it right.  The camaraderie and friendships made those many years ago extend to today as we former band members stay in touch.

Jim Harrison

Bakersfield High School Class of ’52

This story was submitted in response to a call for memories about Bakersfield’s own Wes Moore, the late Colonel Moore, who directed the Bakersfield High School bands from 1946-79 and positively influenced countless youth. For the original call for submissions, click here.