Last month’s winner (Micheal Heiter) is from southern California and, lo and behold, this month’s winner hails from northern California. Meet Phil Vermont, a music lover and Regiment Phan of a very generous kind! Phil will receive a certificate, the new “Regiment Skully” knit cap and a shirt of his choice.

Phil writes us:

I love the idea of the Phantom Phan of the month. I must certainly qualify as a rabid and crazy Phantom Fan.

I have been a hard-corps Phantom Phan since 1976, when I first heard the corps perform the Tocata and Fugue in D Minor! I had made a recording
of 1976 DCI finals and took that tape to every marching band competition from 1976 to 1979 when I graduated high school(I marched as clarinet
section leader with the Independence High School Marching Band in San Jose, Calif. It was under the direction of an SCV alum and we had some
20 drum corps marchers as well).

I have loved classical music since junior high school, so the Phantom Regiment repertoires appealed to me. As a clarinet player, I never had the chance to march Phantom, which is one of my
great regrets in life.

Having lived in NorCal all of my life, I have many friends who are Vanguard or Blue Devils alums. Despite the peer pressure, I have never
waivered from my love of Phantom Regiment. I have over a dozen T-shirts and sweatshirts purchased from the corps and I always wear Phantom gear at every NorCal competition. I have only missed the SCV home show, Pacific Procession, once since 1976, and then only because I had an intership in Europe.

I have attended five DCI finals shows(1991-1994 and last year, 2004), each time locating Phantom’s rehearsal site so that every free minute could be spent watching the corps I love. I have had the sincere pleasure of donating and serving over 150 ice cream sundaes to the members, staff and volunteers each of the last two years as the corps toured in northern California and I am committed to doing so again this summer, and every summer that you visit northern California!

I remember the Phantom Regiment tour in the early ’80s when the corps came to California and performed Spartacus. I still have several copies
of the program booklet the corps handed out to fans before every show!

I have purchased every CD ever published by Phantom and have given them to at least five friends who are also corps fans. I am going on three years as a booster member and last year I also donated to the “end of the year” campaign.

I now have every year of DCI on CD(and DVD/Video from 1974 on), plus every year of “finals” for 1960-1971. I purchased every tape of Phantom I
could find from Dale Johnson’s collection, inluding every pre-DCI era Phantom show he had on tape.

My wife insists I am crazy, but she understands and supports my donations to drum corps (especially Phantom and Friends of DCI) because we both believe this is a valuable activity and educational tool for young people. My estate planning even includes a donation to the corps!

I intend on continuing to be a Phantom booster every year so long as I am alive and can afford it. I know I will go through serious depression
and withdrawal when you finally decide not to come to NorCal for tour. I have become very spoiled!

Thanks for all of your great work and performances!

Phillip G. Vermont

(Editor’s note: No Phil, THANK YOU!)

Click below to read about last month’s winner.