The Archer-Epler Musketeers was one of the most successful senior drum and bugle corps in the history of the activity. It was formed in 1945 by returning war veterans who were also veterans of the Musketeers junior corps. That latter group had been formed in 1932 by the VFW Post 279 of Upper Darby, Pennsylvania.The new senior version of the Archer-Epler Musketeers ("Archie" to its friends)was the greater Philadelphia senior drum corps. The corps was very successful in the 1950s and 1960s, winning the VFW National Championship in 1954 and claiming more than a dozen Pennsylvania state titles with the VFW and American Legion.
The corps believes that it presented the first ever themed show, "The King and I," in 1957. They also became charter members of DCA in 1962.
The corps fielded a junior corps for many years, as well as an alumni corps beginning in 1975.
Although not competing, the corps was active in the 1980s with parades, exhibitions, and a choral group.
World Drum Corps Hall of Famer Jim Cossetti played with the Musketeers in the 1960s and instructed their horn line for another three decades.
[DCW, 6/28/02, p.9;DCW, 5/02, p.32; DCW, 6/23/89, p.6; DCW, 3/90, p.11]
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