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Marines

Unit HomeAboutOur HistoryHistory of the Drum MajorsJames R. Donovan

Marine Band Drum Major James R. Donovan
Biography of Marine Band Drum Major James R. Donovan


James R. Donovan

Drum Major, March 1, 1968-1972

Drum Major James R. Donovan served as the 31st Drum Major of the U.S. Marine Band from 1968-72. Originally from Fond du Lac, Wis., he graduated from high school in Cleveland in 1943. He served in the Marine Corps during World War II, seeing action in the Solomon Islands and the invasions of Luzon and Mindanao in the Philippines.

Following World War II, he attended the University of California in Los Angeles before returning to the Marine Corps.