I wasn't in the band on TI, but the band was instrumental (pun intended) in getting me into the music program. I was waiting on TAD for ET school on TI, and stood one of the Saturday morning reviews while the band played right in front of me, in November 1955. I couldn't take it--had to talk to the bandleader who auditioned me a couple of weeks later. Right away I found myself in Anacostia and Music School. Spent a great "kiddie cruise"--3 1/2 years until my 21st birthday--playing in the ComPhibLant Band in Norfolk, on several ships.
Huddleston was at the MU school mostly arranging, in 1955-56. I went to ComPhibLant and traveled on the Pocono, Mt. McKinley and Northhampton to England, France, all over the Caribbean.
You may know some of the Navy MUs I play with here in Green Valley, AZ (just south of Tucson). Three of my Navy friends are currently in my bands: Phil Austin, Ray Conrad, Lorelei Conrad. They all played at one time at the Academy, and Lorelei led the CincLant band (which eventually absorbed the ComPhibLant Band that I was in, after I left). Lorelei was the first female Navy musician to be commissioned, retiring as a Lt Cdr.
If it had not been for your band, I would not now be playing jazz and lead bone (mostly big band, dixieland, others too) for nine bands in the Tucson area--busier than I ever was before I retired! Thanks, fellow musicians.