Paul Dean has published two editions of a soft-cover, 36-page book about the Galeton Drill Team. The book is a reproduction of newspaper clippings and photos collected and saved by Dick Mattison, a member of the championship team.

“In 1980 or thereabout, Dick Mattison brought a scrapbook to my barbershop,” Dean said. “He brought it in and I showed it to all my customers.”

The clippings document the meteoric rise of the Raymond Richar VFW Post’s Galeton Drill Team from 1949 through 1953.

It began small with six members, led by former Marine and drillmaster John Sullivan. They practiced twice a week in fall and winter at the Moose Lodge, gaining momentum, skills and members until the group totaled 28.

That summer, the team took to the streets, marching in parades and capturing trophies and cash prizes around the area — Coudersport, Port Allegany, Wellsboro, Elkland, Troy, Westfield, Canisteo, Hornell, Ridgway, Addison and Punxsutawney.

In July 1950, the team — now confident in their skills — took part in the state competition and won. They traveled to Chicago for the national competition and came in second, losing by 1.3 points.

Undeterred, the team vowed to try again and, in 1951, again won the state competition and triumphed at the national competition.

To defend their national title in 1952, which was held in Los Angeles, the team held a fund drive to raise the $6,200 for air fare and incidentals. The community responded, giving at fundraisers and a door-to-door campaign to raise the money. The team traveled to California, and won again.

Galeton brought home a 33-inch walnut and gold trophy as national champions, which traveled to the various Potter County VFW posts until it was lost in a fire at the Coudersport post.

The loose leaf, dark red scrapbook got fragile from all the handling, so Dean put it on his shelf and forgot about it for 20 or so years. More recently, he decided to take steps to preserve the scrapbook and the memories it contained.

“That’s history. I had a friend in Elmira, a publisher, and I sent the book to him,” Dean said. “He told me, ‘I can’t do anything with that.’”

Despite the claim, Dean and Benjamin Thomas, the publisher, decided to recreate the story of the VFW’s champion team simply by photographing and duplicating the clippings and photos. Dean also visited Henry Lush and Dick McLaren, surviving members of the team and included their reminiscences at the back of the book.

“It was good and they were good,” Dean said. “They were champions for three years — U.S. and world.”

Dean donated the original scrapbook and his book to the Potter County Historical Society so the story of the Galeton Drill Team can be remembered.

“It’s history and nobody knew about it. The member’s sons and daughters knew of it, but that was it,” Dean said.