It was in 1938 that an Alamo group of third-, fourth-, and fifth-graders struck a chord at the Interscholastic League music contest in Edinburg. They were dressed in homemade uniforms that stood out from the rest draped with an eye-catching cape, and army-like caps. It was toward the end of the “Depression Era,” and as they gathered nightly, it was the radio that provided home entertainment for the whole family. Former longtime owner of Whalen’s Furniture in McAllen, Tom Weekly, was a member of that band. He’s 91 today, but still spry. Contacted by phone recently, he said: “I remember, along with my ...