The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-05-31
Soldiers of Three Wars Join in Parade
Which Marched from Down
Town to the National
Cemetery.
BANNER OF GOLD STARS
IL Marked the Acme Of Memorable
Column of Soldiers In Khaki and
Blue, with Veterans OF
Spanish War.

Keokuk began her memorial to
her soldiers who are dead at high
noon Friday, when the fire bells
; tolled slowly and mournfully.
Two hours later, was formed the
long procession to march to tho
cemetery and there pay tribute to
! the departed soldiers Of three wars,
with orations and music and flowers
and the recalling of the debt these
heroes imposed on the living who
follow them.
The procession formed at Sixth
and Main streets, and one Of it's
most interesting features was the
rapidity with which 1t formed and
started out Main street. The influ-
ence of two years of war training
was plainly seen in the smartness
with which each portion of the pa
rade found It's place and became part
of the long moving column.
Men In Khaki in First Place Now.
Captain c. E. Powell and his aide.
Fred Brown, were both well mounted
at the head of the column, which
Captain Powell commanded.
The firing squad was in charge OF
Sergeant G. C. Harness and bore the
only arms visible in the column.
With this squad were the two trpm-
peters, Levi Fry and Ed Sunlee.
The Keokuk Concert band, play
escorting the large platoon Of sol
diers of the world war.
That these men in khaki have
taken the first place on such occa-
sions away from the older men in
dark blue suits wearing little bronze
buttons was evident yesterday as the
procession passed. The veterans Of
the war between the states are re-
membered as affectionately as ever,
but they no longer are the only vet
eran soldiers We have on Memorial
day and other patriotic occasions, as
was shown this year.
The Banner Of Gold stars.
One banner the soldiers of the
world war carried attracted more
attention and increased deeper feel
ing than even the stars and stripes.
a.
flag. mounted as a standard, with
forty-four gold stars on red ground
and with large figures, IA" in the
blue center.
Each one of those gold stars rep
resented a Keokuk man who gave
his life for his country in the war
against the Hun.
The standard was artistically
draped with large cluster of flow
ers, principally peonies, which COW
cred the top and hung half way
down each side of the silken banner.
They Fought Everywhere.
With the soldiers commanded by
Lieutenant Louis A. Rovane was one
! sailor in blue uniform, marching as
| smartly as any of the soldiers.
| On the left shoulders Of these men
| in khaki were the insignia of dozen
divisions. It is evident that Keokuk
! soldiers managed to get into about
all the different divisions there were
| in the American army, and their left
| shoulders showed this in the Me
mortal day parade.
! 1t was remarked by people watch
! ing the parade that nearly all the
, soldiers marching in the column had
heen volunteers for the world war,
! and that those on the sidewalks
! merely looking at the demonstration
| were nearly all selective draft men.
| The Keokuk camp of Spanish war
veterans, in command of Captain T.
| H. R. Rollins, a son Of the really old
! army long prominent in the national
guard and Of active service In 1898,
came next They carried fine
stand of colors and also their own
| fine camp banner of blue and gold.
The Remnant Of the Grand Army.
The civilian patriotic note was
given the procession by the presence
/ of the degree team Of the Modern
! Woodmen of America in their for
esters uniform, with axes, command
ed by Chief Forester Shirley Wind
/ sor and marching as well as the
army men, showing long and careful
drill
The Boy Scouts were out in force.
| and their number spoke loudly for
the patriotism that remembers well
its obligations as they marched
sturdily in that procession.
They were the last unit of the
pedestrian division of the process
sion. Next came long line of auto
mobiles.
In the first one were the officers
of the day and the orator who were
on the platform at the cemetery.
Then came the automobiles, some