The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1921-06-02
DECORATION DAY
SERVICES BEST YET
G. A. X. CONDUCT IMPRESSIVE
CEREMONIES AT GREEN
WOOD CEMETERY
FINE PROGRAM in AFTERNOON
SCHOOL CHILDREN'S PATRIOTIC
DISPLAY PLEASES-REV,
BERGEN SPEAKER

Veterans in blue, veterans in olive
drab, Representatives of three wars;
the Womans' auxiliary and relief
corps units, National Guard, band
men and civilians, united on Monday,
the national Memorial Day, to pay a
humble and fitting tribute to Sank
Centres soldier and sailor dead.
The ceremonies, which continued
through practically the entire day,
commenced in tht morning with the
customary parade to the cemeteries.
This parade was commanded by
Pat Knox Of Robert Swift Post,
American Legion, and formed on
Main and Fifth streets at the Library
corner.
The line of march was headed by
the City Band, followed by the men,
bers of the B. NJ Palmer Post, Grand
Army; Womans' Relief Corps; Rob
ert James Swift Post, American Lee
gion; Womans' Auxiliary; Spanish
American war veterans: National
Guard; school children and civilians.
To the step of a funeral march the
procession moved up Main street to
Third and down Third street to the
cemeteries.
At the bridge on Third street, the
parade broke up, the veterans of the
Civil War, the ladies' organizations
and the school children, going to the
cemeteries in automobiles, while the
American Legion and the National
Guard company marched the entire
distance.
At the cemeteries, the customary
and beautiful service of the Grand
Army was read, salutes fired by
firing squad of the Legion and taps
sounded by the post buglar.
The graves were decorated during
the ceremonies by. squads of school
girls and boys, designated for the oc-
casion.
In the afternoon, at the Junior
high school, the speaking service of
the day was held. This program was
one of the prettiest and most COM
plete ever witnessed here on SINH
lar occasion, and was enjoytd by an
audience of 1000 people, The various
numbers by the children of the Junior
high school; the orations and the
band selections were all we'll chosen
and efficiently rendered.
Rev. ]. T. Bergen, former chap
lin in the American forces during the
late World War, and himself veter-
an of the Civil and Spanish-American
wars, was the speaker of the day,
and his address was such as could
only be delivered by a man who felt
a comradship in each of the great
military organizations whose dead it
was the purpose of the day to pay
tribute to.
Rev. Bergen is pastor of the First
Presbyterian Church of Minneapolis,
and his talk rang with a spirit CT
patriotism entirely BETTING the oc-
casion.
The speaker paid his respects to
those men of the Civil and Spanish
American wars, and confined his talk
largely to the men whose deeds in
the late World War made victory
possible to the allied nations.
Rev. Bergen took occasion to pro-
pound the essentials of patriotism at
home, citing many instances during
the late conflict which made the
teaching of patriotism and honor to
the Flag, at home and abroad, an es-
sential to the maintenance of good,
democratic government. He called
attention to the services rendered by
the Home Guard during the great
conflict, and of the trying times ex-
perienced by those who remained at |
home to battle the settling mass of |
enemy propaganda, so apparent in
the land.
A noticeable feature of the days |
proceedings was the unusually large !!
delegation of people who took part |
in the services. The parade was the |
longest ever seen here's on such an
occasion the last of the line of march
not reaching the cemeteries until the
close of the services.
Again, the large auditorium was
well crowded with spectators. The
afternoon program rendered follows:
Music City Band
Invocation -. Rev. c. A. Anderson
Music Glee Club
Junior High School
kindergarten
Exercise ........s...... May Pole !