The Colville examiner. [volume] (Colville, Wash.) 1907-1948, 1922-06-17
John B.SIateT Tells
About California
Tells of Memorial Day Ex-
ercises Depicting Pageant
of War at San DiagO


exercises, May 80, was a pageant of
war. Of the wars encompassed with
in the memory of man and in which
our living soldiery participated to
victorious conclusions. With our
hundreds of naval craft idly tugging
at their anchors on the soft sea
waters of the bay, and the thous4
and of soldiers, sailors, marines and
aeronauts active in the service of the
nation and garrisoned in the adjacent
fortresses, stations and hospitals,
ready on moments notice to
respond to patriotic call, it is easy
to understand why such an event
here would be military in character.
With all this equipment so conven-
lent it is doubtful if more than two
other places in the western hemi-
sphere can equal San Diego in COM
pleteness and splendor of patriotic
celebrations.
The people themselves have little.
to do in preparation, civic show being
neutrality-suspicious.. The set
ting was in superb city streets, broad
plazas and wonderfully lawned and
forested parks with hedges of flower
ing shrubbery in orderly confusion
everywhere. The sky was clear and
a soft breeze from the ocean tropics
drifted in over the strand to the ut
most comfort of everyone. The zest
of thrill to the thousands ofsfcivi-
lians who lined the streets came from
the land and the sea and the. air
forces which formed in practice lines
at the docks. AS the distant muffled
notes of the sounding bands of mu-
sic heralded the coming of the
tramping hosts of survivors from
sanguinary conflict on foreign bat
tie fields, the throng stood transfxed
along the way. Old Glory was truly
more than symbol when its spa-f
cious folds were spread almost to
the curbs as it was supported,
stretched and held taut, in the hands
of a hundred citizens, and sagged
under the weight of fresh daisies
and poppies thrown upon it as a
tribute to the brave boys who never
returned.
In the old home town ostentation
of patriotic symbolism is largely
creation; but here we have the real
in rear admirals of the navy, gen
erals of the army, and ranking dig
nitaries in the auxiliary lines of SER
vice. With the bucks of the army
and the gobs of the navy it is all
serious business and their leaders
are proud of the splendid show OF
their commands. Here We saw and
heard the finest bands from the ships
and from the forts vieing with each
other in the strife for musical per-
fection. And, they were real bands.
No substitutions. A novel sight was
a troop of cavalry mounted on gaily
caparisoned steeds, a hundred strong.
These noble animals with fiery eye,
grace of carriage and restless obe-
dience to their masters, such as
excite in man the noblest impulses
of domestic or. military life, proved
an inspiration far above ordinary
conception. "a horse! A horse"
Who would not give kingdom for
that splendid creature which has
been the faithful hope and help and
companion of man since the day OF
creation? In turning the lowly sod,
in flights of speed and on the field
of battle in all ages, the horse, and
not the eagle, has qualified for the
place of honor in our national coat
of arms.
We read in the newspapers that
these ceremonies were participated
in by the heroes of three and four
wars; but here we saw the survivors
of five national conflicts: The Mexi-
can war, the Rebellion, the Spanish
American war and the war OF 1913
or World War; and the heroes OF the
war yet to be fought were more
strongly represented than any of the
others. After the police escort had
swept through the streets, the flag
had passed by, the first dozen or
more bands had played and COM
pany of troops had gone forward,
fine closed car richly draped in the
national colors and festooned with
garlands of flowers, occupied by one
lone white haired man, silently glided
ahead of the procession of war vet
erans. He was o. j. Slough of San
Diego, the oldest veteran and the
only survivor here of the Mexican
war. Seventy-three years ago ne
marched with his command across
the hot desert. sands of Mexico and
helped place the flag of Uncle Sam