Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-11-12

Veterans Of the nations conflicts es-
corted by the citizen soldiers Of the
Maine National Guard led a long col
umn of boys and girls from the public
members Of civic and service clubs in
the spectacular mrning parade which
was the big public feature of the hap
by observance Of the eighth annivers-
airy of Armistice Day In Augusta,
Thursday.
Stepping snappily in cadence with
the martial music of the Augusta Ca
Diet Band. the veterans of the World
War, members Of the great peace-time
army Of the American Legion. and the
guardsmen of the 103rd Infantry and
seth Infantry Brigade recalled the
khaki-clad hosts who marched in tri-
umphant files down the shell-shattered
roads through the Argonne in France
eight years ago. following that momen-
tous eleventh hour of the eleventh
day in the eleventh month.
The colorful hosts of boys and girls
representing the several schools of the
city gave the parade of Armistice Day
this year an especial significance in
lidt IL dSoul GU TIC ACSoS Va pa
triotic precepts and an understanding
observance by the new generations as
the years go by and the scars of that
titanic world cataclysm are gradually
effaced.
Many Of the children who trod stur-
Oily with bright eyes focused on the
Stars and Stripes borne ahead of them
by the veterans of the World War
were babes in arms when those veter-
ans were facing the enemy steel on
foreign fields, but who Is there to say
that they were not given a truer con-
cept of all that that flag represents
by their participation in just such a
military and civic demonstration, than
they will ever CLEAN from the pages
of abridged school history text books?
Over Thousand in Line
Probably some 1900 to 1900 marched
In the columns of the Augusta Armis-
tice Day parade, which was led by a
platoon of blue-coated police, Chief
William J. Skehan. Reuel B. Soule i'm
mediate past commander of the James
Fitzgerald Post. American Legion, was
the marshal of the day, and with Ma
jor Donald C. Metcalf, chief of staff.
rode at the head of the column. The
escort was Company F, 103rd Infantry,
Captain Frank B. Sprague, and Head
quarters Company, seth Infantry Bri-
gade, Captain Almon B. Sullivan.
The field khaki of the Army and
the deep sea blue Of the Navy were
both represented in the honor guard
for the glorious stand of colors of
the James Fitzgerald Post and the
big section of Legionaires was COM
manded by Iieutenant-C Colonel
Charles w. Savage, the post COM
mander.
Honored veterans of the War of
the Rebellion and of the war against
| Spain were conveyed in decorated
automobiles, as were members of
the women's auxiliary organizations
of the several veteran and patriotic
societies. Mayor Ernest L. Mclean
and representatives of the Augusta
city government were also In this
section of the column, and were
followed by the civic division of the
parade.
The Augusta Kiwanis Club with a
splendid delegation marched behind
their own stand of colors, and the
Abnaki Council, X. of c., and Calu-
met Club were also represented. The
Augusta Boy Scouts troop was in
lIilS, anu llltti lOilON Co Tic
of students, each section in charge
! of a Legionaire, and the marchers
wearing hats or ribbons in the colors
of their schools.
Aides to the marshal and chief
! of staff were Captain Arthur S.
| Merrill, Lieutenant Frank E. South
| ard, Lieutenant Leo F.. Dunn and
| Harry o. Barney, all past command
ers of the James Fitzgerald Post,
| American Legion. Also, Major En-
| cry Q. Beane, Major Wallace C. Phi
! loon, Colonel Charles +. Dustin, En-
sign Lewis A. Burleigh. and Ensign
| j. Fuller Ingraham. Staff officers
| and members of the Eastern Branch
! National Home, d. V. S., were also
participants in this phase of the
| Armistice day observance.
The parade formed on Western
avenue with the right of the column
on State street, and the route of
march was east on Grove street to
Rines Hill to Water street to the
, Edwards Mill, where the column
countermarched to the Kennebec
bridge, up Cony street to Gannett,
where the parade was disbanded.
Observance at Williams Field
Many Of the spectators along the
route of the parade followed the
column to the Ruel Williams athlete
ic field, where at 10 o'clock the foot