The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-07-28
TAPS FOR THE OLD STATE ARMORY!
Memories of Picturesque Figures, Eventful Days in Citys Military Circles Still Linger in Old Phoenix Avenue Structure Gives Away to ! Progress' Onward Parade.

ehey 0rtIteU EeBulaEIy every Week during the drill season, and where tue voices of the various officers sang out their orders to the nena- bers of the companies and the squads under their control. Mem bers of years ago heard the cOEn- mandlng voice of the late Soldierly Col. John B. Doherty, Col. Lucien F. rBurpee, Col. James Geddes and other cOlOneIs of the now defunct Second Regiment of the old Con. nectlcut national guard. They also heard the voices of Capt. FrankIyn R. White, Capt. A. !. Goodrich and Capt. Henry R. Car.. ter of Company A, Major Charles R. BanTfon, one of the handsOmeSt men ever seen In military uniform in Waterbury, Capt. Patrick Ban. non, Capt. Alfred ,. Wolff, dear to all of old Out East, Capt. Dan Fitzpatrick, Lieut.. Walter Sackett, and Lieut.. Billy Sandland, both of Company A, Lieut.. Pat HaIpln, Lieut.. Tommy Halllnan and Lieut.. Den Magraw of Major Bannon'S time, all of Company c, and other officers of these two old great mill. tary companies of . past day.
 It was here too, that both Com. pany A and Company c assembled the night of the great fire of 1902; it was here also in the following year that they with out of town military companies assembled for strike duty during the trouble. some trolley disorders of 1903. Again, during the city hall fire, 1t was here also that both companies were called together for duty to preserve the peace and to try and apprehend . fire bug" in tho month of April, 1912.
 And then when the military were ordered to the Mexican bore der, the old armory was also the assembling place, for the Water- bury companies. Later when tho United states entered the World war, the arm0ry was the meeting place for all of the military heads and subordinates of the city.
 You can therefore fully realize what this building has been to the city we call our own.
 And in addition, we must not forget the greatness of the place in the years when we were . happy lot of individuals with dances galore in the old shack, and with every Thanksgiving eve assigned to Company A, and New Years eve taken over by Company c. We dressed for these occasions; ; our blue uniforms with our trous. CTS white striped, and . military cap of tho peak type. Weren't wo swell; why wouldn't the girls look at us! And they dld, too; why we strutted like peacOckS fin and about the dance floor; we were proud; we were gay, and we thought we had . right to be, be. cause we were young, and time and years then meant nothing to us.
 And you feIolws who were with
 us, will you ever forget the night before we left for tho annual en- campment at Mantle. How. we hustled getting our equipment to. gether, 50 that there would be no delay during the inspection, and early start by train for the camp grounds. The girls we left be- hind; our parting with them, on the sly then, but more in the open together. And how our hearts thumped with loneliness as we wended our way slowly toward Mantle.
 But Governors day m . q c up for ell we had suffered before. The girls came down by the hun. dreds; so did our parents, and 50 did our friends. We pressed our white trousers Che night before, so that we would look our pret- tlesG We wanted to make . hit, an impression, and we think we did, for the time we were on parade. And the music; who couldn't march to the strains of . stirring march as played by . com. blnatlOn of four bands.
 The changes being made in the old state building made us think, and turn back the pages.
 Do you blame us for being . Ilt- tie bit sad when we find the picks and shoveIs changing the outside and inside appearance of the old meeting place?
 The days of Yesterday!
 If they were only hack