Evening star., 1954-09-01
Million Turn Out to See Legion Parade in Sparkling Weather
$4,000 March
Amid Cheers
Of Spectators
Music and Hilority
Spice Procession
Lasting ii Hours
By Jock Jonos

by jock Jonas
1t was gay, rousing march,
Ing day, night and early morn
ing as the Legionnaires staged
their big show before a million
cheering spectators in downtown
Washington.
The marchers, an estimated
125.000 strong, moved down
Pennsylvania avenue to stirring
martial music of countless bands
and drum and bugle corps.
Police Chief Robert v. Muir
ray estimated that a million
people saw the parade, but that
the peak at any one time was
about 100000 The weather
was perfect for marchers and
spectators-cool and sparkling.
The crowd stood a dozen deep
on each side of the line of
march and jammed the stands
along the reviewing section of
the parade route to watch the
10000 military men and 5000
Legionnairs march.
Into Morning Hours.
And the crowd stood firm
during the night to watch some
thing the likes of which Wash
ington has seldom seen-a pa
rade into the morning hours,
with hilarity and bell-ringing.
The parade ended shortly after
am, after lasting about an
hour less than the IL hours pre-
dicted for it.
Inspector George r. Wallrodt,
night inspector in charge of
police activity aside from the
parade route, said that the crowd
changed during the night, but
remained heavily packed along
the way.
Eerie From Distance.
In darkness, the endless pro-
cession took on an eerie air along
some of the less we'll lighted parts
of the route. From blocks away,
spectators could hear shutting
feet as units approached and
gradually appeared in the re-
Elected light from street lamps.
/ Revelers in the willard and
Washington Hotels kept up a
continuous din. as the parade
went on and on into the norm
ing. Some threw ice cubes into
the street. Hoots from the hotel
windows were matched by whis-
ties from the 40 md 8's locomo-
tives.
Youngsters were among the
firmest of the late watchers.
Arguments were heard along the
parade route as parents sought
to break the youngsters away
from a good show, to get them
to bed at a decent hour.
All were seeing the first Legion
parade to be held in Washington
and, for the first time, the 40
and 8 group Joined with the main
body of Legionnaires to make it
a whopper. Some of the Legion
naires marched with the princi-
pal units, and then, after mid
night, trudged wearily along the
mile and a half route with 40 and
8 units. ..#
Hit From the Start.
The parade was a hit with the
spectators from the time the
Metropolitan Police Department
Band touched it off with crash
ing Dixie"
The main body of the parade
opened shortly after 2 pm. with
D symbolic display Of Americas
military might. Men and women
from the Army. Navy. Marines
and Air Force. motorized and
afoot, made up the first part.
Then came the Legionnaires,
and the groups representing
them, in gay outfits and accom-
panied by housekeeping and
spangled drum majorettes. The
Legion part of the show got un-
derway with q display by the
85-member championship band
from Harwood Post No. Of
Joliet, Ill.
From that time on, there was
singing and dancing in the
streets.
Stassen, McNutt March.
There was a full-blooded
American Indian aboard North
Dakota's float, Offering a peace
pipe. Foreign Operations Ad-
ministrator Harold E. Stassen
marched along with the Mime
sofa delegation. Paul v. Nc
Mutt, former chairman Of the
War Manpower Commission,
strode along with the Indiana
delegation.
There was a prairie schooner
drawn by a team of oxen from
Nebraska; Maine displayed log
cabin atop a trailer; Michigan
had Gen. John j. Pershing's
World War staff car: Amityville,
N. Y, brought skirling bagpipes;
there was q hair-raising motor
cycle display by members Of the
California Highway Patrol.
Late for Young Cowboy.
The parade was long and color
full, but 1t proved just a mite
too long for 4-year-old George
Rasy, of Brooklyn, N. Y.
For nearly 10 hours. George,
clad in a cowboy outfit. waited
in the staging area with q rented
pony. Chubby. to ride in the
parade.
George was pretty sleepy when
his turn came shortly before l
o'clock this morning. But he
set out, with his godfather, An
thony Echard. also Of Brooklyn,
leading Chubby with George
astride.
At Fourteenth street and
Pennsylvania avenue. George was
too sleepy to continue. and Mr..
Echard called o halt.