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Pa would sometimes dress in his Army blues and March in the parade carrying the 45-70. His Army blues had been altered to accommodate his waist line and a patch or two to cover holes where mice had chewed, but he marched as straight and proud as the day he enlisted in company A of the First South Dakota Volunteers. There were enough of the Civil War soldiers left to make a good showing in the parade and with the Guard (Battery “C” I believe) who hadn’t been exposed to World War I yet, it was a good parade. I enjoyed watching the parade and joining in singing the Star Spangled Banner but when the speakers began to drone I would try to find entertainment elsewhere. And so we learned the true meaning of Memorial Day. |