Veterans reunion 100 years ago

[Niner]

A hundred years ago the GAR.. Grand Army of the Republic... held the 49th reunion at Washington DC. This was the year of the 50th anniversary of the end of the Civil War. The troops were beginning to arrive a hundred years ago today. There were an estimated 15, 000 already in Washington for a grand parade three days later. Lots of preparations had been made. Veterans were signing in at a headquarters for the reunion and name tags complete with individual home town and military history were handed out with a string for their button holes.... in case any of the aging veterans should fall out or die and need to be accounted and the authorities would know where to ship the body. They went to some trouble to assist old veterans to find their old unit comrades. It was a big deal...even though probably two thirds of them that gathered... like WWII vets.. another half century on... never got into combat. But... that wasn't the point. They were the veterans of the greatest war any American had any experience with. Everybody is a hero after the war ....if they were issued a uniform.

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/ ... d-1/seq-1/

[Niner]

The next day was a busy one on the eve of the great parade.

http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/ ... d-1/seq-1/