Wash., DC, National Memorial Day Parade

[bill watson]

Yes, this could be a highlight of a season, please stick me on any lists.

Chris, he really meant "left shoulder," as in, the musket is physically is on the right shoulder and the weapon then slants behind the head toward the left shoulder. As opposed to the way most of us were taught in reenacting, with the darn thing lined up straight fore and aft and almost vertical to the ground.

Which is the way support arms is supposed to be done, now that I think of it, weapon just about vertical in relation to the ground.

I'm thinking all the things we do slightly backward one way or another and the only way I can think of to explain it is one very active dyslexic proto-reenactor who infected all drill instruction starting about 1971..... wheels, manual of arms, all have been handed down off key with some little problem that eventually has to be straightened out. Best explained by theorizing the existence of a master dyslexic somewhere in the pipeline.

Not to mention "fire by the left oblique." We turn that one into a weaponized game of Twister.

Anyway there's a pencil mark by next Memorial Day. Scribble me in for a rear rank two spot.

[flattop32355]

...Which is the way support arms is supposed to be done, now that I think of it, weapon just about vertical in relation to the ground.

The most common error there is that we tend to place the left hand too high up, approaching shoulder height, rather than across the right breast.

Not to mention "fire by the left oblique." We turn that one into a weaponized game of Twister.

It's pretty darned clear in Casey's what the command is and what foot goes where. Yet it still gets done wrong so often...

The inverse of it is that it's a whoooooole lot easier to carry out commands than to give them. If you don't believe me, try studying the manuals until you have them down cold, then park your arse in front a group of men and try to point them in the right direction, or worse, to move them from point A to point B in the most efficient manner. Yeah, you can get them there in sequence of about a dozen maneouvers, but then you realize it could have been done in three. And that's just with a squad or section!

[Remise]

....I had too many personal highlights to list, but some of these were: Seeing a 105 year-old veteran of World War One go by; seeing vets from many other wars, as well as knowing (since we didn't actually see them, being 40th in line) that the parade was led by 600 troops just returned from Iraq; watching the various bands and and WWII military vehicles going by after we were through, and -- the best of all -- having the opportunity to march down Pennsylvania Avenue in a parade whose inspiration goes all the way back to the widows of the Civil War.

There was a lone trooper from a Federal cavalry unit marching behind us. He said that originally a number of his unit's guys were going to march in the parade, but they had told him they "had other things to do" yesterday.

"I wonder," he said to us, "what would have happened, if the troops going ashore at Omaha Beach had said they had other things to do?"

That remark stayed with me all day. We were marching to honor every American who was died in every war since 1776. I cannot imagine a local reenactor being "too busy" to do such a thing. I was pleased that after I sent out my personal AAR to my own unit last night, the first response I received (within the hour!) was from Baghdad, thanking us -- us! -- for what we did yesterday. I wrote back, of course, thanking him for his real service to his country.

It was hot, hot, hot, but it was more than worthwhile, and I share Doug's hope that next year, we will have far more people in this event, as it was also a great chance to make the public aware of who we are and what we do. Thanks to Doug for organizing this contingent, which I know will grow each passing year, as will the parade itself. And thanks to the other guys who marched with us.

My personal humorous highlight was encountering Rob Hodge as the parade was winding down. He was dressed in as good a Confederate kit as one can get, which was proven when the Capitol Police, according to Rob, encountered him on the streets of Washington and held him for a while as a "homeless guy with a gun." He insisted he was not homeless, and that he was marching in the parade, to which the response was, "Oh, yeah? Well we don't see anybody else around here carrying a gun!" which was apparently true at the time. Luckily, some SCV friends of his, dressed in suits instead of homeless uniforms, rescued him from custody.

B.C. Milligan
Company K, First Penna. Reserves

[Button Whizzer]

It's pretty darned clear in Casey's what the command is and what foot goes where. Yet it still gets done wrong so often...

Attending a camp of instruction would help reenactors learn the manual of arms.

Brandon

[zouavecampaigner]

Doug, et al.,

thanks for allowing Marc and I to participate in the Parade, especially as NY Fire Zouaves. It was a very memorable experience, and I hope to make it a yearly event!

Thanks again!

Shaun

[cookiemom]

Thanks to all of you who participated in the Memorial Day parade. While growing up in D.C. (native, with family there since CW days), I always wondered why we didn't have a parade. I'm glad the tradition has been revived (and it couldn't be done without you.)

Congratulations, too, on making the lead story on the local 5 o'clock news that evening. The segment started off with a quick but unmistakable view of the CW contingent (although I'm not sure who among you I saw, since on my B&W television all the uniforms looked more gray than blue... )

Anyway, thank you again. Maybe next year we'll bring y'all cookies...

Carole & Angie
(CookieMom & The Hardtack Kid)

[Remise]

Shaun --

It was great having you guys with us, and your flags looked great, too! I hope there are many more of us next year.

Carole and Angie -- Do you remember what channel that was?

B.C. Milligan
Company K, First Penna. Reserves

[cookiemom]

BC -

I think it was either Washington, DC Channel 9 (CBS affiliate) or 7 (ABC). I was alternating channels in the hope of seeing more coverage, but the effect was to miss parts of both segments. [There's a moral in that story somewhere... ] Sorry I can't be more certain.

Carole

[zouavecampaigner]

Shaun --

It was great having you guys with us, and your flags looked great, too! I hope there are many more of us next year.

Carole and Angie -- Do you remember what channel that was?

B.C. Milligan
Company K, First Penna. Reserves

Bruce,

thanks! It was nice to finally meet you in DC, even though we live, what, 10 minutes apart? And the 8'x7' red flag I carried, the one that got all the "YAY NEW YORK!" shouts along the route, as well as blinded the left end of the line, was handsewn by yours truly. There's 2 weeks of my life I'll never get back! It was just such an honour to be walking in the very steps of the 1st Fire Zouaves 145 years later.

Truly, there is NOTHING "better to do", and it was great to know that the true heroes overseas got to see their pards-in-wool marching for them, and those before them, in DC. I know we can make next year's contingent much larger, as I'm going to push my b'hoys to do it, even IF we have to wear "regulation"!

Regards,
Shaun

[Remise]

Shaun --

Ditto, on finally meeting you. It was fun to see how many people actually realized who you guys were supposed to be. It was fun not to be asked, "Are you guys supposed to be from the Titanic?" for a change, for that matter!

It was a great day, and I look forward to next year's edition. Maybe by the 150th this parade will mean, if not as much as Remembrance Day, at least as much as St. Patrick's Day, to some units.

We are going to be looking for a battalion organization into which we can fold all our marchers next year. I have sent an email to the NR, but we have no great preference, I think, if any one of them expresses interest.

B.C. Milligan
First Penna. Reserves, Company K