LIVE | Minnesota Civil War veteran receives headstone medallion

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[00:00:00]Ramsey County Historical Society has helped me with a couple times researching things that we can't find.

[00:00:06]All right. Uh now, before I take you back to the 1800s, I probably should have uh a couple uh explain a couple things and a couple admin announcements. Uh let's face it, in real life, biologically, there is a bathroom by the entry of the cemetery. That's probably a good thing to know. Uh the second thing is of course beautiful day in Minnesota. Glad to be here. Uh I'd like to uh introduce a couple of our VIPs that uh aren't in CI Civil War clothes here. Uh first of all uh to my left immediately. Uh we've got uh Brad Lindsay, the Minnesota Veterans Affairs, Department of Veterans Affairs Commissioner. He has a great great grand a great-grandfather >> great great great grandfather that was in the Civil War and uh he's been a keynote speaker when we dedicated 116 soldiers at Lakewood. Those soldiers last names started with A or B.

[00:01:12]Had a little bit more to go. Okay. Next to him is uh the honorable uh the executive from DC and he's looking at me and uh he's saying why you make it a big deal. Uh Glenn Powers. He's the deputy under secretary for the veterans affairs for operations and in uh to put it in layman's terms he's the guy that oversees all the things for getting headstones for veterans. Is that about right?

[00:01:37]>> That is true.

[00:01:38]>> And so really honored that he's coming to Minnesota for our ceremony. But uh he I asked him to explain the the mystery on that one.

[00:01:48]And then I've got uh from the camp 56.

[00:01:51]Terry is our chaplain.

[00:01:53]Uh for those that don't know him, we have President Abraham Lincoln here. Uh I've been told not to invite him to any theaters.

[00:02:04]>> I've heard that a lot.

[00:02:05]>> Yes. Yes. Uh but it's a big deal if we bring the president here. Right. And so and also we have uh have the pleasure to have the deputy agitant general of the grand army of the republic obviously came back from the dead to to see us there. The G was you know after the civil war. It was kind of like the American Legion or VFW a social group and a group that in case there was fears that the South was going to rise again and so they were kind of a homegrown militia. they thought was never really used as that, but uh it was a huge thing and it was in after the Civil War was the most powerful political party in the in the United States because it was all these Civil War vets. And then we have on the end uh patience is my troublemaker. I've given her a script to read. I'm going to see if she stays on track. It hasn't always happened. Uh but patient is does the impression of a uh women's relief corps uh from the posti civil war and post civil war area. Now we have some other people that I really would like to uh welcome. We have brand Ramsey County uh historical society board members. Betsy Keys is the incoming. Okay. Uh we've got Joe Emerson. Keep your eye on her. She causes trouble. Okay. And then we got Ellen Turpin. Alan, where are you at?

[00:03:33]>> Right here. Oh, Alan, thank you. Uh and Paul Nelson, I don't see Paul here, but and and then of course, uh Jim Fleming and then, uh former Mary Egum is here. I think Mary.

[00:03:49]Oh, good. Mari, thank you. Okay. Now, and and you are >> Jeremiah >> right there. Jeremiah. Glad you're here.

[00:04:01]Glad you're here. Part of the American story. All right. Uh John Kramer, are you here? You were I was trying. John Kramer, there we are.

[00:04:12]John, thank you for coming. Let's talk afterwards. He's uh with the Medal of Honor group out of Still Water. So, uh obviously at the right place for this.

[00:04:21]Uh and we have some dignitaries here.

[00:04:25]Al Ber, US Marine Corps. What? Is that for and Al, how many of your children and grandchildren do you have here?

[00:04:38]>> I think sir.

[00:04:43]>> Okay. Well, that's excellent. So, that's wonderful. Sarah thought it was going to be about a dozen. She and I had a wonderful discussion and uh really excited. Uh, I also have to mention that there's in front of me is Captain Burgerer's original Medal of Honor ribbon that was removed from the Camp Ripley Museum, brought here, and the family hadn't seen it before. And so, this is pretty cool that they're a here, and b they get to see this this uh Medal of Honor ribbon. So, this pretty cool. All right.

[00:05:19]Uh, at this point, uh, Commissioner Lindsay, could you explain what a Medal of Honor is for those that may not know?

[00:05:29]>> Sure thing. Thank you, Colonel.

[00:05:33]So, first of all, I'm uh pleased to join you all here today as we pay our respects to Medal of Honor recipient Captain Joseph Burgerer and 16 other Civil War soldiers. As you may know, this Medal of Honor is the highest military decoration of the United States Armed Forces and is awarded to recognize American service members who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor. The Medal of Honor was actually created in the Civil War. A Navy version of the Medal of Honor was the first to be approved by President Lincoln on December 21st, 1861.

[00:06:08]At the time, it was the first and only decoration formally authorized by the American government to be worn as a badge of honor.

[00:06:17]The Army's version was approved the next year for enlisted men and then amended to also include officers who quote shall most distinguish themselves by their gallantry in action and other soldier-like qualities. A total of 1,520 medals were awarded during the Civil War.

[00:06:41]In addition to Captain Joseph Berger, two other Medal of Honor recipients from the Civil War are also buried in Oakland Cemetery. Corporal James Allen and Private Marshall Sherman. We also recognize them here today as well as the 72 motans who have received the Medal of Honor since its creation.

[00:07:04]May is a month of remembrance and began for me with recognizing another Medal of Honor recipient from World War II. So I'd like to briefly share his story. In April of 1941, First Lieutenant Bill Biane left for the Philippines to serve in the US Army 45th Infantry Division Philippine Scouts. By the time he was promoted to captain, Biane was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for achievements prior to the fall of the Philippines in 1942, and he has been recognized as one of the most outstanding American soldiers on Baton in the early months of the war. His name lived long in the memories of the American prisoners of war held at Camp O'Donnell, Cabanatuan and Bilibed.

[00:07:51]For in addition to being a war hero, Biane was their number one benefactor through those three terrible years.

[00:08:01]Sadly, on January 9th, 1945, he was aboard an unmarked prison ship near Formosa, now Taiwan. An American plane, not knowing Allied prisoners were on board, dropped a bomb into the ship's hold. Captain Biane was killed instantly at age 29.

[00:08:19]His remains, along with those of 430 other Americans who were unable to be identified, were buried as unknowns at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu. Through modern technology, Bian's remains were positively identified through DNA analysis in August of 2025. So after 80 years, on May 2nd, he was interred at the Newm Cemetery in his hometown of New Minnesota.

[00:08:48]I appreciate that regardless of the passing of time, whether from the Civil War or World War II, we remain committed to honoring our veterans from previous generations. We thank them for their service and sacrifice and remember them with honor and respect on this Memorial Day weekend. Thank you all.

[00:09:19]>> At this point, I'd like to ask uh Mr. Glenn Powers to come forward and uh share a few remarks and keep the mic real close to >> Okay.

[00:09:30]Well, good afternoon.

[00:09:33]Good afternoon. Um Colonel Carlberg did kind of give me this task to go into some explanation of why I'm here. Um well, because I was invited and and and and and it's and it's an honor to do these types of things. It it is an absolute privilege uh to to be here and and and he and he had a friend um Brad Lindsay um help with help with the invitation and I and you know I just want to speak uh briefly because I've gotten to know Brad over the years as he's led the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs. Now my responsibilities are as as uh Gary said um have to do with the headstones and markers and it also has to do with the operations of our national cemeteries obviously um for uh in the Minneapolis St. Paul region you have a fantastic national cemetery um and I'll be visiting it shortly before I get on a plane to visit another national cemetery for Memorial Day on Monday. Now, um, when Brad did issue the invite, I should have looked more closely at it, and I probably should not have chosen to go to the Natchez, Mississippi National Cemetery on Monday, but it will be an honor for me to be there as well. And just a little bit of a, you know, an illustration of the Civil War. um you know the national cemeteries as you will hear from somebody much more eloquent than me who dedicated one many years ago and you'll probably hear about that dedication. You know initially we're all about just what what are we going to do with these battlefield dead it was and it was a problem that was just significant and that's when Abraham Lincoln created the national cemetery system during the Civil War. Now, it's evolved and certainly now we're, you know, after the Civil War, veterans who came home, who who fought hard, achieved recognition, maybe decided to be buried in a private cemetery came home. And that's that's that's the story we have here. And uh of course the dedication is this really special special medallion which provides that that recognition that wasn't there before you know so somebody can walk by now and say oh maybe I want to look more into that and and and and find out more about the achievement um that took place. And of course, Captain Burgerer did this with so many motans, probably a majority just like him, not even born in this country and and fought for it. Um, so so what what an amazing story and of course it's been mentioned a couple times. Um, my first trip to Minnesota was in January of 1988 at this place called Ripley where somehow our commanders at Ford, California decided, hey, let's send our infantry rifle companies in January to Camp Ri. Look, I still remember it and that's what it's all about. Really?

[00:12:40]That's what it's all about. The other the other company in our battalion, they got to go to Panama for jungle training.

[00:12:46]Um and then a year and then a year ago year or so later after that we all went to Panama. So we we really we really didn't miss much. Um but so to answer your question and you told me I think you wanted me to keep it relatively short because we have more more people to to hear from because you invited me.

[00:13:04]>> Thank you sir.

[00:13:05]>> Okay. And because as somebody said and I'm writing this down so I get it right. It is altogether fitting and proper that I should do this and everybody here who came today felt the same way and and thank you for the invitation. It's an honor to to represent the VA um and in in the ceremony and uh look forward to hearing some very interesting remarks about dedication and of national cemetery.

[00:13:40]>> Thank you very much. Thank you very much.

[00:13:44]All right. Uh, one of the things that has been mentioned several times when we do these ceremonies, it's half dedication where we have current VFW Legion type guys join us to provide proper military respect and half a reenactments. And so I'm basically going to take you back to 1870 time frame because I'm using a Grand Army of the Republic program. And obviously we're wearing the civil civil war uniforms and things and we don't consider this group is not considered reenactors or we don't have the perfect uniforms, but these would be the guys that were in the Civil War and later on they put on some of their Civil War clothes and things, but it's not a perfect uniform. anymore. So that's about right. So let me take you back uh about a hundred years or so and let's let's take a look at this. Uh brothers of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War and friends, we assemble here today to pay our tribute of honor and respect to Medal of Honor recipient Captain Joseph Berger and 16 other Civil War soldiers. We are here to pledge a new our dedication to their memory which and the principles for which they fought to protect this nation which came under attack by internal enemies to end slavery and the horrendous suffering it caused and to preserve the union and democracy under which we enjoy many of our freedoms. With bowed heads, solemn tread, and voices hushed, we meet to remind our people of their duty to remember these men. To honor the flag, you notice it's got a different number of stars than you may have. To honor the flag for which they fought, to honor the country for which they died, and to keep grain the memory of their heroic service, an unselfish sacrifice.

[00:15:45]Chaplain, if you could come forward and uh invoke the divine blessing.

[00:15:52]>> Thank you.

[00:15:53]>> Ladies and gentlemen, >> ladies and gentlemen, let us pray. God of battles and peace, ruler of the destinies of countries and of men. In this silent camping ground of the dead, we come before thee, asking thy blessing as we honor the memory of these defenders of our country's honor.

[00:16:15]Look in mercy, we pray thee, upon the windows, widows, and orphans, of deceased veterans everywhere. Bless and save from every evil the country for which this soldier and our fathers fought. Preserve it in purity and integrity. Bless all as they are gathered here in response to the call of love and duty to perform these rights of remembrance over one of our nation's preservers. We ask thy blessing upon this sacred ceremony that might be consecrated to the memory of brave and loyal hearts who dared stand for the right. And at last grant that we may all meet before thy throne, and to thy name shall we ascribe praise both now and forever.

[00:17:14]>> At this point, I'm going to ask uh Harley, the deputy agent general, to come forward uh and say a few words. And uh it would be very appropriate for a G official to come and have that discussion at a couple points at a funeral.

[00:17:32]>> Thank you, Colonel.

[00:17:48]The reason we assemble here today is best explained by past Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War Commander and Chief Pearl Fooch. When he addressed the Grand Army of the Republic's final encampment in 1949, Brother F said in part, "The records of 300 fighting regiments show that of their number, one in three was either killed or wounded.

[00:18:14]They stood at Antidum.

[00:18:16]They faced the heights of Donaldson and Fredericksburg and stood amongst the seeders of Stones River. They met the fearful shock at Shiloh, became granite columns at Chikamagua, formed a living wall against treason's mightiest power at Gettsburg. They moved unfaltering in the slaughter pens at Cold Harbor in Vixsburg. They suffered the fires in the wilderness, the horrors of the crater of Petersburg and the buddy angle of Spennsylvania.

[00:18:47]And they climbed up Rocky precipice and mountainside to the portals of glory on Shai Hill.

[00:18:54]Lookout Mountain, Kennesaw Mountain, and Missionary Ridge.

[00:18:59]If we could comprehend the loss of human life, even that comprehension will be but a dim picture of their reality.

[00:19:07]Unless somehow our imagination is vivid enough to see the privation and suffering, the summer's tempest and winter's sleep. If we could behold them foring streams and battling alike with the enemy, ice and swift current, marching day after day, many miles at a time, and standing on the lonely pickup post until too worried to even be wakeful.

[00:19:31]If we could stand with 14-year-old drummer named Joseph Burgerer and 13 others, battling against 125 calmen from a corn crib near Nolanville, Tennessee.

[00:19:42]If we could see the long lines of shellless bodies and hear the pitiful cry for water and relief, I believe our imagination will come far short of their reality.

[00:19:52]The price paid by that generation was not just in shattered limbs, wasted forms, and horrid memories, but also in desolate hopes, ruined homes, and broken hearts.

[00:20:03]In the shadow of 750,000 graves, there are those who return diseased, broken down from the hill holes of Libby prison, Bell Island, Salisbury, Camp Lton, and Andersonville.

[00:20:18]And so, remembering the sacrifice of these men to preserve the Union, lighted as though with the lured fires of hell, standing under the clouds of grief that darkened half a million homes, we proclaim a role of honor to the Grand Armor of the Republic.

[00:20:33]That role was made and completed in days of old. It was written with the red blood from human hearts. Its letters are more bright and precious than were they writtly burned on the pages of life. Therefore, we who are assembled here today and members of the sons of the Union Veterans of the Civil War gather at this memorial to sacrifice the sacred memories of our forefathers and their sacrifices.

[00:20:59]to quote from the epitath from another time and place. Tell them us of us and say for their tomorrow begins our today.

[00:21:17]At this point, I would like uh to ask the president of the United States to come forward and say a few words. And any ceremony like this, they probably wouldn't have had Lincoln come after the Civil War for obvious reasons. So, uh, we are fortunate to have, uh, the president come join us today, >> sir.

[00:21:46]Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

[00:22:04]Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure.

[00:22:17]We are met at a great battlefield of that war.

[00:22:22]We've come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives.

[00:22:32]that that nation might live.

[00:22:36]It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground.

[00:22:53]The brave men living and dead who struggled here have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract.

[00:23:05]The world will little note nor long remember what we say here but it can never forget what they did here.

[00:23:16]It is for us the living rather who dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so noly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us. That from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion.

[00:23:47]that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.

[00:24:29]It's interesting hearing the Gettysburg address in Civil War attire in a cemetery has a different ring to it, doesn't it? Good job, boys. All right. Uh we now will were supposed to unveil the medallion, but there were so many people wanting to see it before the ceremony that we never put the veil on.

[00:24:51]So Al, I apologize for messing up the ceremony here, but uh it was it was a hot item. So uh I what I wanted to say about is really what what an awesome job. And he was what 14 years old when he joined the army. I mean how many of you Sarah would you let your 14-year-old join the army?

[00:25:14]Okay. A lot of times these kids that join like that and and and he was a drummer boy. Okay. But a lot of times dad was in the army also. So is a little more acceptable to go with your dad because he had a little adult supervision. But let me tell you a little bit about his situation and why they in the citation what it says. The Medal of Honor says he was awarded to Captain Joseph Burgerer, who by the way was the youngest to get promoted to captain in the Civil War. Wow. Okay. And so he was in a company H of the Second Minnesota Infantry. He was one of a detachment of 16 men who heroically defended a wagon train attack against from 125 calvary Confederate soldiers. Holy cow. That is not good numbers when you're shooting a musket. Okay. Uh and and they held him off. So no wonder why he deserved to get a medal of honor and he saved the train. So uh Logan ring the bell.

[00:26:22]At this point we pay our respects to Captain Joseph Burger Medal of Honor.

[00:26:26]Now, let me tell you a little bit about how we got this because it used to be against the law firm of the VA to issue this medallion to someone that was in the Civil War. If you were in World War II and beyond, you could do that, but it was against the law. So, I tried to get it and then it, you know, they were saying, "You can't do it. It's against can't regulations." I mean, I've been in the army 37 years. Of course, you can. Well, no, we change the regulations. So, I get a hold of Commissioner Brad and he says, "Well, that's ridiculous." And within the same day, he emails uh Under Secretary Powers and he says, "Well, that's ridiculous."

[00:27:04]In the same, like the next day, I get an email back and he says, "You know, you're not the only state that's brought this up." And so, basically, they got some work, lobby work going, went through the Senate and the House, and the President of the United States of America signed a change in the law. so we could give Captain Joseph Burgerer his Medal of Honor medallion. And Glenn just told me earlier this is the first Civil War veteran to get it. All right.

[00:27:44]So, at this point, I'm going to transition to the other 16 soldiers.

[00:27:51]And the guys in the TV cameras are looking at me finally. the mic up there.

[00:27:54]Uh and so we have 16 other soldiers that also served in the Civil War and are interred here. Some of them did have headstones that became illeible. Some uh what's interesting in the beginning a couple of them had wooden headstones.

[00:28:10]What do you think? How good a shape would that be 150 years or so later?

[00:28:13]Right. And so obviously they needed to be replaced or when I got there there weren't any. Uh there was another guy that did more than I've done here.

[00:28:23]And so great work. Uh my organization in the last three years has ordered about 700 and 100 headstones for Civil War veterans in the last three years. So pretty neat to do.

[00:28:42]One of the things that I'm proud about is uh is is uh Minnesota officers volunteered to be in charge of what they call CT units, colored troop units.

[00:28:55]And uh and so we have as as we do the research on that, we find a lot of these guys that volunteered to serve and they would been had been maybe a sergeant and then they get promoted to a lieutenant to lead this this group. And so, uh, that's all that's good. Uh, but, uh, what's interesting is the first guy on my list, Private Turner Crossway from the 13th US Color Troop Infantry, was a black man in the Union Army. And of course, that was revolutionary, a different uh, big change. Uh, and and at first, everyone is a little reluctant.

[00:29:30]Is this going to work? Is this not going to work? But uh, I I do a lot of impressions as Major General George made. George made after they proved themselves, he was all for him, you know, because they did a great job. It was a soldier. They were used to a rough life. They did a great job. Uh they just needed the training and experience like anybody else did. So Crossway Turner entered the Union Army at Nashville, Tennessee as a private. And on the 19th of November, uh he mustered into company G US of the troop and the 13th Infantry.

[00:30:03]The next Logan The next one is uh Private Isaac Darling. Uh third Iowa Cavalry Company I and he was a prisoner of war during the Civil War. Now thinking that a Civil War solders's life was rough. Imagine what it'd be like in a P camp. Not good.

[00:30:27]Next.

[00:30:29]Next we have Private Andrew Denzer from the 24th Infant Wisconsin Infantry Company D. My great-grandfather was in the 20th Wisconsin Infantry. Okay. So interesting there. Uh he residence was Milwaukee enlisted in ' 62 as a private and mustered into the 24th Infantry. He too was a P at Missionary Rich. Uh, and then he also had service in the Veterans Reserve Corps, which was basically a medical unit to help them get medically taken care of before they got out.

[00:31:05]Next, we have uh, First Lieutenant Eugene Fails from Company C, 131st Infantry. He enlisted in New York as a first lieutenant, commissioned at a sea company, and he mustered out at Savannah, Georgia. He also was a P. Boy, this is not a good role. a lot of PS.

[00:31:26]Okay. And he got pardon. Pardon, which means the two sides negotiated to let each of the same number of people get out. And the intent was that they wouldn't fight anymore. Well, maybe not so much.

[00:31:44]Okay. Uh, Private Henry Fandell, uh, six Minnesota infantry. when 33 years old enlisted in 62 as a private entered in the the e company uh and he was discharged for disability.

[00:31:57]We had a m musician Henry Fry uh from 47th Massachusetts Infantry uh in enlisted in ' 62 and he also served in the 47th Infantry and he was mustered out and rebuild Met and then Private Charles Hellberg fourth Minnesota Infantry listed in 62 as a private and into the fourth Minnesota reinlisted and mustered out in 65. So he was in for quite a while.

[00:32:30]Lieutenant Hyramal Labell uh second Minnesota Infantry as a sergeant. He enlisted in St. Paul and Ramsey County uh and uh as a corporal mustered into the second Minnesota resign he resigned in 64. He was promoted not only to sergeant but a second lieutenant and a first lieutenant.

[00:32:56]Sergeant Horus Noble Company I second Michigan Infantry. Uh he lived in Kalamazoo, Michigan when he was 23 and he enlisted as a private uh and he reinlisted again uh and was promoted to sergeant. He mustered out in ' 65. So almost the entire war at Delaney House in Washington DC. He was a resident of the Minnesota Soldiers Home in Minne Minhaha Falls in Minneapolis, which uh one of the things we found out as we were digging in, one of the reasons why St. Paul and Minneapolis, Henipin Lake would have so many Civil War veterans buried there is because they were close to the the veterans home. And if you have take a look back in history, there wasn't such a thing as a nursing home.

[00:33:43]So if you've got a single soldier that doesn't have family, where does he go?

[00:33:48]And so these old soldiers home were a good place for these guys to go. Uh they so that's where he came he passed away at. Okay. U Private Luther Royal Ca Company 18th Maryland Infantry and he after a year of infantry he uh went into the artillery. He was wounded in the Spennsylvania courthouse battle.

[00:34:14]Sergeant Julius Schmidt, uh, fifth comp fifth Minnesota Infantry, uh, 41 years old, enlisted as a private, uh, wounded on, uh, in July of 61 at the Bull Run Battle and again, oh, this isn't got good luck in and Antum uh, huge battles for Minnesota and Wisconsin. He mustered out on in May uh, and then he served in the fifth Minnesota Infantry. Uh, So going on to Private Hubert Schroeder F company Minnesota infantry 22 years old enlisted at Fairbolt County and he mustered in the company and mustered out in 65. So he was in for several years.

[00:35:00]Private Nelson Ashalu enlisted in in ' 61 in Mano. That's where I went to college. Blue Earth County as a private and in ' 61 he mustered in and he was discharged for wounds in ' 64.

[00:35:15]Private Edward Manderworker uh 19th New York Infantry when he was 18 years old enlisted in New York as and uh he was mustered out at Newark, New York.

[00:35:28]Corporal Solomon Walter, six Minnesota Infantry enlisted in St. Paul Ramsey County as a corporal and he mustered into a company 6 Minnesota. He desire died of disease lung fever at Gleno Minnesota. And as you take a look at history, there's about as many people that died of disease in during the civil war as battle wins.

[00:35:51]Okay. Uh and then we last one is Corporal William Webb listed in ' 62 at Peach Tree Orchard, Kentucky as a private and then uh was mustered out in Louisville, Kentucky.

[00:36:06]One of the questions often asked to me is why are all these people from different states here? Well, after the Civil War and after the uh when Native Americans were okay, be let's honest.

[00:36:19]were forcibly removed. Uh uh there was all this land that was free and if if you lived on the land for five years and you know legally filed for it and stuff then you would be yours free and clear.

[00:36:33]But if you were in the Union Army for a year or maybe two or three like a lot of these soldiers were your year of time with the Union Army if you were discharged under honorable conditions would count towards that free year. So, a lot of these soldiers knowing there's free land and used to getting up and traveling around with a rifle, they got a hold of Betty Lou from the girl they went to town school in and got married and started a new life in Minnesota. And so, that's why we have about as about about onethird of the Civil War veterans buried in Minnesota are from other states. And it may be a little liberal with my numbers, but uh it's amazing how high it is. So that's our different soldiers.

[00:37:24]At this point, I would like to have the Women's Relief Corps patriotic instructor come forward and uh share a couple words.

[00:37:41]These noble Union veterans rest with their brothers in arms.

[00:37:47]Sorry. Um, their trails and toils are over. They've entered into the internal rest. These soldiers offered their life, their fortune, and sacred honor.

[00:38:06]to honor for the preservation of the country in the hour of their greatest needs. They pledge to provide protection of the flag in this country and honor of the greatest need. The guarantee of equal rights to all under that flag. May our hearts here be aspired a new with the spirit of patriotism by their example. We should be true to their memory and we shall always have remember their sacrifice.

[00:38:38]May the memory of their honor and sacrifice be to us an example for the remainder of our lives.

[00:38:55]At this point, uh I'm going to ask the uh ladies to go ahead and place the floor arrangements. I want you to pay attention to the soldiers on the far left there. They are going to do a unique maneuver called rest on arms that is not in the current uh military how to do military orders. Rest on arms.

[00:39:28]At this point, I'd like to point out that the weeping widow, most of these women at this time would have 8 to 13 kids.

[00:39:42]They left a different state to come to Minnesota to start a new life.

[00:39:50]And there's no social security.

[00:39:52]There's no disability.

[00:39:55]It's her and 13 kids.

[00:40:00]Thank you.

[00:40:04]At this point, I ask the Sons of Veteran Reserve to go ahead and fire three volley salute.

[00:40:17]And there will be noise and smoke.

[00:41:16]Now, obviously they're firing blanks.

[00:41:19]One of the times when I was in Gettysburg and we were firing blanks and we had the what we call put the paper wading in as it comes out it, you know, you see a little bit of flame coming out. We started the Gettysburg battlefield on fire. Not a good thing.

[00:41:34]>> It's it's wet out today, so we're safe.

[00:41:42]And we have the young lady here is kind of capturing to see who's faster at reloading and firing.

[00:42:26]Dan, Dan, Dan, Dan.

[00:42:31]Okay, you got it.

[00:42:34]A jammed rifle is not a pretty sight.

[00:42:46]while they're loading. The flag you see is second core flag that first Minnesota is part of the second core with General Hancock in the Civil War. All right, Captain Commander uh with the Joint Honor Guard from the VFW and Legion in Roseville. Pat, do you take Let's Let's see who is faster, right?

[00:43:09]Congratulations.

[00:43:39]He won the race.

[00:43:43]At this time, we are going to have what they call echo taps. Equaps. Echo. The taps was written in the Civil War, but Echoaps was accidentally discovered when it was someone played by a canyon and it's beautiful. Army regulation says you can't play echoaps at a funeral. It's 1870. The regulation hasn't been written, please.

[00:45:25]Give her your commands. Order arms. Go ahead. Please be seated.

[00:45:31]>> Chaplain, the benediction, please.

[00:45:38]It seems well we should leave these comrades to rest in honor where over them will bend the arching sky as it did in great love when he pitched his tent or lay down weary in foot source by way of the battlefield for an hour's sleep.

[00:45:57]As he was then, so he is still in the hands of the heavenly father. Lord, remind us continuously of the sacrifices that were made by men such as these that gave so much so that we may enjoy the blessings of freedom and liberty. May the blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost and the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ rest upon and abide with us forever. Amen.

[00:46:32]Thank you, chaplain.

[00:46:36]>> It seems well we should leave these comrades to rest in honor where over them bend the arching sky as it did in great love when he pitched his tent to lay down. Weary and foot sore by the battlefield for an hour sleep. As he was then, so he is still in the hands of the heavenly father. Lord, remind us continuously of the good things they do at this.

[00:47:09]We thank you for coming today. It is our honor to be able to serve these veterans and recognize their service. We're very thankful, Al, you and your family were able to come and be mean and and be a everybody able to see a real Medal of Honors ribbon and their certificate.

[00:47:29]Pretty cool that Minnesota's Civil War veteran was the first to get it. Thank you much for that, Brad, and and Glenn for helping us out that I'd like to recognize the ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic, whereas Catherine and thank you for for participating here.

[00:47:45]Uh, and uh, uh, the Camp 56 guys that were here. Harley and his wife patients.

[00:47:52]Bryce is a history teacher. Can you tell? Uh, he he gives Gettysburg address and Lincoln things across the nation once at DC on on Lincoln's birthday. uh and our impressive joint honor guard in some places in Minnesota, the American Legion and the VFW, they argue about uh nitnoid things, but in this legion they're all in and VFW it's all for the veterans and like it is in White Lake and I thank you very much for coming here today and congratulations on being Thank you all.

[00:49:05]Probably not a good idea.

[00:49:11]Let me do it.

[00:49:19]>> You know, if you take a picture with the Burger family.

[00:49:22]>> Yes, that would be wonderful. That'd be wonderful.