Feb
11
Written by:
JDay
2/11/2012 4:43 PM
I've been working for several months with Alderman Balcer 11th ward and the Special Events unit for the city and on February 9th, we had our first meeting for the big parade on the eight floor of the city county building.
For some time I have prepared information for the Alderman and the Special events staff has known me for over fifteen years. So this year I got a well prepared history of Taps and of Oliver Wilcox Norton from Jari Villanueva who is the true authority on the history. I had packets for twenty people all ready to go with CD's and coins even very nice books by CW4 Josef A. Orosz Jr. U.S. Army Band Ret..
John Trick comm. spokesman said whats all that info? I said, "I was going to try and sell my theme for the Parade". John said, "We already have one". then showed me the agenda for the meeting. At the top was the theme printed.
Taps the 150th Anniversary.
Then twenty members showed up and I passed out my envelopes for them and they all agreed.
The Parade will be May 26th. down State St. with a fly over and already over seven thousand marchers, bands and floats.
This is always a big weekend for me. I already have a program on the 25th at Portage school and Foreman HS., the 26th is the Parade, 27th John Apple's Church in Naperville and the 28th at Abraham Lincoln National Veterans Cemetery in Elwood. Marty, current Director said we could also mention the historic value of Taps when we close the show.
Hartmut Hausser will also be there all the Way from Germany with the now famous Taps 150 flag.
Those in the area are all welcome to march with horns in the parade.
For those who do not know.....Oliver Willcox Norton the first player of Taps came to Chicago after the Civil War and was the founder of the American Can Co. he lived on the south east side and was the first man to have an elevator in his house. He had a special needs daughter and when he passed on in 1920, was cremated at Oak Wood Cemetery where over 4,000 confederates are buried and a part of that cemetery is a National monument managed by the director at Abraham Lincoln Natl. Veterans Cemetery in Elwood, Illinois near Joliet.
A wreath laying is scheduled for Sept. 28th 2012.
All The Best,
Tom Day
Founder