Title: Message Relative to a Parade for the Twenty-Sixth Division
Date: March 17, 1919
Location: Boston, MA
Context: Explaining the reason for the significance of a military parade
(Original document available here)
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives.
As already announced, the War Department, in cooperation with the Commonwealth and the city, is planning a parade for the Twenty-sixth Division some time in April. This division is made up in part of the National Guard of Massachusetts and in part of the National Guard of the other New England States, so that the event will be observed by the presence of the Governors of all New England and probably by some members of the Cabinet whom I have invited.
This will be the greatest military parade and the greatest celebration that has taken place in Boston in connection with the present war. It is expected to continue through several days. The men are to be housed at the South Boston Terminal Warehouse. Large grand-stands will have to be erected for the accommodation of families of the soldiers and of visiting delegations from States, cities and towns. It is estimated that bringing this division here for this purpose will involve an expenditure by the War Department of more than a million dollars.
In consideration of the importance of the occasion and the pride which our whole Nation has in the achievements of the Twenty sixth Division, and because this celebration is to be in part representative of our desire to do honor to the almost 200,000 soldiers, sailors and marines who have borne for us the burden of the war, I earnestly urge that a generous appropriation be made to carry out the plans of the joint committee of the General Court and of the citizens, in anticipation of action on the general budget. In order that arrangements may be made with the least expense, it is necessary that the appropriation be available at once.
Citation: Messages to the General Court, Official Addresses, Proclamations and State Papers of His Excellency Governor Calvin Coolidge
The Coolidge Foundation gratefully acknowledges the volunteer efforts of Robert Manchester, who prepared this document for digital publication.