SATURDAY, JULY 7, 2007
|
SATURDAY, JULY 7, 2007 |
By Trevor Kupfer, Dells Events The Lyndon Station VFW Post 5970 honored Civil War veteran Louis Dupless Wednesday morning in a first-ever memorial ceremony near the Dupless family gravesite at the foot of Louis' Bluff. Within the intimate and honorary ceremony, landowner Frank Weinhold read a Kilbourn Mirror-Gazette story from 1895, which chronicled the military burial of the Mexican War and Civil War veteran. "Many years of his life were spent as a lumberman on the Wisconsin River, on the banks of which he sleeps his eternal sleep," Weinhold read. "In November 1864 he enlisted in the 6th Wisconsin Infantry, and was discharged a corporal in July 1864 after eight months service. As a citizen he was esteemed and respected by all who knew him." The ceremony continued with a prayer, gun salute and "Taps." "It's hard to think of a more stirring moment," Weinhold said following the ceremony. "Thank you all for coming." For the past 15 years, Cuba has spent his Memorial Day placing flags at three local cemeteries and making a special trip to Louis' Bluff to place a single flag at the family gravestone. Cuba said it's a military tradition to finish all of these duties by noon, which is why the VFW post never held a ceremony like this one in the past. "Maybe we'll make it a thing to do it on Independence Day," Cuba said. "It's a wonderful day to do it." The idea for the service began on Memorial Day when Cuba made his regular rounds. During that trip, Weinhold and Cuba briefly mentioned the possibility for a ceremony and a short time later it became a reality. "We had a chat a few days later and thought it would be something the post could do," Weinhold said. "And we're happy to welcome them." While Cuba said the ceremony went well and the post was glad to do it, he doesn't know if they'll make it a tradition quite yet. "Hopefully we'll do it again next year, but we've got a whole year to talk it over," Post Commander Robert Cuba said.