To The Colors: Service Stories from Southwest Minnesota
"To The Colors" shares the stories of service veterans and military personnel from Southwest Minnesota. My name is Bill Palmer. I am a retired Army Judge Advocate officer who was born and raised in Marshall, MN. My wife, Kathy, and I returned to Marshall after retiring from the Army in 2004 and I began interviewing local service veterans and soldiers about their service experiences. I published those stories in a regional newspaper column from July 2004 to August 2010. I have since anthologized many of those stories in a series of books and am republishing these service stories in this web page where I am no longer constrained by the size limits of my newpaper column. I have included ordering information at the bottom of the page if you are interested in any of these books. Many of the stories that I will rotate through this web page each month will be longer and contain more detail than when they appeared in my column.
I began this service story project as a way to celebrate the service of our local veterans; to educate the members of our communities about the nature of military service; and to remind all of us how we have benefitted in many ways from the service of our neighbors, friends, and family members. Veterans often do not talk much about their service and there are a number of reasons for this. They do not wish to appear to be attention-seekers or braggerts. They know they served as a member of a team, not as an individual. They often are unsure how to accurately explain their service to persons who may not be familiar with the military. Finally, our combat veterans carry the unique burden of having experienced extreme conditions that can defy accurate description and give pause to the veteran who wonders whether such experiences can or should be shared.
The men and women whose stories I'll be sharing with you entrusted me with their service stories, trusting me to get them right and to share them in the same selfless spirit in which our local veterans offered their service to our nation. I hope I have honored that trust. Thank you for taking the time to read these stories. Please share this site with anyone you believe would enjoy exploring these service stories.
I began this service story project as a way to celebrate the service of our local veterans; to educate the members of our communities about the nature of military service; and to remind all of us how we have benefitted in many ways from the service of our neighbors, friends, and family members. Veterans often do not talk much about their service and there are a number of reasons for this. They do not wish to appear to be attention-seekers or braggerts. They know they served as a member of a team, not as an individual. They often are unsure how to accurately explain their service to persons who may not be familiar with the military. Finally, our combat veterans carry the unique burden of having experienced extreme conditions that can defy accurate description and give pause to the veteran who wonders whether such experiences can or should be shared.
The men and women whose stories I'll be sharing with you entrusted me with their service stories, trusting me to get them right and to share them in the same selfless spirit in which our local veterans offered their service to our nation. I hope I have honored that trust. Thank you for taking the time to read these stories. Please share this site with anyone you believe would enjoy exploring these service stories.
The Retreat Ceremony and "To The Colors"
As we begin exploring the experience of military service, let’s begin with some of the symbolism of that service. There are many symbols from which to choose because, whatever else their strengths and weaknesses, the military services are chock full of symbols and ceremony. There are the uniforms, the ranks, the unit flags, the songs, and the special places we associate with the military like Arlington National Cemetery and West Point.
Symbols can mean very different things to different people. Our military uses symbols and ceremony to help service members understand their place in their unit, in their service, and in their nation and to instill pride in service in that service member’s heart and mind. There is no prouder person than the most junior Airman Basic or brand new Navy Ensign the day they visit home wearing their brand new uniform.
If you have been privileged to experience that feeling, you know that you feel like a hero. Not an Audie Murphy - Congressional Medal of Honor - Capital H - Hero; but, rather a hometown - I’ve accomplished something special - I am a part of a special team now - small h - hero.
Some of the joys of military service are small events that come unexpectedly. I want to share one of those everyday moments that we sometimes overlook in the bustle of military life. This ceremony catches us unawares from time to time and can cause your eyes to mist over.
To the column's title refers to the ceremony at the end of the duty day wherever US military personnel serve. This brief ceremony takes place every day of the year. It is called “The Retreat.”
A colors detail, usually military personnel, but sometimes uniformed civilian police, marches to where the command displays our national flag, known as the colors. Once they are in position, a bugle calls "retreat," alerting the entire Army post, or Naval, Air Force or Marine base that the command is preparing to retire the colors for the day.
Outdoor activity stops as service members and civilians face the colors or the sound of the bugle and vehicles pull to the side of the road. Many commands fire a single round from a salute battery at the end of the first bugle call. The bugle then sounds a second call, "To The Colors," as the color sergeant briskly brings the colors down. Military personnel out of doors come to attention and salute, while their civilian colleagues place their hand over their heart, giving honors to the nation's colors at the end of the duty day.
Normal outdoor activity resumes after the last note of "To The Colors" sounds, but the colors detail is not done. They carefully fold the colors lengthwise in half and then again. The color sergeant then folds the colors in tight triangular folds to the white canvas edge that gets folded neatly into the crease at the edge of the triangle. The color sergeant reforms the detail into a column and they march in silence to the color's locker to secure the nation’s flag until the next morning.
It is a simple, beautiful ceremony. It draws service personnel together, reminding us of our common obligations and service, regardless of our particular jobs.
It is also interesting to watch the service members who form the colors detail. No matter who forms the detail, you see their non-commissioned officer (NCO) leader, the color sergeant, rehearse in advance those members who are new to the event. He or she is ensuring the group knows what to do and when to do it.
Invariably, the colors detail is smoking and joking in the minutes before “Retreat.” By this I mean some of them are smoking cigarettes (too many service members still believe it is cool to smoke despite the services’ anti-smoking campaigns) and talking about what’s going on tonight; complaining about their duty; or kidding one another about their real or made-up faults.
That changes when the color sergeant calls them into formation for the ceremony. Each colors detail I’ve seen executed the ceremony with dignity and with solemn attention to the small details required to do it right like gathering the colors before they touch the ground as they are lowered, no easy task on a windy day. The colors detail was aware that they were doing something special and symbolic and meaningful. They took pride in performing this duty.
Our military services perform this ceremony every day of the year, no matter the weather, everywhere the military serves. I will share the stories of their service with you every week and I invite you to participate in that sharing.
*First published August 2004
“To The Colors” Bookstore
The service stories of veterans from throughout Southwest Minnesota are collected in the following book anthologies. Order them by enclosing a check for the purchase price and include $2 for each book for shipping and handling. Mail your order to "To The Colors" P.O. Box 112 Marshall, MN 56258.
“To The Colors – 2004” "To The Colors - 2005" "To The Colors - 2006"
Seventeen service stories involving Fifty-four stories of military service Fifty-three stories of military service involving
veterans from Marshall, Lynd, Ivanhoe, involving veterans from Canby, Lynd, veterans from Marshall, Cottonwood, Green Valley,
and Sleepy Eye including the WWI Marshall, Ivanhoe, Luverne, and Sleepy Eye Ivanhoe, Luverne, Porter, Hendricks, Tyler, and Canby.
veterans who built Camden State Park.
$6.00 Out of Print $10.00
“To The Colors – 2007” “To The Colors – 2008”
Fifty-one stories of military service Fifty-two stories of military service involving
involving veterans from Marshall, veterans from Marshall, Cottonwood, Ivanhoe,
Cottonwood, Canby, Ivanhoe, Russell, Green Valley, Balaton, Hendricks, Wood Lake,
Luverne, Minneota, Wood Lake, Tyler, Taunton, Lake Benton, Hanley Falls, and Tracy.
Tracy and Sleepy Eye.
$12.00 $12.00
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“To The Colors” Author
Retired Army JAG Lieutenant Colonel Bill Palmer grew up in Marshall, MN and attended St. John’s University in Collegeville, MN on an Army ROTC scholarship, graduating with a B.A. in History. He attended the University of Minnesota Law School and then served for 20 years as an Army Judge Advocate. His assignments included the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, 5th Infantry Division and Fort Polk, LA; the Post Judge Advocate for Sierra Army Depot, CA; an Associate Professor of History with the Department of Law at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, NY; Command Judge Advocate of the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks at Ft. Leavenworth, KS; Officer in Charge of the 1st Armored Div. Legal Center in Baumholder, GE; Chief of Military Justice and Deputy Staff Judge Advocate (SJA) for the U.S. Army Maneuver Support Center at Fort Leonard Wood, MO; SJA for the Army Medical Research and Materiel Command at Fort Detrick, MD; and Deputy SJA at the U.S. Army Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth, KS. His awards include the Legion of Merit w/2 Oak Leaf Clusters; the Meritorious Service Medal w/6 Oak Leaf Clusters; and the Distinguished Unit Citation.
Bill retired in August 2004 and returned to Marshall where he teaches history and geography at Lakeview Public School in nearby Cottonwood, MN. He investigated the history of Chandler Air Force Station in Murray County as a Regional History Fellow at Southwest Minnesota State University during fall 2005. Bill interviewed veterans and wrote a weekly newspaper column about their military service for six years, collecting these local service stories and publishing them into a series of book anthologies.
Bill and his wife, Kathy, have been partners in things military and otherwise since 1981 and have two great, adult daughters, Christine and Katie.
Retired Army JAG Lieutenant Colonel Bill Palmer grew up in Marshall, MN and attended St. John’s University in Collegeville, MN on an Army ROTC scholarship, graduating with a B.A. in History. He attended the University of Minnesota Law School and then served for 20 years as an Army Judge Advocate. His assignments included the Office of the Staff Judge Advocate, 5th Infantry Division and Fort Polk, LA; the Post Judge Advocate for Sierra Army Depot, CA; an Associate Professor of History with the Department of Law at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, NY; Command Judge Advocate of the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks at Ft. Leavenworth, KS; Officer in Charge of the 1st Armored Div. Legal Center in Baumholder, GE; Chief of Military Justice and Deputy Staff Judge Advocate (SJA) for the U.S. Army Maneuver Support Center at Fort Leonard Wood, MO; SJA for the Army Medical Research and Materiel Command at Fort Detrick, MD; and Deputy SJA at the U.S. Army Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth, KS. His awards include the Legion of Merit w/2 Oak Leaf Clusters; the Meritorious Service Medal w/6 Oak Leaf Clusters; and the Distinguished Unit Citation.
Bill retired in August 2004 and returned to Marshall where he teaches history and geography at Lakeview Public School in nearby Cottonwood, MN. He investigated the history of Chandler Air Force Station in Murray County as a Regional History Fellow at Southwest Minnesota State University during fall 2005. Bill interviewed veterans and wrote a weekly newspaper column about their military service for six years, collecting these local service stories and publishing them into a series of book anthologies.
Bill and his wife, Kathy, have been partners in things military and otherwise since 1981 and have two great, adult daughters, Christine and Katie.