The Final Event of 2020
Gettysburg .. The Cemetery ... The Monument
The heart of the 69th Gettysburg Cemetery ceremony is the "Exchange of the Medallions" 25 Years
ago (1996) a brass medallion was created for each of the 21 69th soldiers killed at Gettysburg and
buried at the National Cemetery. Each of these medallions are held by a individual member of the
regiment for one year and then returned to the cemetery where they are exchanged to an another
member to be held until the following year. The exchange is made after the biography of the soldier
is publicly read and then taken by the receiving member and the previous holding member along with
one of our ladies to the gravestone location. At that location the long standing tradition has been to
place an Irish Flag and soil from Ireland at the grave as the exchange is made. The solemn ceremony
can be viewed on our you tube video site -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaPzDcNR-54
ago (1996) a brass medallion was created for each of the 21 69th soldiers killed at Gettysburg and
buried at the National Cemetery. Each of these medallions are held by a individual member of the
regiment for one year and then returned to the cemetery where they are exchanged to an another
member to be held until the following year. The exchange is made after the biography of the soldier
is publicly read and then taken by the receiving member and the previous holding member along with
one of our ladies to the gravestone location. At that location the long standing tradition has been to
place an Irish Flag and soil from Ireland at the grave as the exchange is made. The solemn ceremony
can be viewed on our you tube video site -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaPzDcNR-54
"The Exchange of the Medallions"
At the "copse of trees", Bugler Nugent plays taps
Members of the 69th Band play "Soldier Boy"
"The Story of Company A" is explained
Father Smith with the ladies
Captain Scott Eller and First Sergeant Ryan Kopich prepare for the day's activity
