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BOYS IN BLUE: The Grand Army of the Republic Traveling Exhibit
March 1, 2018 @ 10:00 AM - June 1, 2018 @ 5:00 PM
The traveling exhibit, BOYS IN BLUE: The Grand Army of the Republic, A Civil War Veterans’ Organization opens March 1 at the Lyon County Museum. The exhibit runs until June 1. The traveling exhibit was organized by the Siouxland Heritage Museums, Sioux Falls, SD.
A year after our nation’s Civil War ended, an organization for Union veterans was established. Exploring bonds of comradeship, loyalty, and charity, the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.) became a fraternal group which stretched across local, regional, and national lines. Limited in membership to those men who served between 1861-1865, the G.A.R. had a finite life. The men of the G.A.R. left a lasting legacy to the nation with the creation of veteran pensions, soldiers’ homes, and Memorial Day being among their many accomplishments. Counting approximately one million members throughout its existence, the G.A.R. developed into a formidable political lobbying group.
BOYS IN BLUE highlights the legacy of this important group that set the precedent for future veterans’ organizations.