Title: Roughriders of 1898 Gather | Veterans of War in Cuba Celebrate Anniversary of Victory in Battle

Periodical: Los Angeles Times

Date: June 25, 1941

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Roughriders of 1898 Gather

Veterans of War in Cuba Celebrate Anniversary of Victory in Battle

There's plenty of life in Teddy Roosevelt's famous Roughriders who, 43 years ago yesterday, routed the Spaniards at the Battle of Las Guasimas, Cuba.

Surviving members of the Roughriders, meeting at the Clark in memory of their departed comrades, showed their spirit during discussion of a proposal to change the Roosevelt Roughriders Association to the "Last Man's Club."

TOO YOUNG FOR THAT

"Hell!" exclaimed fiery little Billy McGinty, who as a member of Troop K of the First Volunteer Cavalry (later labeled Roosevelt's Roughriders) participated in the battle, "let's leave that 'last man' stuff to the G.A.R.

And that's how it was decided in a meeting conducted by Col. Roger Fitch, commander at Ft. Ord, who was general chairman.

Of the 1233 original members of the First Volunteer Cavalry, only 203 remain alive, James T. Brown, arrangements chairman, reported. Of these, a good many reside in Southern California.

SHOW OLD RECORDS

Veterans of the Cuba campaign in attendance at the convention willingly exhibited yellowed and sometimes tattered military service records, honorable discharges or other mementos of their service to their country.

Of keen Interest to the veterans was Burr McIntosh's copy of his picture book, "The Little I Saw of Cuba." Some of the old-timers eagerly pointed out their own images in various pictures McIntosh had made as a photographer for Leslie's Weekly, the once-popular picture magazine.