Yorktown is probably most known as the site of the surrender of General Cornwallis to General George Washington on October 19, 1781. Although the war would last for another year, this British defeat at Yorktown did effectively end the American Revolutionary War. Each year on October 19th they have a presentation and fire the cannons to the excitement of the crowds. They also have a parade with several different branches of the military. It is quite a production.
I have to tell a short story here about Yorktown. Like I said they had a parade and they had a mile or two of the parade route lined with American Flags hanging from light posts. Well there was this young kid about 12 walking around with a stick hitting each flag as he walked by. He was alone and I after I couldn’t stand it any longer, I had to speak up. I kind of went a little ape on him. I said something like “How dare you hit all those flags? Don’t you know what our ancestors had to do to make those flags possible? How many lives were lost? Do you have any respect for that? Where are you parents? Didn’t they teach you better?” I don’t know what got into me. I guess pure patriotism, but he looked at me like I was from Mars or something. He didn’t say anything, but he did stop hitting the flags! I felt better. Lol
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