
                     A Moment Frozen in Time 

                     Curt W. Perdelwitz, 32 
                   2701 34th Street North #119, 
                  St. Petersburg, Florida 33713 


   In the summer of 1986 I had just completed six months of 
strenuous airline travel. Similarly, my wife had finished nursing 
her sister, who was recuperating from a serious operation, back 
to health. 

   We decided to treat ourselves, and planned a cross-country 
tour which would take us through Canada to many of the great 
national parks of western America, and then back to the East 
Coast. On the return leg of our trip, we hoped to satisfy one 
long unfulfilled desire: to visit Springfield, Illinois, and pay 
homage to the resting place of a great American - Abraham 
Lincoln. 

   We arrived in Springfield on Monday, August 4, in the late 
afternoon, located lodging for the night, and ate our dinner. 
Excited to begin our quest, we attempted to visit Lincoln's tomb 
in the twilight of evening. Unfortunately, the cemetery was 
closed when we arrived. Our disappointment, however, would soon 
turn into delight! 

   The next day we visited the house where Lincoln had lived, 
exploring the artifacts of his life and era. We found ourselves 
very pleased at the efforts being made to preserve the heritage 
of this great man. Completing the tour of the museum, we 
continued on to the site of Lincoln's tomb and memorial. 

   The setting was elegant, surrounded by beautiful trees and a 
well-kept parade ground. We admired the exterior of the tomb and 
then entered. At first sight we were dismayed by the terrible 
condition of the rotunda area. The ceiling was rapidly 
disintegrating, and it appeared that nothing was being done to 
restore it. 

    Our first impression, however, soon gave way to a feeling of 
reverence as we passed into the rear chapel where Lincoln's 
remains were entombed. I suddenly felt a sense of extreme calm 
and serenity as I realized I was in the presence of a man I had 
always felt was the greatest president ever to bless America. 

    At the tomb's exit, we noted that every Tuesday evening a 
"retreat parade" was held on the ground in front of the memorial. 
The troops and ceremony are always held in the dress and manner 
of Lincoln's time. We decided to attend, praying that the rain 
which had threatened all day would not cancel the ceremony. 

   We returned to the memorial about an hour before the 
activities began in order to find a good parking spot, visit the 
tomb once more, observe the participants as they assembled, and 
watch young ladies in colorful period costumes greet the arriving 
visitors. 

   When I entered the rotunda of the tomb that evening, I was 
astounded by the transformation which had taken place. Two 
artisans balanced on scaffolds were affixing silver leaf to the 
ceiling which had been in such disrepair only that morning. The 
completed sections seemed to call out "we're here to honor a 
great man and enhance the beauty of his memory." 

   I made several more trips to the tomb and talked to the 
workmen plying their skill with the silver leaf. I also spoke 
with the woman in charge of the ceremonies to learn more about 
the organization which was maintaining and restoring Lincoln's 
memory and artifacts. 

   The ladies in their period dresses then passed through the 
group of people, asking us to sign our names for the guest 
records. The retreat ceremony began promptly at 7:00 PM with the 
members of the 114th Infantry Regiment, dressed in the uniforms 
of the period, standing in review. 

    My wife and I stood near the upper part of the parade ground. 
Next to us was a couple with a small girl and boy. Before the 
review began, the Captain of the Guard came over to the children 
and asked them to accompany him. First trepidation, then delight 
registered on their young faces as they followed their guide 
through the formal review of the troops. 

    The ceremonies proceeded in the best military tradition and 
when the review was completed, the U.S. flag which had flown over 
Lincoln's tomb that week was lowered, folded into the coxcomb, 
and solemnly handed to the mistress of the ceremonies. After she 
received the flag, she stepped forward and thanked everyone for 
attending. She continued, saying it was customary to present that 
particular flag to a person or persons who, in the opinion of the 
participating troops and personnel, would revere and honor it. 

    "Tonight," she said, "this flag will be presented to Mr. and 
Mrs. Curt Perdelwitz from St. Petersburg, Florida." 

    With shaking knees and eyes brimming with tears, my wife and 
I stepped forward to receive this priceless gift. For us, it was 
a moment when time froze. How they chose us and knew our names, 
we can only guess. However they did it, we will never forget this 
honor. When we raise Lincoln's flag every morning, we remember 
that summer in 1986, when we traversed the United States and 
Canada, and received from total strangers a gift symbolizing our 
great country and a noble American! 


-----

Curt W. Perdelwitz travels extensively with his wife, Rita, and 
they enjoy giving travel talks to Masonic and other groups. Bro 
Perdelwitz is a member of the Tampa Consistory Scottish Rite 
Guard and is active on a Shrine Children's Hospital Committee in 
Tampa. He retired with the rank of Chief Master Sergeant from the 
U.S. Air Force in 1962. 

