Several thousand people gathered in Shelby Tuesday afternoon for the Armistice Day program held at the County Fairgrounds, and for the official war film shown at the theatre Tuesday evening. The main events of the afternoon program were the sham battle and picturesque incidents of warfare staged at the fairgrounds.
Local business houses closed up for the major part of the afternoon for the occasion and the big racetrack grandstand and rail at the Fairgrounds were packed with people for the events billed. Preliminary parts of the program proved disappointing to some owing to the late arrival of necessities for the event. However, the main performance staged about dusk proved interesting to many. Among the sights witnessed were bursting bombs, flashing rockets and the smoke screen. These were mingled with the rat-a-tat of the machine gun and rifle and the dull explosion of the howitzers and other artillery. The Cleveland Guards were in command of Capt. Peyton McSwain and the howitzer company from Gastonia under the command of Captain Stephen Dolly. The entire affair was under the direction of Capt. J.H. Barbin, militia instructor.
No speaking or address marked the occasion and the entire day was devoid for the most part of the spirit that presented a memory that lingered long on the “Roll of Honor” that leans on an interior wall of the county courthouse. However, their giving made of the day an occasion of celebration, and informally the honors done were to them. Through the efforts of the local post of the American Legion, a large number of flags were displayed in the business section of the town and their furling and lapping in the breeze of the Indian summer day gave the town an appearance of remembrance as well as celebration.
Fine War Picture
Hundreds attended each showing of the war film presented at the Princess Theatre Tuesday evening under the auspices of the American Legion. Entitled “Flashes of Action,” it was by far a leading screen survey of the world’s greatest conflict. Without a running story and smacking none of fiction, it was a resume of true events in connected form and held the eager interest of the “houses.” It began with the transports packed with doughboys, pictured the trip across, and the landing. Then full color was added as the “boys” were packed in box cars and hurried to the front. The camera man who made the pictures of the happenings “on the front” was an artist as well as a dare devil for the thrills and color he gave the audience in his mixed scenes of battle—airplanes, infantry, artillery and machine gun. The return of Pershing, the parade of “Black Jack’s” own First Division concluded the picture. The fact that it was the official film of the war department made the showing one of more interest.
From the front page of The Cleveland Star, Shelby, N.C., Friday, November 15, 1924
“Flashes of Action: Actualities of the World War” is part of the U.S. National Archives and can be seen on YouTube at videos/riverview/relatedvideo?&q="Flashes+of+Action"+official+film+of+World+War+I&qpvt="Flashes+of+Action"+official+film+of+World+War+I&mid=4CE1B636677AEE6DFF1A4CE1B636677AEE6DFF1A&&FORM=VRDGAR
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn97064509/1924-03-25/ed-1/seq-1/#words=November+15%2C+1924
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