MANKATO — It’s not every day you get to ride in a former military cargo truck, but on Monday, Shawn Busse gave kids in the Rapidan Dam area the opportunity to hop on board.
Busse, who is affiliated with the Marine Corps League and Auxiliary Forrest G. James Detachment, acquired the M35 series truck over a decade ago.
He said it came from an Air Force base.
“It was a cargo troop carrier and that’s basically what they were used for,” he said.
“We acquired it at an auction in lower North Mankato about 15 years ago and have just been using it for parades ever since and functions (like this.)”
Busse gave kids a ride around the block Monday as part of the Rapidan Heritage Society’s Memorial Day celebrations.
Emily Busse and Kaiden Huper were among those to get to go for a spin.
“It was very fun. We went quite a bit of places,” she said. “I don’t really see that many trucks like this.”
“It was fun. I haven’t ridden one of those before, so it was a good experience,” Huper added.
While morning rain moved the main ceremony indoors, the rest of the morning’s celebrations in Rapidan went off without a hitch.
David Pongratz, president of the Heritage Society, said this year’s celebrations had some of their biggest turnout yet.
“We’re getting better and better participation, but today it was to honor the veterans and those that have passed. We have three military personnel that were killed in war, so we have flags now this year to represent those three people,” he said.
Pongratz was also remembering an old friend Monday who he said passed away over the weekend.
“I went to school with him. He was Navy. All their family members, boys and girls, all went to the Navy,” he said. “He’ll be missed.”
“There’s still so many people that are going into the military. We appreciate that. Rapidan Township has had good representation in the military over all the years.”
The rain also cleared up just in time for the Friends of the Boy in Blue Civil War Memorial’s ceremony at Lincoln Park.
Soloist Barb Dunker sang the National Anthem before organization President Bryce Stenzel portrayed President Lincoln giving the Gettysburg Address.
Susan Hynes, with Friends of the Boy in Blue and the Daughters of the American Revolution, was among those to participate in the laying of the wreath.
Hynes said it’s important to understand that freedom is based on the men who served.
“But especially on this holiday to remember the men that gave the ultimate sacrifice: their lives,” she said.