Show Last GAR Commander Dies Only Nine Buddies Left VANCOUVER Wash The The last commander in chief of the Grand Army of the Republic Theodore A. A Penland died recently of a aheart aheart aheart heart attack tack a His death leaves only nine GAR survivors In the Civil War he served as a private in the Indiana Volun Volun- Volunteers Volunteers Volunteers with the Army of the Potomac ac His father and three brothers served in the Union Army His father was killed in the second bat bat- battle battle battle tle tle- of Bull Bun Run Penland was vas elected commander in chief of the GAR at ae the 1948 con con- convention convention at Lansing Mich At that time he said Im going back to Indianapolis Indian polis next nt year to close up the last en en- We held our first one there Most of the boys are pretty old and tired They cant can't take it any more Some of his buddies frail but still stubborn tried to talk him into holding just one more encampment encamp encamp- encampment ment but Penland held firm He admitted that he wanted to be known as the last commander in chief of the GAR |