Learn About The Anvil Shoot, A 94-Year-Old Veterans Day Tradition In Hamilton
HAMILTON (CBSDFW.COM) – Over the years I have been to a bunch of Veterans Day ceremonies, parades and remembrances, but the one I went to this year has literally blown away all the others.
Today's story took to the town of Hamilton, TX, which is about 100 miles southwest of Fort Worth, where they start the celebration at 5 a.m. I know that sounds early but the reason they start then is because of a 94 year old tradition.
Back in 1918 they got a telegram that World War I had come to an end with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. The only way they knew to tell everyone in town the war was over was to blast off an anvil. The treaty was signed at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, and 11 a.m. in France is 5 a.m. in Texas.
So every year since then they have repeated the tradition and folks from all over the county show up at American Legion Post 222 at 5 a.m. for gun powder and flying anvils. The auxiliary group serves biscuit and gravy and they keep firing off the anvil until everyone who wants to do it has done so or until the gun powder runs out.
This story has been on my calendar since last Nov. 11 when I showed up 12 hours late. I mistakenly thought it was at 5 p.m. and when I got there in the afternoon all the fun was over. So if you plan to join in, make sure to set your alarm clock. It's a small town tradition that is a wonderful thing to be a part of, and now, shooting off an anvil is another thing I can mark off of my bucket list
