Edward Justus Parker, who looks like a freshly shaven Santa Claus, was having the time of his long life last week. Parker was retiring as National Commander of the Salvation Army, in which he had served for 58 years (longest service of any living Army officer). He found that retiring was a job that kept him busier than routine Army work.
At Janesville, Wis., the 74-year-old veteran re-enacted his first Salvation Army meeting, recalled with a chuckle that on his first appearance the local paper reported that "the cornet player [Commissioner Parker] was terrible."...
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