—
MERICAN DEAD AT REST IN FRANCE
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A field of crosses marking the graves of American boys who fell while fighting in France. Memorial day will
always be celebrated in the Belleau Wood cemetery—-where the memory of the brave boys is kept green with
flowers and flags.
/Beautiful Spots
in Which Repose
|
There is no fairer spot on all the
‘hard-fought battle line in France than
that northern slope of Belleau wood
where still rest the bodies of many
brave Americans.
There are plenty of other spots In
‘France that Americans will always
visit and revisit. The great cemeteries
‘of Romagne and Suresnes are poign-
ant beyond words. The glory of
Belleau wood is that here, by the side
of our hallowed dead, stands as a
natural monument to American valor
that jungle of stone, tree and brush
through which our troops grimly
fought their way in one of their first
and most critical engagements of the
great war.
Our men fought as brilliantly, as
doggedly, in the Argonne and at a
score of points. Here at Belleau
wood lies a spot that can stand for all,
close by the highroad from Paris to
Chateau-Thierry, not far from the
Marne, and amid a scene of peace and
beauty worthy of its precious and im-
mortal burden,
Beautiful Burial Place.
The eight cemeteries in Europe, in
which are 30,000 American soldier
dead, are maintained so splendidly
that they are models for the other na-
tions that participated in the World
war. The French secretary of war
recently told Celonel Rethers, in
charge of the graves registration serv-
ice in Europe, that the American ceme-
tery at Romagne was the most im-
pressive one he had ever seen. The
American government has done all In
its power to make the burial places
beautiful.
Six are in France, one is in Bel-
gium and the other is in England.
Most of the French plots were se-
lected to commemorate: the battles
fought in the vicinities. The ceme-
tery at Romagne represents the Ar-
gonne fighting, the one at Thiacourt
the battle of St. Mihiel. There is one
at Belleau wood, significant of the
action there; one at Nesles, about 25
miles north of Chateau-Thierry; one
at Suresnes, near Paris, in which are
buried those who died in the hospi-
tals around Paris, and one at Bony,
in which are the dead of the Twenty-
of 8
“American Soldiers |
seventh and Thirtieth divisions, which
fought with the English.
The Flanders Field cemetery, in
soythern Belgium, contains the bodies
Americans who fought with the
English in Belgium. The eighth of the
cemeteries is in Brookwood, England,
containing the bodies of 435 Americans
who died in the British isles.
Cemetery at Romagne.
The cemetery at Romagne contains
the largest number of bodies, 13,977.
‘It covers 130 acres.
The next largest
is at Nesles, which covers 48 acres and
contains the bodies of 6,033. In all
there are 30,511 American soldiers,
sailors and marines buried in Europe.
Of this number only 1,600 or about
2 per cent, are unknown dead. The
number of unknown dead was reduced
by 200 during the year. It is possible
others of the dead will be identified
as investigations proceed, Every effort
is being made to gain new identifica-
tions. Descriptions taken at the time
of burial are being checked up with
descriptions obtained from army pa-
pers and from relatives of those who
fell. The work is slow and tedious,
hut is hrincine some results.
Except here vnknown dead are
being identified no more bodies orn
heing returned to the United States.
The War department feels that if per-
mission for the return of bodies were
to continue the cemeteries would be in
a constant upheaval and their beauty
would be marred. But it is only fair
to the relatives of soldiers newly iden-
tified that they be given the oppor-
tunity of having the bodies returned.
Few American Dead “Unknown.”
In comparison with that of the other
armies in the World war the number
of American unknown dead is small.
About 2 per cent of American dead are
“unknowns,” The French and British
proportion is about 30 per cent.
In the American army the soldiers
were required to wear two identifica-
tion tags, one on a string around the
neck and the other on the wrist. Most
of the men wore the tags, but here
and there were men who did not. The
men in the British and French armies
were much more lax in this regard
than were the Americans.
The army bill carries an appropria-
tion for the maintenance of the Amer-
ican cemeteries in Europe. Approxi-
mately 150 men are employed in the
work. Nine are American army offi-
cers and the others, except for an
army sergeant in charge of motor
Toc the Torchbearers
Once more we'll do them honor,
Again we'll sing their praise—
These brave who scorned life’s pleasures
And lived laborious days.
At last they know the answer
Men find who die to save—
The soldier's path of glory
Doth not end at the gravel
The path continues onward
Beyond the gates of dawn; 4
The Great Adventure leads them
Into a newer morn.
They follow it with ardor
Beyond the Day Star's gleam,
And in the cosmic twilight
They find the Fields of Dream,
Weep not for these knights errant
Who bravely went to roam, ;
For they are all together fz
Safe in the Port.of Home,
To us the loss is bitter,
' But theirs is greater gain;
They have outsoared earth's shadows
Of envy, hate and pain.
We bare our heads in homage,
In reverence bend thg knee, #
For those who fought the fight
That all men might be free.
And while spring zephyrs murmur
Of sacrifice sublime,
We deck their mounds with laurels
Each year in flac time.
—John H. McGough, in the New York
Times.
ALD
Sleep, soldier, sleep, beneath the flag
Your valor has maintained;
Yours is an honor little guessed
Upon that bygone day
When with a lightly beating heart
Allegiance you proclaimed
To every star and every bar,
And proudly marched away.
om EE
The thousands wait in foreign lands,
A white cross at each head,
And wild blooms are the only flowers
These fallen ones may know;
But destiny has brought you home
To represent each bed
Wherein a silent sleeper rests—
There where the poppies grow.
mom =
Man has but one sweet life to live,
But one brave death to die,
And millions pass the portals through
Whose lives have been no gain;
But you are like a privileged son,
Accorded honors high,
Your nation bows in homage true,
And chants your lordly fame.
Mm EE Ea
Sleep, soldier, sleep! Your splendid death
Holds portent for the years,
And men meet men beside your bier
With visions in their eyes.
. What value has life’s fleeting breath,
Beside a nation’s fears?
Yours is the victory of the great—
Inspiring sacrifice?
= Em EE
Sleep, soldier, in your narrow bed,
Your nation’s flag unfurled above;
While praise of you is ever sped
The world around, in love.
—Portland Oregonian.
‘3.
transportation, are civilians. A cen-
tral office is maintained in Paris.
Difficulty has been experienced in
getting grass to grow In some of the
cemeteries. It is evident that sprink-
{ing systems wil have to be installed.
At Romagne it was necessary to plant
grass six times. To make the ceme-
iery presentable for the large number
of American visitors the expedient of
planting rye was resorted to tempo-
rarily.
In the French cemeteries the bodies
wre buried in Individual graves, with
just mounds over them without grass.
But the French intend to adopt the
American idea of a beautiful lawn
effect.
Blue Line Is Thinning.
A pitifully small group of men, ali
weighed down with the burden of
rears, remains to bear visible testi-
mony of the struggle between North
ind South. On Memorial day a few
f them, devoted to the memory of
their comrades, will enjoy places of
gonor in the thousands of parades
which will mark the memorial observ-
ances throughout the nation. Nexi
vear they will be fewer. And In a
tew years there will be none.
American cemetery at Suresnes, outside Paris, where
TUT NONGHBOYS WHO NEVER CAME BACK
with the Stars and Stripes to keep guard above them.
1,497 soldiers of the A. E, F. lie buried on French soil,
Day Recognized as
Belonging to All
Who Served Nation
Memorial day is generally observed
throughout the world this year, due in
large part to the efforts of the Ameri-
can Legion, according to the following
announcement made at Legion head-
quarters at Indianapolis:
“Originally designated by the Union
veterans of the Civil war as a particu-
lar decoration day for their fallen com-
rades, May 30 gradually has become a
day set apart in memory of »'l Amer-
fcans who died for their cou. vy. Al-
though it has long been the custom
of many southern states to observe a
memorial holiday of their own on
April 26, the tendency to a uniform
observance has been apparent since
the World war. The Legion, composed
of both the North and the South, of-
ficially adopted May 80 as its Memorial
day and posts of the World war men
on both sides of the Mason-Dixon line
have, for the last three years, simul-
taneously honored the dead of the
Civil, Spanish-American and World
wars.
May 30 International Holiday.
“When the Inter-Allied Veterans’
federation, made up of World war
veterans of France, England and Can-
ada, Italy and the others of the allied
nations and of which the Legion is a
member, adopted the Legion's date for
the observance of rites for the dead,
May 30 became an international holi-
day, comparable only in universal ob-
gservance to Christmas. In the years
to come it will be observed by Legion
posts and allied veterans’ organiza-
tions in the following countries other
than the United States: Canada, Bel-
glum, France, Poland, Turkey, Mexico,
Argentina, Brazil, British Isles, Chile,
China, Cuba, Guatemala, Japan, Peru,
Porto Rico, Portugese West Africa,
Santo Domingo, Spanish Honduras,
ritory of Alaska.
“As it did last year and the year
before, the Legion will decorate and
hold appropriate exercises over the
grave of every American who sleeps
on foreign soil, as well as thus hon-
| oring the graves of American and al-
| led veterans who are buried in the
|
India, Venezuela and the Canal Zone, |
Hawaii, Philippine islands and the ter- |
cemeteries of this country. Legion
posts in France, Belgium, Poland and
Turkey will visit old battlefields and
adjacent cemeteries.
Huge Task Completed.
“The United States graves registra-
tion service has completed its huge
task of returning to this country the
bodies of 42.023 of the A. E. F. who
died overseas, but 30,000 Americans
still remain permanently buried in
cemeteries of the allied nations.
“To finance the Memorial day dec-
oration of graves overseas, each of the
Legion's 11,000 posts was asked to sub-
gcribe an amount equal to five cents
for each of its members. A central
committee of the Legion in France will
receive the funds from this country
and have charge of decorating the in-
dividual graves.
“Several months before Memorial
day Hanford MacNider, national com-
mander of the Legion, sent each post
a request that exercises this year be
made as personal as possible. ‘With
this end in view, Mr. MacNider
wrote, ‘the Legion is ready to make
special efforts to aid relatives and
friends who think on Memorial day
not so much of the whole army of the
dead as they will of some one youth
who went forth to fight and did not
come back.’
All Veterans to Be Honored.
“Gold star parents, desiring that
especial attention be paid to the
graves of their departed, requesting a
certain type of floral decoration or
religious ceremony, were asked to
communicate their wishes to the or-
ganization’s national headquarters,
EMORIAL days will come
and with the passing
years History will narrate
their observances. But far
above and beyond the pagean-
try of these glorious days are
the scrolls of eternal truth; the
history which men’s ideals
write, the spiritual architecture
which makes a nation great.
Therein lies the deeper mean-
ing of the day. And the fade-
less beauty of Old Glory can
only be surpassed by the re-
sponse to the echoes of the far-
sounding prophecies which it
awakens.
NII IIB EI INN IN 0
PAGEL LAPIS INNIS
|
from which they were relayed to the
legion post nearest the place of burial.
“The Legion will not confine its ex-
ercises and decorations to the memory
of World war heroes alone. The
graves of all veter.ns of all American
wars will be visited and decorated and
fittingly honored. Last year the or-
ganization requested its posts and units
of the Legion auxiliary to seek out, in
each community, graves of all Amer-
ican soldier and sailor dead and to
prepare charts showing where such
graves were located and how they
could be reached. The efforts of the
World war men have resulted in many
graves of Civil war veterans being res-
cued from obscurity and the graves of
several veterans of 1812, long since
forgotten, have been found and re-
stored.
Bodies Abroad Cared For.
“A similar plan of keeping a close
and honored watch on graves of
Americans buried overseas has been
evolved. There will be in France four
principal cemeteries wherein men of
the A. BE. F. will sleep forever. At
present a special fine arts commission
is working on the project which will
entail, for the collection of bodies and
the beautification of cemeteries, an
expenditure of more than $1,000,000.
These fields of honor will be located
at Belleau Wood, near Chateau-
Thierry; Bony, near St. Quentin;
Suresnes, near Paris, and Romagne, in
the Argonne, near Montfaucon. More
than 500 Americans will remain buried
in England. A gift of land by the
British government allows for the fu-
ture decoration and care of these
graves. Under plans already advanced
a little cemetery for those Americans
who died in England, Ireland, Scotland
and Wales will be located at Brook-
wood, Surrey, England.
“This year still fewer of the proud,
white-haired old heroes of "61-65 will
bear their colors and their flowers to
the sacred ground where their com-
rades are in eternal bivouac. Last
year the thinning ranks were filied
with sturdy, tanned youngsters in
their army drabs and navy blues who
were honored to march at the side of
the veteran patriarchs on their holy
mission. The present Memorial day
finds the hosts of Grant and Lee all
but dissipated and as the youths of
the World war strive for the honored
‘files of the vanished procession, the
day takes on a new significance.”