Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1905-09-02
SOME OF THE UNREC0GNiZED
HEROES.

try Invaluable service during the great
war have been given the recognition their
sacrifices, hard work. heroism and 10y
atty entitle them to-"
This remark was made by a soldier of
long service. When requested to emu
merate some of the classes he had in
mind he readily complied.
"In the first place, there are classes
that from one cause or another have
failed to organize. Organization, in these
DAYS, seems to be necessity. One of
the types of men who dill the nation
service none of us should forget or ever
fail to appreciate, are the army telegra-
pliers. They organized, but through mod
esty or lack of proper machinery in the
organizat ton they have not been able to
bring to bear influence which in modern
times is required before recognition
comes Their services were as necessary
as that of the men in the ranks. They
encountered innumerable obstacles; they
frequently were placed in positions of
great danger; they helped to win battles.
Many of them were killed. others were
made prisoners. and still others returned
to their homes broken in health There
are few, if any, men in the Civil war who
more richly earned the right to pensions,
III cases of lost health or wounds. They
have received no benefits. As a member
of the Grand Army of the Republic and
Loyal Legion | would be very proud to
receive into membership in those organi-
cations any of the war telegraphers who
stood right up to the rack and did their
duty in those four troublesome years:
ard | am really sorry that the rules and
regulations of these two soldier organi-
cations were not so formed that worthy
men who were army telegraphers could
be made members. They were bright.
intelligent, we'll informed class of men,
and as | have already said, deserve more
recognition at the hands of the govern
ment that they so faithfully and bravely
served in its days of greatest trial
There were hundreds of war CORE
spondents, and many of them the most
capable, bright-minded, enterprising men
employed on the papers they represented
These men, with few exceptions, were
the steadfast friends of the country, of
the army and the men who commanded
the army. And they were brave men.
too; they had to be brave men to per-
form their duty to the publishers who
stances war correspondents were among
the most efficient aides and messengers
the general officers had in time of battle.
A considerable number of this class lost
their lives, others were wounded and
some of them imprisoned. If they have
ever organized | know nothing about it.
At all events, they are passing away I'M
recognized, when, in fact, they should
M ha he
had a part in the mighty struggles of
the COS What splendid fellows they
would be at the banquets of the post and
legion, and at department and national
encampments. Those men who saw so
much and were a part of so many of our
great campaigns could give us chapters
the equal of those given by any of our
soldiers or their officers. | have ALWAYS
regretted that we could not accept into
our soldier organizations this splendid
class of brilliant. high minded, patriotic
men. They have long lacked recognition.
Long ago there should have been pro-
vision whereby all worthy men who act
ed as war correspondents, who wrote the
most interesting chapters of history that
the soldiers made in those trying times,
should be with us in membership, having
that we have
There are hundreds yes. many hun
dreds of men who commanded transports
or rivers, oceans and lakes throughout
those years of war. who performed duties
that were necessary to the success of the
campaigns and the great cause, and vet
who hears anything about them now
adays? Why, every one of those men
won the right to recognition as war serv-
ants which would place them with those
who put on uniforms, shouldt ed muskets
and buckled on swords. They had all
sorts of hardships, they encountered
nearly all kinds of danger. they made
many sacrifices, but they have not been
recognized. : believe that every one of
| those transport commanders who did his
| DUTY, and who was injured. or lost his
| health earned Il pension from his GOV
| eminent as much as if he had been shot
| IN battle or had lost his health in camp.
! but no provision was ever made for them.
II they ever organize |, they never made
| themselves heard or felt. and they. too.
are passing away without that recogni-
/ ton which they certainly earned.
! Prom the standpoint of service II,
country, from the standpoint of common
/ fairness, all of these men earned the right
to membership in the army organiza-
/ tiuns
And there are others. We often re.
call the courage, fortitude, the splendid
manhood of the engineers on the mill
tary railroads, not to mention other
trainmen. Thousands of trains loaded
with soldiers, or provisions for soldiers,
or war equipment, were courageousv en-.
| gineered through sections of the south
where not mile was made without dan
ger of less of life. but there is not case
on record where one of these brave, pa.
trlotic lren hesitated to go. no matter
| now great the danger or how little chance
Of reaching the point of destination.
What man who served as officer or SOL
der will say that he would not rather
20 into battle like Shiloh. Chiekamau