The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1914-05-21
First Dead in Mexican
Var Buried With Honors

persons in New York City joined the
nation Monday in memorializing with
simple dignity the heroism of the 10
bluejackets and marines who gave
their lives at Vera Cruz.
AS the impressive funeral pageant
started on its solemn route from the
Battery to the Brooklyn navy yard, it
was as if the pulse of the city had
temporarily stopped. All business
was suspended, and over the CONNER
cial section of the city there fell rev.
erential hush.
On the stand with the President at
the Brooklyn navy yard were relatives
of the dead sailors and marines-moth-
ers, sisters and wives-but in all the
throng of mourners none seemed more
deeply touched than the man whose
word sent the lads of the navy to fight
for their country's honor at Vera Cruz.
And to the President was left the
privilege of voicing the nations grief
and the nations belief that those who
died in the performance of duty had
done for their country a service not to
be measured by their individual deeds.
''The feeling that is uppermost, !"
he said, ''is one of profound grief, and
yet there is mixed with that grief a
profound pride that they should have
gone as they did, and if may say it
out of my heart, a touch of envy of
those who were permitted so quietly,
so nobly, to do their duty
The head of the nation looked out
over the thousands massed about the
collins on the parade grounds, and his
voice shook with emotion as he de-
clared his creed: "We have gone
down to Mexico" he said, ''to serve
mankind if we can find out a way.
We do not want to fight the Mexicans.
We want to serve them"
There was a wistful note in his
voice as he added:
81 never was under fire, but | fancy
that there are some things just as hare
to do as to go under fire. l fancy that
it is just as hard to do your duty wher
men are sneering at you as when they
are shooting at you. When they shoot
at you they can only take your natura
life; when they sneer at you they car
wound your heart.
From birdseye view the multitude
aligned along the route of the funera
cortege presented the picture of vas
human stream connecting two arms o.
the sea. Muffied voices, soft-spokei
commands by military officers, tn,
melancholy tolling of the Trinit.
church bell, emphasized a hush tina
/ had fallen over a city of noise.
, The dead were landed by the tug
Traffic and Correction early in tn
/ morning and lay in state in the Bat
terry park plaza for more than an hou
, before the procession started. Their
) were II collins. The other two vic
! tins of Mexican snipers honored die
| after the Montana left Vera Cruz wit
Y the bodies of their comrades.
! AS the procession entered City Ha
b plaza, treble voices of 500 childre
rose to meet them. The children san
e Nearer, My God, to Thee.
e Mayor Mitchell briefly eulogized til
e dead and laid upon one of the caissor
d huge wreath symbolizing the city
r appreciation of the service rendered ;
!, Vera Cruz.
e After this brief halt, the cortee
e resumed its measured progress
d Manhattan bridge and over this to I'll
/ navy yard. The quiet restraint tn;
It had characterized the crowds in tt
e business district gave way as the pr
: cession proceeded through the Ea!
y Side and Brooklyn to storms of al
d plause. Here it seemed that the pre-
0 ence of the President eclipsed the gri,
e of the occasion.
: In the naval parade ground less this
10, 600 were able to pack themselv,
h into the enclosure and face the star
n where stood the President with bare
h head. Mayor Mitchell was at his rig
d and Secretary Daniels of the navy
e his left.
n With sharp precision the bluejac
IS cts, their white hats catching the dr
sunlight, drew up into military form
Is tion before the stand. At the san
.e time the II caissons draped with fla,
% and banked with flowers were laid
|, rectly in front of the stand. A m
lie ment later the crowd was permitted
lie enter and Immediately it filled the e
tire field The band of the battlesh
Texas played softly Nearer, My Go
to Thee" and Naval Chaplain Casa
10 began his invocation. In referring
20 the dead heroes, he prayed it wou
Of not be necessary to make further Sc
is rifice on the altar of patriotism.
as Secretary Daniels then turned to t
n President and read the names of the
n men in whose honor the funeral W
L. held and delivered brief eulogy.
In President Wilson stood with he
he bowed. His deeply-lined face show
n the grief and solemnity of the n
n ment. He delivered his eulogy
d. low, clear voice that carried to t
farthest parts of the field. 1t was f
is lowed by prayer by Rabbi Steph
u S. Wise and benediction by DR.. Jo
10 P. Chadwick, chaplain of the old b
i'll tleship Maine.
pit Three volleys fired by the marir
Sc across the consecrated dead, the fiji
ad melody of taps, and the funeral Sc
M ices were completed. They had LAS