New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-28
Address to Officers
Only Ceremony When
Marines Left for War
Departure of Men to JOIN
Pershing as Calm as an
Ordinary Parade

When regiment of United States
marines commanded by Colonel Charles
A. Doyen departed for France from an
Atlantic port. the only ceremony at
tending the leave taking was a brief
specch bv Major General George Bar
nett. commandaut Of the Marine Corps,
20 the officers Of the field and stan
az the overseas regiment and TO the
company officers.
No colors were unfurled. No re-
polters or press photographers were
nresont; 40 drums or buCics soundec'
The regimental bandsmen went TO war
with their instruments cased ana WIN
rifles over their shoulders. ON me
paradc grounds a sailor baseball nine
from one of the battleships was prac-
ticinr. The marines slipped away so
quietly that the ball players dld not
know until afterward that they had
missed seeing the departure OF the
men. bound for the battle front.
Liued Up for Pictures
At 2:3O o'clock in the afternoon, OF
lie departure the baseball players had
the parade ground all TO themselves.
and no one was IN sight or the stree.
IN front &C the home OF the post com
mandcr Of marines but small boy IN
rompers. playing with fox terrier. a
few seconds later the head OF a column
of soldiers Of the sea IN KHAKI ana IN
heavy marching order swung into the
bricE paved street in front of the post
commander'- house. stepping along so
briskly th:t the sound Of their shoes
uDon the pavement was more Ike
crackle than tread
The major general commandant ana
n little group OF other oihcers IRON,
Headquarters took up posts on the turf
of the parkway beside the curb. ser
gennt OF marines in khaki came trotting
across the parade ground, set up q mo-
ton picture camera and began 20 crank.
Another scrgeant was swapping stills
as the column came 10 a halt and faced
bout toward the group Of officers.
Commandant Addresses Officers
The company officers of the battalion
etepped out in front Of Major General
Barnett and saluted. For half min
ute the corps commandant addressed
them. lie spoke IN an everyday con
versational tone which could not be
heard d dozen yards away, and his mes
sage was simply that he trusted that
the marines VINO were StLttub out Oiao
day to fight under General Pershing
would stanchly uphold the high tradi-
tons Of the corps.
The officers saluted and marched
back to their places. The battalion
stood at rigid attention for a moment.
Then. with a snap, rifles jumped to
shoulders, squads swung into column
formation. and the line. passed swiftly
or down the street 10 the gate Of the
navy yard.
No cheering crowd greeted the men
as they emerged al tho gateway; and
only a handful Of civilians saw them
board train Of day coaches for a near
by port. The sun-browned fighting
men, all veterans Of campaigning in
Hayti and Ssnto Domingo, waved their
campaign hats from the windows as
the train pulled out, but neither they
nor their friends INDUCED in any
cheering. The regimental mascot,
small black goat, stuck his head out o.
window and looked around with milo
curiosity but maintained his dignit!
like a veteran.
The departure OF this first battalion
had not stirred the least ripple OF eX