Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-04-17
he sadness q % funeral could mar

..to sduIicsS 49, Souiu III"
For today the old regiment of the
Dakotas conducted a military
funeral, The name has by this time
been flashed over the wires to you.
1t was not one of the boys who left
the state with the regiment, but u
poor chap from4-anotner regiment,
who taken sick II ENGLAND, had APP
parently recovered, and suffered a
relapse after having been assigned to
Compony c. He was a soldier of the
United States, Ssand through the
Vaccinations of reorganization as
signed to the regiment. 1t was but
fitting that he be entrusted to the
earth from which he sprung with all
the honors meager as they may be
of "a military funeral.
One could not but be reminded OF
William. Cullen Bryant's T~hanltopsis,
.'Nor could one wish couch more
magnificent. Thou shalt lie down
with kings, the powerful of the earth:
the wise, the good, fair forms and
seers of ages past. all in one mighty
sepulcher. The hills, rock-ribbed
and ancient as the SUI the wales
tween, the venerable woods, rivers
that move in majesty and the COM
planning brooks that make the
meadows green, are solemn lecora-
tons all of the great tomb of man.
Bryant in his youth, when he wrote
the famous classic, could not have
known, could not possibly nave con-
ceived how his description of the
tomb of man could fit the scene of
today.
The First North Dakota hand led
the solemn funeral procession to the
place adjoining the French cemetery.
| which has been set apart as a resting
place for the honorcd dead of
America in this particular section.
Streets of --- were thronged
with natives and soltiers as the cav
alcade wound it's way through the
narrow winding highways, out into
the country to the entrarce of the
cemetery. There was Il large escort
of soldiers and hundreds of others
fell I'M at the ear of the column.
Pas the ruins Of IL wonderfully
fantastic chalet they marched 'to q
place, where, standing as mighty SEN
tinels a, hundred pine trees formed
an arch of green, a perfect hall Of
u to the entrance of the cemetery.
You hav see military funerals.
One need not dwell on how the es-
cort company broke ranks and stood
at attention as six comrades took the
flag drapcd rude box from the motor
van and marched between the col
umns to the grave; the old, old,
funeral services. the firing of last VOL
leys and the blowing of taps.
Twas merely another American
added to the list Of those who have
=, given their all. File did not die on
the field of battle, but is he any the
less to be honored? The boys over
here. and they are the judges, say
NO
Nature is battling at times. Her
wondrous combination dare one to
try and put mere words together to
adequately describe the beauties.
Such a place is this French cemetery.
The individual pine sentinels of the
great e leading toy the cemetery
seem indeed to. he. guards prepared
to aid Mother Earth in protecting
those scntrusted to her care. Moss
inches thick formed a carpet soft
as velvet underfoot. A pair of white
swans floated upon the stream close
at hand. Three of us breathed deep
~; and We're content merely to revel
in That which nature offered. We
lea ned this afternoon what a par
adisc, what d wonderland France
must be in peace tines. and incl
identally itsswas impressed upon. us
why the Frenchmen have been fight
ing and fighting with never a though,
of submission. They have a, wonder.
ful land to. fight for.
1t is not such Il far cry to the kid
days when all of us gathered around
the hearthstonesat home, or snug.