Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1918-01-16
AMERICAN HEROES.

SOldlefS OF our great country in the
years gone by--dcServcd tributes
paid by living comrades to those
with whom they fought side by side;
or maybe glowing cncomiums by or
ators Of fewer years upon tho valor
OF their forefathers. These all have
their place, and few loyal Americans
tire OF hearing tho praises Of our
soldiers sunT and their valor eX-
t0llcd. All these things have their
place in the great work OF perpctu-
a:;nG love os country, loyalty 80
principle. inspiring patriotic zeal
and national pride. We would de-
tract not one iota from the import
anrc OF expression OF sentiments Of
this kind by our own people, young
or old, in honor OF those who gave
their lives in defense OF country and
principle; they all have their place
i'll the making our our great country
and in the maintaining OF it as Il ma
ton upon whose honor no great blot
or stain has ever or will ever come
And yet, to our mind, there could be
nothing more inspiring than the
tribute paid recently to three pri-
Yates in the United States army now
fighting in France by an unnamed Of
ficer Of the French army who spokc
at the graves Of these men as their
bodies were laid to rest in foreign,
vet friendly, soil. The tribute paid
Inv hi.
worthy or preservation, and it should
be remembered by us when we think
of our boys in Europe fighting for
the same principles for which our
forcfathers fought. Read what this
veteran French officer had to say in
his beautiful tribute to three of our
private soldiers who fell on French
soil for world-freedom and justice
aud right:
"ln the name OF the til diris-
'on, in the name OF the French army
and in the name Of France, bid
farewell to Private lGnright, Private
Gresham and Private Hay OF the
American army.
left prosperous and happy county
10 come over here. They knew war
was continuing in Europe; they
knew that the forces fgthing for
honor, love OF justice and civiliza-
tion were still checked by the long
prepared forces serving the powers
OF brutal domination, oppression and
barbarity.
They ignored nothing OF the cir
cumstances and nothing had beun
concealed from them--~.neither the
length and hardships Of war nor the
violence Of battle. nor the dreAdt =
ness or new weapons, nor the Deriidy |
or the foe. Nothing stopped them. |
They accepted the hard and strcnu-
Gus life: they crossed the ocean at
great peril they took their places |
on the front by our side and they
have fallen facing tho foe in hard |
and desperate hand-to-hand fight
, Honor to them. Their families, |
friends and fellow citizens will be |
proud when they learn OF thpir |
deaths.
"Men! These graves. the first to |
be dug in our national soil and only |
n short distance from the enemy. are |
rs a mark OF the mighty land we and |
our allies firmly cling to in the com
mon task, confirming the will of the |
people and the army OF the United |
States to fight with us to Il finish
ready to sacrifice rs long as is neccs-
sary until final victory for the most
notable OF causes, that OF the liberty
Of nations, the weak as v ell as the
mighty.
'"Thus the deaths OF these humble
soldiers appeal to us with cXtraordi-
nary grandeur.
1--WE will therefore ask that the
be left here, left with us forever. We
inscrihc on the tombs. Here lie the
first soldiers OF the Republic OF the
United States to fall on the soil of
France for liberty and justice" The
passerby will stop and uncover his
head. travellers and men OF heart
will go out Of their way to come here
to pay their respective tributes.
"Private Enright! Private Gres-
ham! Private Hay! In the name Of
France I thank you. God receive
your souls. Farewell!"