Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-02-11
OLD THIRD IOWA
GETS D. A. R. FLAG
SERGEANT MAJOR BALL DE-
ScRlBES PRESENTATION OF
REGIMENTAL cOLoRS.
CEREMONY IN SHADOW
OF ANCIENT CHATEAU
Made on New Years Day
Flag Emhlematic Of History-OHt-
GERS Of Regiment Speah-NatIonal
Colors Not Yet Eeceived-D. A. r.
Flag TO Have Prominent Place.

Des Motnes, Feb. 1.-THE story OF
the presentation o. The Fighting
Third Iowa's" new regimental colors,
the git Of the iowa chapter OF the D.
y. r. to ColoaeI Benefits men with
the Rainbow division IN France, is :old
in a better from Battalion Sergeant
John W. Ball Des MONIES newspaper
man, now with the rcg.lnent.
The presentation Was made on Ne"
Years day IN the shadow OF the Old
French chateau that Colonel Bennett
used as his headquarters Serg eaHt
Major Pail also gives an interesting
description Of the headquarters ste o!
the Iowa regiment.
His letter IS as follows
France, New Years Day.
Another holiday in France Il seems
that pick the holidays TO write 10
You, but they are the days when l get
the best opportunity Cor writing ana
also seem 10 be the days when tA!ngs
OF interest happen.
This morning the One Hundred and
Sixty eighth was presented with the
Hawkeye regiments by the Iowa chap
ter OF the Daughters Of the American
Revolution. The presentation was al
a meeting OF the officers called for that
purpose by Col. Ernest r. Bennett. II
was rather a romantic occasion, an
Iowa regiment receiving its banner IN
a snug little town in France In the
dead OF q winter Of war, but then
romantic things 10 this regiment have
become 80 commonplace as 10 be con-
sidcred quite the proper thing n every
day events.
You perhaps know the story Of the
flag being lost and the worry and cis-
appointment over its not arriving be-
fore we left Camp Mills. But apparent
~ It was destined chat the One Hun
ored and Sixty eighth should not ret
the colors until the most fitting time
and the most appropriate place was
reached. And it developed that the loss
was really a gain.
A Fitting Place.
What could be more lifting than that
an American regiment should get It's
colors, the gift OF the Daughters OF
the American Revolution. IN a land
which 14O years ago was !ts ally IN It's
fight for the rights OF mankind; in
land where It IS now fighting with its
ALI; OF former days IN the same cause
for which the ancestors OF thossDaugh-
ters Of the American Revolution and
the ancestors OF these wonderful French
fought more than a century ago?
The flag itself is enblematto Of his
| tory and Ideals that bind the two ma :
tons. Its design goes back to the early
history Of Iowa when our state was
French territory; part Of the Louis
| lana purchase. Its background Is CT
blue, white and red stripes Is the same
arrangement as the French co!ors OF
today. The white stripe Is third
broader than the French banner and
makes field on which ID painted the
upper part Of the Iowa state seal--the
soaring eagle IN natural eolors holding
IN its beak streaming blue ribbon on
q hich Is written in rubr.cs OF white the
| states glorious motto: Our Liberties
we prize and our rights we will main
tain"
Beneath this design, in letters o,
red and gold, IS Iowa" the sym oolis n
| being that the Iowa solder will write
| in letters OF blood upon the white page
Of history his deteTntn alton to upaolc
and defend the ideals represented b
the flag and the wonderful state motto
Arrived Before Sailing.
The flag arrived just before we sail
ed but not in time for the presenta'
tdon to take place before we left the
states, 50 happily the occasion wa:
postponed until we reached what II
! pleases the home folks to cali love!
there" We're over there now, anc
this morning the officers were notified
| py the colonel to be present at regi'
mental headquarters at 8 o'clock.
| The presentation OF the flag to tbs
| regiment was made by Maj. Emory c
Worthin gton, a son Of the America:
revolution. On behalf OF the D. \. K
the flag was formally presented to th'
| colonel, who made short speech O
acceptance on behalf Of the regiment
! IN his talk the colonel addressed tht
new officers Of the regiment who have
joined II since leaving Iowa.
The One Hundred and Sixty eight
! Is the only purely volunteer tnfantr.