The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1918-06-14
Letters From England In Tribute
TOLieut. Clarence Fry Of Columbia

his final resting place today, and you
will, | am sure, have heard from other
sources how he was accorded as much
honor as is possible for the living to
give the dead. Gently the hands OF
loving colleagues performed the last
of all rites and never was this done
with greater affection and sincerity.
Some day, when this mad horror of
the war no longer overshadows the
world, you may feel desire to visit
this district, although in these times
humans can no longer be regarded as
landmarks, | should deem 1t great
personal favor IL you would endeavor
to get in touch with me, should you
ever come to England.
Time is great healer, we are told,
and no doubt this bitterness (for do
feel intensely bitter at the sheer
waste of such a young life) will pass,
but my wife and will retain in all it's
present greenness all our lives the
memory of a'dear, dear friendship.
| hope, sir, you will read this let
ter in the spirit in which ! have writ
ten. There is no reason in these
things. | wanted to write to you, and
l have done SO, without, | hope, Of
fence. Believe me,
Yours very sincerely,
G. EVART BOWLES.
The letter from William Fry fol-
lows: e
Peaham Hotel, St. Adams.
\ May 13, 1918
My dear Papa &x
think you have received letters
from here before. / am at the same
hotel Clarence and l spent the after
noon about two months ago.
1t was a difficult proposition for me
to get here. III had many handicaps.
But I was determined to come and see
the whole situation for myself and
to do anything that was left undone.
My friends, or rather Clarence's good
friends have been SO good and kind
to me. | feel like this is home to me
because Clarence is buried in the
cemetery of this town. IL there ever
was popular boy he was that boy.
| have been out to his grave. 1t is
simply covered with flowers.
My friends at headquarters in my
office gave me money to buy. a
floral for them, but the grave was SO
filled with flowers that / contracted
withf the scare'taker to put on fresh
flowers later and to Keep the grave in
good condition for a year. After the
first year.I will then contract for a
second year aiso bought q marble
slab, or tombstone, verysssimply but
pretty had written on lit clarence
Horne Fry" United States Air Ser
vice, Columbia, Tenn, died May 4th,
1918, Age "a years"
When get back to headquarters,
will write you in detail from the be-
ginning to the end.
know you will leave 1t to me to
do the best can, and l am doing all
| can. | am satisfied now that CLAIR
ences remains were taken care of in
very satisfactory way 1t is impos-
sible to ship his body home, and !
can see no better way than to give 1t
the best care over here.
We know one thing, that he was
given a beautiful funeral and shown
more honors than any other boy who
ever died for his country in this sec
ton Of England. have felt a
great burden of responsibility rests
upon me both to you and to Clarence
to do all could for loved him with
all my heart but rejoice in the fact
that he was so highly honored and
respected and under the conditions,
was SO well cared for that will go
back to my duties with much more
peace of mind, and l want all of you
to feel the same way.
/ would thousand times rather it
had been myself who died because his
suffering was not as great as yours
or mine, but if it had to be, it had to
be, and l want you to get the same
satisfaction that | am getting that
everything was done for him that
could possibly be done in every way.
: My love to all Of you,
Your devoted son,
WILLIAM