Middletown transcript., 1918-11-16
MARKING GRAVES IS
TASK FOR HEROES
MEN IN REGISTRATION SERVICE
work CALMLY UNDER FIRE
ON THE BATTLEFIELD.
COL. PIERCE IS THEIR CHIEF
Av:ators Driven by Storm Land N
Florida Everglades and Are Rescued
by Seminole Indians-Government
Gets Many New Hospitals.

drom Committee on Public 1nformat'on'
| Washington. Announcement from
France that all American dead are u
be returned to this country for per
manent burial adds interest to tht
story of how the graves OF these heroes
are marked and recorded. This WORE
is done by the grave registration serv
ice. which is cooperating with the Ket
Cross in photographing graves ana
when practicable. in distributing THESE
photographs to the families and rela
tives of the dead.
| The graves registration service Is
unit of the quartermaster corps. Each
| unit of this service is composed OF one
captain, one lieutenant and 30 enlisted
men. There are now IA of these units
with the American eXpeditlonarv
forces in France, under command OF
Lieut.. Col. Charles c. Pierce. Colonel
Pierce is a retired chaplain, major
of the regular army. and was pastor
of an Episcopal church in Philadelphia
when the present war began. AS ne
had been in charge of similar work in
the Philippines. he volunteered for
this important task upon the organiz;l-
ton of the graves registration service.
He has been awarded Il promotion for
his Jealous performance of the duties
falling to him.
In IL letter which Lieutenant Colonel
Pierce has written to Maj. H. X. Lem
ly, chief of the cemeterial branch,
quartermaster corps. and which is
quoted in part here. is to be had Il
glimpse of Il work that blends mercy
and herOiSm.
''All that the censors will pass in
the way of news concerning this furl-
GUS drive in the vast triangular arena
between scissors. ChateauThierry and
ReimS has already been given you in
the papers," writes Colonel Pierce.
"But the work that has befallen my
department is one of the unpublished
chapters of history. Suffice it to say
that my men have displayed Il splendid
sort of heroiSm-wOrthy of the red
dest blood stock in the world-and
that have had occasion to recommend
Il number Of them for promotion. and
some Of them for the bestOwal of the
Distinguished Service cross.
"Can you fancy Il lot Of men going
calmly about their duty under burst
ing shells and bombs that excavate a
cellar every time they strike the
ground-going about to minister to the
dead. laying out cemeteries and put
ting up crosses over the graves of their
valOrOus and fallen comrades as fast
as the grenades of hate tear them
down? Then you will know the place
of these brave lads of mine, who worry
when they see me. lest l may have it
in mind to move them to safer place.
And the men who arc going over the
top! All, you will need rapid transit
to keep up with them. For they have
the crusaders spirit and they fill the
gaps Of the fallen and move ON with
Il rush that the Hun cannot under
stand. They will win and
they have no other thought. Often l
have the privilege Of preaching to them
us Il layman; and l give you my word
that ] never looked into such faces be-
fore. Perhaps l have seen as comedy
features, but there is fire in all these
eyes and the light of sublime cOnSe-
Grafton such as the wnrld has never
seen save in the faces of martyrs who
deemed it an honor to die for cause"
The department OF agriculture has
campaign to increase
the use of dehydrated fruits and vege-
tables, which compare favOrably for
ordinary consumption with the fresh
article. AS indicating the need and
value of this campaign. the food adj
calls attention to the fact
that about S.OOO,OO0 pounds Of Irish po-
tatOes were thrown to the dump" in
New York city alone last January, af-
ter having been frosted and then per-
mitted to rot in transit.
The war department has already rec
DgniZed the Importance Of dehytlrated
produce. The army has purchased and
used 14,OOO,O0O pounds Of dehytlruted
foodstuffs, costing about $3,OOOO00, and
IN the last few weeks has placed Or
IlCrS with Canadian and American de-
hydrating plants for more than 10000
WO pounds to be manufactured and de-
lfvered between now and July 1. 1916.
These orders represent about $4,000
300. and include principally potatoes,
onions and Il small supply Of
soup mixtures. There are eight differ
ent vegetables in the soup mixtures.
On single day recently the board
Of review in the office of the quarter
master general approved orders and
contracts aggrcgating $2O,621 .176. |
Among the items purchased were crow
bars. axes, trench mirrors, cloth, mo-
tortrucks, motorcycles, ginger. bacon,
ham, cheese, nails, salmon, flour. ShOv- |
els, butter, hOrseShUeS, tNpewriters,
paint, hay, oats, cinnamon. nutmeg.
sugar, beans, catcllup, evapOrated |
milk, flannel shirts. tomatoes. screw
drivers, wooden wheels, tires. tents,
raZors. baking powder. pencils and
meat saws.
Chauffeur Il. w. EOttriell of the One |
Hundred and Forty-fifth air squadron
made Il successful leap in 4
parachute from an airplane nearly IL
mile high at Kelly field San Antonio.
There was Il strong wind blowing from
the north at the time. but Chauffeur
judged his distance nicely |