The Redwood gazette., 1918-04-24
Service Flag
Dedicated FRIDAY
HIGH SCHOOL HONORS ALUMNI
NOW WITH COLORS AT I'M
PRESSIVE SERVICE

| at the high school last Friday morn
ing when service flag bearing forty
five stars was dedicated. These stars
represented the boys who are now
with the colors who have been grad
uated from the school since 1900 and
also the five boys who are not grad
yates who have joined the military
or naval service within the last two
years.
The program opened with the sing
ing of America by the school, This
was followed by the singing of "Gray
Days" by Louis Yackel and Glenn
Lukens. AS an encore the young
men sang "Keep The Home Fires
Burning" and it was during the sing
ing of this song that the service flag
was lowered from the skylight, and
swung over the assembly room.
Then followed short and very inn
pressive talk by A. D. Stewart. The
Girls Chorus then sang two selec-
tions, the orchestra played very beau
! tifully and the program closed with
the singing of The Star Spangled
Banner.
Mr.. Stewart Talks.
Occasions like this give US an op-
portuni:y to express the best senti-
ments known to the human heart.
To many of us this hour is sacred.
In the solemn hush of this assembly
we sense Gods presence and hear
Him saying to US, "the place where
on thou standest is holy ground"
We are here to remember our sons
and brothers who were so recently
among US as members of the stu
dent body of this educational insti-
tuition and are now doing military
duty under the stars and stripes. It
is well for US to meet here this morn
ing as relatives and friends of that
heroic company of young men; in this
room where they spent so many hap
py hours; to learn the meaning and
significance of this dedicatory SER
vice and to be inspired and strength
ened by the great lessons which it
imparts.
The stars on this flag represent
our boys just as they were to us
through the various phases of their
development from the tender period
of infancy to stalwart manhood, to
the hour when they donned the khaki
to join the colors. The red on the
border of yonder flag speaks to US
of the sacrifice of all that life meant
and held for them in order that they
might defend and protect the purity
and righteousness of those principles
of liberty and democracy which the
white of the central field of this
beautiful emblem reflects.
1t was not easy for US to see our
boys go out from among us, but we
were all glad that they were willing
to go SO cheerfully with such brave
and manly hearts. In the hour of
their departure all of us were justi-
fed in smiling proudly through tears.
All of the varied circumstances
and incidents connected with the ini-
tiation of the boys into the service
of their country are precious to US.
They dilate as we love to dwell up
on them and they speak to US as
with the voices of an immortal song.
Who of us would care to forget the
vision of our son or brother, just as
he looked on that day when he left
the old scenes of his infancy, old as
sociations around which his boyhood
clustered, the old home hallowed by
the influence of a fathers admoni-
tions, sisters kiss, a mothers pray
er to into an environment new and
strange to him where danger stalks
and utter loneliess are ever present
companions.
Associate with his vision are high,
holy, beautiful things which come
thronging to our memory or play up
on the fbers of the heart during the
busy hours of the day or in the sill
ent watches of the night and in the
midst of our great sorrow we expert
ence calm delight.
This beautiful, impressive service
has for US it's lessons. 1t is we'll for
US to reverse the past, but we live
in the stirring present. This war will
not be won in the trenches alone. 1t
will be won by fidelity to duty in
the work shops, in the agricultural
fields in the Office, in the school room
by appropriating the sentiments and
feelings which the influence of this
hour suggest which will enable US
to mobilize our resources of purse,
mind, hand and heart to secure the
triumph of great cause.
/ cannot tell you when we shall
see our sons and brothers again.
God grant that it may be soon. But
it will not be until their work is ac-
complished. Having put his hand to
the plow Uncle Sam must follow it
to the end of the furrow. This war
will not end until the ideals which
the kaiser represents are utterly
crushed, not until the world has been
made safe for democracy, not until
the basis for a lasting international
peace is laid broadly and deeply
which will usher in that glad day
of which Tennyson sang: "When the
war drum throbs no longer and the
battle flag is furled in the parliment
of men-the federation of the world
When the common sense of most
shall hold the fretful realm in awe
and the kindly earth shall slumber
wrapped in universal law"
l