New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1918-05-25
SOLDIERS TO HONOR
men KILLED IN WAR
Memorial Day Has New Meaning
For Heroes Under Arms

With the American Army in
France, May "a (By The Associated
Press. 1.-The American dead sleep
ing in the soil of France will receive
homage Of American army on Me-
mortal Day. Many of those who have
given their lives for their country are
buried in graves over which shells
and bullets are flying close to the
spots where they fell but wherever
they are resting their comrades will
bear them in mind and pay tribute
to their memory.
To many Americans now fighting
il: France Memorial Day heretofore
has meant holiday. In q vague
way they appreciated the meaning of
decoration of graves by survivors Of
the Civil war days but now they re
gard Memorial Day in a different
light, for it means honoring the
memory Of men they have known,
Eunked with and fought with
Throughout all the zones in which
there are American soldiers plans
are made for ceremonies, in which
the French will participate in nearly
all cases. At one place is a row of
mounds under which lie sons of New
York. Men of the same regiment will
gather there to replace the faded
American flags with new ones and
deposit wreaths of fresh flowers and
others which will withstand time.
Similar cerem onies will take place
at the graves of boys from Iowa, IL
linois, Michigan, Maryland and other
states who have been killed in action
or died from wounds. In the same
locality roadside graves Of French
soldiers, buried where they fell in
the earlier days Of the war will be
decorated by Americans.
At general headquarters all graves
OF American and French soldiers in
that vicinity, many of whom died in
hospitals will be decorated with flow
ers and crossed f1ags-the Star Span
gled Banner and the Tri-color Of
France. Led by a, band a body of SOL
diers will march to the main GENE
terry where the graves have been dug
on a peaceful hillside overlooking a
valley through which winds a canal
! lined with stately trees. There the
troops will be drawn up while Amer
lean and French army chaplains re-
peat prayers for the dead. A squad
will fire a salute.
All the other ceremonies will be
similar. In the sector northwest of
Toul they will be held at several To-
calities, Men of the new and old
armies lie there, some in cemeteries
| exclusively American, others beside
French soldiers. The heroes of the
air who have given their lives will be
remembered suitably by their COM
rades.
At various points along the battle
| front there are little groups Of Am
erican graves and single mounds,
marking the resting places of men
! from units which have faced the enc
| my there for a, time and then moved
elsewhere. Efforts will be made to
decorate every one of these graves.
French officers, soldiers and civiI-
| ians having learned the significance
of Memorial Day. are making plans
OF their own to show their apprecia-
| ton of the Am ericans who have
| fought and died for their country. In
| dividual American soldiers are plan
ming to place flowers on graves of
their bunkies whom they will never
| sea again.
! From Danger to Laughter.
Seldom has theatrical entertain
ment been staged in a more unusual
| setting than the one given this aft
ernoon in a location which enabled
| several hot and dirty American
| troops just out Of the trenches to get
| back for an hour or SO to the atnlos-
! phere of Broadway. An open air
| prize ring was the stage.
| The performer who today trod the
boards of this unique stage was Miss
| Elsie Janis, now on a visit to tho
| front to give entertainm ents for TIE
! fighters. She told stories, sang new