Norwich bulletin., 1918-01-14
STORIES OF THE WAR
Visit to Grave of First Three Ameri.

Visit to Grave Of First Three Ameri-
 cans to Fall.
 Henry Bordeaux. the French novel, ist, giving in the Revue Hebdomodaire an account of his recent visit to the graves of the first three soldiers of the American Expeditionary Force to fall on the French front, says: Later on a monument will rise there; later on the name of that obscure, village that I cannot reveal now will be known and will resound across the ocean. Wis., itors will come in throngs, even from ever the seas, to contemplate the hori- zon and breathe the air impregnatcd with the atmosphere of sacrifice and glory that makes peoples strong and individuals audacious and persevering. " Those graves are situated along the stone wall of a little Lorraine vil- lage," he says, "a tiny village right up next to the front. It is nearly in- tact and some of the inhabitants are still sticking to their fresides there. The church clock marks the hour though the church bell rings no more. "A shell bursts in the neighborhood | from time to time and the peasants pause to listen to the explosion then | go on with their work. There are COWS in the sheds and poultry scratch | ing about the barnyard with assur- ance.
 "The church is built on a hillside 1 near cluster of farm buildings that seem to have been built upon the site of an ancient stronghold. Stretching away from the buildings there is a | high stone wall alongside which is q line of graves marked with wooden crosses from which fly the French tri- l color. They are the tembs of French 1 soldiers killed, most of them. at the after the battle of Mof1rhange tried tt 1 invade this part of Lorraine but were repulsed.
 There are three more graves, iso. lated from the rest, in front of the wal where it rises before the buildings freshly dug, with chrysanthemums no yet faded scattered over them. Thesl are the tembs of the first American soldiers killed during the war on thi front for the liberation of the world Corporal Gresham and Soldier Heinright and Hay were buried on thu
 4th of November in the little villag
 close to the scene of the fight" After recalling the funeral oratiol delivered by the French general com
 manding in the sector, M Bordeau, | says! The road 10 tHlS new CemereT,
 is known. Officers and soldiers pass ing to their posts in the sector leav their route to seek out those thre
 graves, but, why should I not say it
 They are visited more by the Frencl
 than by the Americans. It would seen
 that the latter have not for the dea,
 the attention and the care. the signi
 ficance of which has been transmitte
 to us by an older past; their gag
 seems to be more riveted upon the liv
 ing.
 When the first American batter
 was one day in October brought to ou
 front and put into action. it was
 real ceremony. A genera. himself
 prized the honor of firing the first pro jectile and the shell of that projectil was carefully packed up and sent t the White House. Was it not the frs , attestation of the force of the Unite
 States?
 Tn another village quite as nea
 the front. where some twenty inhabi , tants still remained, girl was bor , the other day, The same America general claimed the honor of bein l godfather to the child and made tn
 mother handsome gift.
 st Our allies celebrate force and life Bordeaux concludes from these incl | dents and adds: death has ne hol , upon them."