Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-04-08
SERGEANT co RMACK
SPEAKS At SUNDAY SING
Tells of Singing OF "Onwaru, Chris
tian Soldiers" 10y $4,000 High
landcrS in France.
MUSICAL PROGRAM RENDERED
Chorus From William Fox Public
School Sings "Sons OF America"
and Leads Audience in Many Pa
triotic ChoruScs.

The feature OF tho Sunday sing
forceful talk by Sergeant l.. Shannon
Cormack. OF the Canadian cxpcditionary
forces, detailed by the United States
government for two months leave of
absence TO exhibit the Official war pie
lures. which form tho most recent ac-
tiVity OF tho educational campo s;n
being conducted by tho committee on
public information Mt Washington. Ser
gcant Cormack and Mr.. lanEtrco are
sent out by the division of films OF the
committee on public information, and
the pictures will he shown for the first
time In Richmond at tho Academy of
Music tonight.
Sergeant Cormack has seen three
years hard service at the front and
was at Yprcs. Somrnc and ArraS and
invalided home several months ago
Now. five weeks out of tho hospital
he proudly exhibits an ugly piece Of
shrapnel which had rcposcd uncasily
IN his stomach for eleven and onc-half
months.
How'd yc live?" whispered Coy
Scout usher IN awcstruck tones to the
sergeant when tho piece of shrapncl
was being passed around 20 intcrcs ted
parties al the city Auditorium ycstcr-
day. Il didn't live" said the sergeant.
AZ just existed"
UNUSUAL PROGRAM
Is MOST ATTRACTIVE
The Sing opened with Il special
number by the orchestra, Liberty
Lads" The fresh young voices OF tho
children from the William T.. Fox
a
assisted materially in other choruscs.
The orchestra. under Mr.. MERGERS
direction. rendered another beautiful
selection The Ones We Can't For
get" and just before Sergeant Cormacli
was introduced by Secretary Winfrey,
OF tho Commission on Training Camp
Activities. the orchestra lcd the audi
cncc in Onward. Christian Soldiers
"The last time heard Onward
Christian Soldiers" said Sergeant Cor
mack beginning his talk. was on the
slopes of Arras. Harry Lauder led tho
singing. Tho slope Of the hill formed
Il sort of natural amphitheatcr. and
$4,000 soldiers Of tho Highland Division
Joined in the singing. They wore the
masscd band OF tho Brigade Of Guards,
$50 pieces. the most wonderful band In
the British Empire. played Sullivan's
music for the Highlanders. And they
sang as no one never heard II sung
before the song You have just sung
Onward Christian Soldiers"
HOW MONTANA MAN
GOT Ills NEW nooTs
Recalling the early days OF the war.
the sergeant spoke OF the splendid
equipment OF the German soldiers and
especially OF their good boots which
withstood the water and mud Of the
trenches. while those OF the Canadians
let the wet soak through.
And when we Killed 4 German. we
always pulled off his boots and wore
them ourselves aftcrward," nc explain
cd naivcly. We called il going ont
shopping We'll. one day n man from
Montana. 4 hiG. slow Western type, had
been detailed TO duty on the listening
post. This was such tedious. nerve
racliing duty, lying out there in a hole
in front OF the trenches with ones
car 10 the ground very close 10 The Ger
man lines that the sentry was changed
every hour. At the end OF the Montana
mans hour, he failed TO show up and
TWO men crawlcd out TO look for him.
-Four hours later he showed up. There
was satisfied grin on his face which
even the platoon sergcancs stern
rcprimand failed 10 wipe off.
"'Wherc'vc you been demanded the
sergeant, and in his most deliberate
Western drawl the Montana man cx-
planned that he had been shopping and
that he had 10 XIII nine Germans before
ne found a pair OF boots that would fit
him"