The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-06-30

-NUI arc W. 'IHScHStUlS 10 the SpT~
row that fills their homes We sym
pathize with their afflicted families
and bear with them the bitter lot of
grief. You made . sacrifice of your
sons, now make a sacrifice of honor.
And it Is inspiring to reflect that II at
one time or another in obedience to
natures decree, in one way or another
the angel of death visits every home.
in some homes he leaves a crown to
distinguish the martyr from the innu-
merable multitude that lived and died
for nothing. Hence for the honor OF
these victors will be the care of the
commonwealth and the story OF their
lives is the patrimony of Virginia's
glory and the inspiration OF virginians
yet to come.
"Chivalrous France! The dust Of thy
sons is mingled with the soil Of vir-
ginia In the battIehelds Of Yorktown.
Brave and liberty-loving Virginia on
many a bloody hillside and river bank,
the other OF thy children are mingled
with the soil OF France. That pa
thetic mingling makes our two lands
one in memory and in affection and the
fields on both sides. consecrated with
blood. are now sacred to friendship
and to the holy cause Of freedom.
In Defense Of Flag.
DR.. Calisch said in part:
We are gathered to do honor to
the memory of our own boys who
made the supreme sacrifice in defense
of the flag of the ideals OF America.
There is in this very gathering token
of that democracy which they went
forth to save, and saving which they
gave their all. For even as the war
itself brought together in one solemn
purpose all the varied elements of
our great land, even as the army and
navy and the marine and aviation
services were made UP of all classes
of society, Of all manner of men and
all shades of thought and faith. so to-
day we are gathered as one body of
citizenry. irrespective of social COM
mercial, political or religious differ
encAs. We here today are all Ameri
cans come to pay tribute to our own
near and dear who died to defend and
to perpetuate American idealism. We
see this fact in the assemblage that
has gathered, in the men and women
who are on the stage, in the simple
decorations that lend beauty to the
scene, We have on the one side the
cross, token of holy hope to untold
millions OF hearts the world over, -
on the other the Nx-pointed star the
Shield of David. symbol Of tie daunt-
less faith OF an ancient people. These
two. emblematic of the two words
great faiths, mother and daughter.
spring from the same stock, hewn
from the same rock, born OF the same
inspiration OF reasoned reverence
they tell at this hour of the unity OF
Americas heart, and OF the unity OF
human brotherhood. They tell also
OF that age-old and inconQuera BILE
democracy--thed democracy of dea tn
Vh he
the republic OF the grave
1T is under the impulse Of this
sentiment that we have come to this
memorial service. We need not
praise the deeds of those whom we to-
day remember. Their names are writ
ten tndeliably upon times unweaken-
Ing scroll OF fame, Their glory is
sure for all the unrun ages. This
service Is AZ much for the living as
for the dead. For the highest honor
to the dead is found in service, In their
name, to the living. 1t is our duty,
we citizens of Richmond, to perpetu-
ate our sentiments OF this hour, not
TO let the expression OF our afrectinate
appreciation pass with this day, but
to put II into some permanent and
tangible form, something OF beauty
and OF efulness.-something that
shall honor the dead by serving the
living / am sure that II these boys
could speak to us, II they could make
their wishes. II from their graves in
fields OF France their hands could
come forth to point the way for us
1t would be that we should not per
NIT the fruits OF this victory so dearly
won. TO be lost to the world--but that
by training and education, in world
obligation and world responsibilities
the coming generations shall never
suner such horrors and desolation
and destruction--and that the finest
honor We could give them would be
to provide the means OF the traininr
and this education OF nobler Vi 5an
If from this service today this
thought should go forth as seed
dropped In rich soil to terminate and
bloom and bear fruit then indeed shah
these boys not have died in vain.
They called It going west in the
army This was phrase born out
OF the war. 1t has a wonderful SYM
bolisn. To many of them it was a
going west in their last tours-a turn
ing OF their thoughts to the noble
LANDS OF the west-to England, to
Canada, to America, possibly with the
hope, too, that some day their bodies
might follow their thoughts to their
homes in the west
But more than this there is in
this phrase going west an opt COM
parison of life for all OF us--for our
life Is as = day. beginning in the
eastern paradise of childhocd's gar
den of Eden passing on, mayhap
through storm apd clouds. through
sunshine and rain, through summer
and winter.-Through the morning
noontide of maturity to the
afternoon OF waning strength, and
finally as We approach the western
hills. the twilight of age gives
way to the night after the grave
but there is more than mere apt
comparison OF this phrase There ia
a noble truth and still nobler con-
ISOLATION. We have thought by this
war. and the lesson lie now rein
forced at this moment, that going
west is universal human ex-
perience. that literally from the mo-
ment OF our birth our faces are turned
toward the western hills But we
have also been taught that death Is not
the fearful thing we have thought 1t to
bet lie not the single. terrifying
experience of the individual. The
reaper has been robbed of his hor-
ror. our mortal parting il but a pass
ing nhase NJ all life If all thu won.