The daily commonwealth. (Greenwood, Leflore Co., Miss.) 1916-1919, 1919-04-08
BANQUET GIVEN
FOR LIEUT.. RILEY
SATURDAY NIGHT
"A Number OF Gen. And Mrs,
keesler's Friends Give Recep-
ton And Banquet In Honor
Of Their Visitor.
(Republished For Correction>

OOI 1LlO
A most delightful reception an
! banquet was given at the Confederat
! Memorial Building in this citv las
} Saturday evening at $50 O'Clock b,
a number of Gen. and Mrs. s. r
keesler's friends, in honor of thei
guest, Lieut.. H. W. Riley, of St
Cloud, MIMI, a member of the 24t]
} U: 5. Aero Squadron in France, ant
who was with Lieut.. Sam R. KEGS
Ter. Jr:, in the aerial machine comba
with three Hun airplanes when San
received SIX severe machine gur
wounds from which he died later i,
a German hospital.
A delicious six-course menu hac
been prepared for the occasion ane
was faultlessly served by the Work
Committee of the Earnest Workers
Society of the Presbyterian church
Inc table was lastly decorated with
Vlolets and presented a beautiful ap-
p~earance.
Capt. S. L. Gwin presided, but an
nounced at the beginning that there
would be no speeches; that at the con-
cluslon OF the feast talks would be
heard from the special honor guest,
Lieut.. Riley and also Private Claude
Romlne, of the 82nd Company. 9Th
Regiment Marines. Private Romine
had just arrived here Saturday morn
ing from France, where he spent 18
months and served in the thickest of
the fighting at Belleau Woods, Sois-
sons, Catigny, Lucy, ETC., where he
was severely wounded and scored sew
en- citations for bravery and was dec
Grated with the highest medal of the
french government, the Croix de
Geurre with Palm. Being a Leflore
county boy, born and reared near
Morgan City, Private Romine was in
Elted to attend and share in the re-
ception and banquet given for Lieut.,
Riley. by Gen. Keesler's special
friends.
A splendid musical of
beautiful songs appropriate to the oc-
casion was rendered by Mrs. L. Mehr.
Mrs. A. M. Holly and Mrs. R. L. Mil
Ter, with Mrs. R. P. Parish and Mrs.
'Laeta Wright as accompanies On the
piano.
After the feast had been concluded
those present repaired to the parlor.
where Lieut.. Riley gave them the fol-
lowing graphic and interesting &C.
count of the aerial battle in which
Lieut.. Sam Keesler received his fatal
wounds, and in which he also was
wounded:
"The American Army had advanc-
ed several miles on the west bank of
the Meuse river and the Boche were
using heir artillery from the east
side as flank fire. The French. who !
were holding the east bank were then |
ordered to advance to protect the |
right wing and began to |
drive on the eighth of October. 1t. |
keesler and myself were ordered to |
Souilly, where the Headquarters of
the American First Army was located, |
to do special work, which consisted |
OF verifying all reports that came in
both from observers on the ground |
and in the air. Soon after arriving |
at headquarters we were ordered to |
cross the river and ascertain the posi-
ton OF reserves which were reported !
IN a wooded position about fifteen kill
ometres behind the German lines, we
had the sun in our eyes and were un-
able to see what was behind US, but
we had been told that the Boche were
well scattered and that there were
patrols of our machines covering the
section of the sector where we were
to work. We flew over our objective
and found that instead of having re-
serves in this woods the German were
going to the rear, both with artillerv
and infantry. We started for home
and had gone in this direction but a
short time when we saw four Boche
machines between us and the lines.
The first machine that attacked us
was put out of the fight but the 9TH ,
er three were soon on our tail and
were fortunate in placing one of their
first bursts of fire into the rudder of
our ship and consequently put out of
commission one of the most important
parts of a ship for a fight. We were
at about fifteen hundred metres then
n had quite a little distance to go
before we could reach our own lines.
The Boche with two guns on each
ship had a wonderful chance to pump
cad into US as there was little We
could do to get out of their way. One
of fire finally hit the aileron
OF the machine and we started for the
ground. On the way down, we were
fired at and 1t. Keesler, who was in
the rear of the Machine managed to
keep up his fire under very difficult
circumstances. When we crashed, II
got gu of the; ship and went around
the rear to see how 1t. Keesler
He remained in the cockpit
md was firing on the Boche, who
we're taking turns shooting on us, and
he would not get out Of the machine !
until -he"had fired the last of the am
nunltlon he had in his guns. We start
"a Tor some woods that were about
seventy five metres from US and oni
the way over there 1t. Keesler was
again hit in the hip. Previous to the
time we landed, he had been wounded
times in the body. We were TAX
IN prisoners byathe infantry as soon
the Boche pulled off and were held
any medical attention from
four thirty until some time af-
Ter midnight, when we reached a
station. 1t. Keesler was
aiken to a different hospital from the
one l was taken to and I did not see
him again. was told by a Boche
the following evening that
Lit Keesler had died that day. / spent
Nnp~ ~-A~1S~ 1---aA1