South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-06-22
or sailor brave. sleeps flag forgotten
nor uncroWned with wreath"


DR. sailor brave. sleeps flag forgotten
nor uncrowned with wreath.
at 1880 p. m. the United states
army and navy cooperating with the
various welfare organizations held
Memorial services in the huts.
Every hut was taxed 20 its utmost
capacity. A. the but where we were
the X. Q. No. we saw hundreds
turned away. unable 20 get in. No.
place was large enough 20 contain
the thousands OF officers and enlisted
men who desired 70 pay their trib-
ute OF honor and love 20 their COM
rades. who had fallen in the great
struggle. Soldiers who had faced
the lannon's mouth n who at the.
zero hour bad leaped 70 their feet TO
go over the top at Cantigny. Chateau
Thierry. and in the great Argonnes
drive, wept as they were reminded
OF the thousands Of brave American
lads who sleep in foreign soil and
who Will never return to their home
and country 10 tell the story Of their
valor.
Reads Poem.
I read and perhaps with more
fervour than ever before-that beau
tiful poem, In Flanders Field. i"
written by the Canadian. Lieut. Col.
John NcCrea, and also Americas
Answer.
"The flaming torch aIoft we bore,
We've kept the faith. the battles Ger
The foe is crushed. we've fought it
through:
Now rest in peace. God be with you
Who lies asleep where peoples grow
IN Flanders Fields"
But the men we'll knew. that in
fighting the battle through scores
OF their brave companions had fall
en-, and so there was a pull at many
a soldiers heart. a tea in his y
and a sob in his voice as we closed
hat Memorial service IN France. by
singing.
Then conquer we must, when our
cause II is just.
And this be our motto, In God is our
trust
And the star-spangled banner in tri-
umph shall wave
Ger the land OF the free and the
home OF the brave
VISITS cemetery.
The other day I spent an hour at
the Lambezellec cemetery. Here
found a company OF coIored men,
laboring 20 beautify this spot, where
rest the bodies Of 1.6OO Of our coun-
trymen. 1 noted that the white
wooden crosses had been freshly
painted and each grave was being
carefully sodded. Everything posi-
Bile is being done by the United
States army 10 properly care for this
American burial plot.
/ had gone about one-quarter Of
a mile back toward the city OF Brest.
when 1 met a funeral procession led
By a military brass band. Now a
funeral procession anywhere is a
sad sight. but an american funeral
procession 5000 miles from home
people and home land, vending its
way out 10 a foreign burial place. is
particularly solemn, pathetic and inn
pressive. Two young enlisted men.
who had died in Brest, were being
taken 10 their last resting place. /
Joined the procession and ~journeyed
slowly back 10 the cemetery. AS /
walked along. wondering who the
boys were who had passed out into
the other world after they a
reached the port from which they
had hoped 20 sail homeward, we
observed French women standing
with bowed and reverennt heads NJ
door and window. These women
spoke not. vet their faces were full
of kindly sympathy and their eyes
looked what their ongues did not
speak. Some OF them were dressed
IN black. showing that they too. dur
ing the terrible war. had gone
through the Gethsemane Of sorrow.
Reaches Cemetery.
Finally the cemetery was reached
The large American flag on the huge
pole at the entrance OF the burial
plot was slowly lowered 20 half mast.
We stood apart and Witnessed the
solemn thing double American
military burial in the soil of France
h two caskets were taken out OF
the canopied utO truck and each
carried by six comrades 20 the
marked spot in the cemetery. Gently.
as II they contained life. those cask-
cts were laid down. The band played
a touching selection. The chaplain
read the 9Oth psalm. Lord tho hast
been our dwelling place IN an gener-
atoms. Before the mountains were
brought forth or ever thou hadst
formed the earth and the world even
from everlasting 10 everlasting thou
art God" Then followed the read
Ing OF the burial service and the
Lords prayer. The band played,
Nearer Ny God 20 Thee ] have
heard this great and sacred hymn
played hundreds of times in church
and in home e never with that
strange appealing effect that il was
rendered by hat band IN that
American burial lot.
a company OF soldiers standing
by the graves ared the farewell "sa-
lutte. the bugler played the final and
solemn taps and ere ne had fin
ished / found myself. in spite Of my
efforts al control. weeping like one
who had lost "a dear friend Nor was
! alone IN this. 4 score or more
% cOmrade soldiers struggled in vain
10 keep back the tears The Red