The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-06-03
Large Crowd Assemblies to Do Honor
to the Medical Major Returning
from France with the
Crolx de Guerre.
HIS SPEECH rs CHEERED
Praises Wives of Soldiers and the
Work of the Doushboys as the
Real Winners of the
World War.

=.
the medical corps, the greater part CT
the time in France, to find that his
fellow townsmen know how to wei.
come q returned hero. And from the
croix de guerre he was wearing. the
term can be rightly used to apply to
him.
/ He was met at the station by 3
large number Of friends. The Elks
and the Community band which
volunteered its services, were out
and led the procession from the
crowded union station to his home
on Blondeau street where the real
welcomed was staged. A large crowd
filled the yard and the street in front
iof the house and joined in hearty
cheer as the best way to express
their appreciation for the work he
had done.
| Henry S. Walker spoke briefly in
| behalf of the gathered friends OF DR..
Rankin, extended to him the official
welcome, and expressed the appre-
| citation that was felt for the sacri-
fee that had been made in the cause
which he had gone so willingly to
uphold.
IF you had looked at the ledeer
and considered the cost before you
had gone, we know that we would
not be here tonight, but you did not
do that, and we appreciate the un-
selfish spirit in which you went away
from us. AS you come back, we can
truly say that we are glad to well
come you said Mr.. Walker.
Dr. Rankin responded to the
demonstration that was shown him
"a
upon bestowing credit for what had
been accomplished upon others than
/ himself.
Il assure you that appreciate
this welcome" he said. II hardly
supposed that I had so many friends
as are gathered here"
| The Real Heroes of the War.
! Mr.. Walker was wrong in .A@er-
ring to me as a hero. The hardest
| task and the greatest sacrifice AS
! that of the women who stayed at
home My wife who willingly helped
ime go to war is much more of hero
than / am My friend, Mrs. 3ray,
was more of hero than her hus-
band, when she told him to 20. The
woman who gave up to patriotism
| the greater income than a medical
officer gets, the protector OF the
| family, her physician, her nurse, her
reliance in troubles, is greater
hero than the man who went over
seas.
z and / do not come back to YOU
| a returning hero, for the real heroes
are left in France. None Of them
come back.
1--WE felt that it was our duty to
tgo. when civilization was threatened,
when christianity was threatened.
when everything that is good in the
world was threatened, and our own
democracy was threatened, for the
Hun had his plans all laid 20 CON
Inner the world, as the Moslem once
/ did. and to conquer us as COON as
he had conquered Europe.
| ssThe Huns sowed the whirlwiEd.
land they can not expect to reap
pity"
/ He paid tribute to the French as
fighters for he said that they did net
know when they were whipped. In
fact they were whipped at the end
lof the first year of the war, but old
mot know it, he stated. Their
bravery he ascribed to their intense
patriotism.
! Praises the Priyates.
| He told something of his expert
ences first in A1sace and then In the
/ Argonne forest and at Chateau
lThierry. He stated that the most
terrific fighting Of the war was at
these two places, and the best work
was done by the boys OF the AND
division.
/! "You ought to be proud of the men
| of the And division and especially OF
the 168th regiment, for there were
no better soldiers and none who saw
7 any harder fighting. And some OF
those men came from Keokuk."
/ His praise for the doughboy and
tho nrivates In particular, was given
without reservation
.sYou have heard that the tanks
won the war and you have heard
that, the artillery won the war, but
If you should ask me / would tell
YOU that 1t was the doughboy. 1t
was those boys who would charge a
machine gun nest with their bayo-
nets and If even one of them reached
tbe nest II was cleaned out, too.
"Compared to the private, we were
bench warmers" he declared.
The Spirit That Wins Honor.
He explained the awarding OF the
croix de guerre as having been given
him for crawling out into No Mans
land a half mile after one of his fell
low officers and five other men who
had been wounded
~ did not consider it as any more
than my duty, for one OF the men
was a particular friend of mine. And
of course / would not ask any of my
men to go any place that / would
not go myself
When DR.. Rankin concluded his
very interesting and at times very
thrilling speech, three rousing cheers
,,,ere given by the large crowd which