The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-05-25
HOME FOLKS HUG THEIR SONS
AND YELL LIKE BLUE BLAZES'
Stripping Heroes
Filled With Ch ow
at Fair Grounds
Wonderful Tales Told After
Much Persuasion on Part of
Admitting Friends.

Admiring Friends.
With more heft IN their should
ers; more depth in their chests.
and more manhood in their faces,
the One Hundred and Sixteenth
regiment. which left Virginia
twenty-one months ago for Annis-
ton. Alabama. surged joyously
from the troop trains to the state
fair grounds yesterday morning,
the first section reaching the des-
tination shortly after eight o'clock
and the last one pulling in at ten
o'clock.
No one who saw the more
than $500 men swing down Monu-
ment avenue yesterday heads up,
lean bodies swayinx with the sure
stride that took them over the
weary leagues Of France. could
fail to be- !n pr~szei with the eargayss
parison between these toughened
warriors and the stripping horde
tina. responded so cheerfully to
the nations distress signal. Many
uf-ths vptunteersEw literally
boys when they loft for the gruef--
ling training period and their de-
velopment into tanned. compe-
tent men was a revelation to the
eager thousands who greeted
them yesterday.
The hospitality committee. working
under the direction of Mrs Norman
" Randolph and Clyde w. Saunders.
was a marvel cf efficient machinery.
Three thousand. Eve houndred men
were fed within the short space of
sixty minutes, the doughhovs lining
up in company formation and fling
y =. xrpH DO a. tnt Sf h,yftS iysC
with tin cups in hand. with the ex-
c.ption of the coffee and punch, the
food was served on paper dishes. the
men walking. cafeteria like. from
booth to booth where the delicious
sandwiches, pies. pickles and other
dainties were heaped on by the busy
ladies'
Plenty OF Chow.
Not content with dishing out mere
food. the dozens of ladies cheered
continuously while the grintnr lads
were fling through. Mrs. Randolph
was everywhere, stopping every few
steps to emit q cheer OF joyous well
come.
The scenes following the detrain-
ing Of the Richmond Grays could
scarcely be described rs touching"
True. tho glad eyes Of many fathers
and mothers grew wet with pride and
Astounding joy when soltuer-sons were
clasped in aching arms, but the mat
manner in which these sons
accepted the long looked for reunion
served as wonderful stabilizer of
emotions. Inroculated with the army
serum Of fatalism which teaches men
to be surprised at nothing. the boys
a ccepted the homecoming with much
the Same outward manifestation
which would have accompanied a re-
turn home from hummer encamp-
nent 1t does not follow that all OF
them felt no deeper emotion.
Thirty members of the signal corps
OF the Fifty-fourth artil-
lery headquarters arrived on the third
section These men arrived by them =
selves at Newport News and were
included In the trip at the last min
ute
Henry on the Job
Henry SchwaryschiId aided and
ahetted by a naval hand, amused the
stalwart visitors until first call for
chow pushed every other interest
into the background. Mr.. Schwarzs-
child was on the reception committee
and he more than did his part of the
receiving: singing, dancing and treat
deville they have seen in many moons,
Following the bountiful meal served
by the gracious ladies who left their
homes at seven o'clock in order, to
miss no chance OF making the boys
short stay pleasant, the troops were
asse mi led in front OF the grand stand
and Governor WestIn oreland Davis
delivered IN address of welcome and
thanksgiving for their safe return
from the foreign wars
Quite . few OF the quiet chaps who
stacked guns in the race track oval
yesterday wore the distinguished ser
vice cross, Americas second highest
award of honor. and several added the
When questioned they invariabl evad-
the answer as best they could. but
when cornered. their recountal of the
stark courage displayed in the desper-
ate battles was simple and unaffected;
not too modest to be sincere.
Alley From Radford.
Arvle III. Alley. brown farmer-ser-
geant from Radford. Va, wears both
mentioned above. Sergeant
Alley smilingly capituiated to the de-
termined siege OF two reporters and
produced thu deeply creased order de-
scribing the xrothing much" which
won him the two hero medals. Here Is
the order
ION October 18th Sergeant Alley
did repeatedly expose himself
while aiding wounded comrades
under heavy bombArdment. On 90
tobcr 18th he fear1essly entered tho
wood and drove back enemy de-
tachments before they could place
machine guns on the flank OF the
battalion
Sergeant Alley FASTENED to explain
that his company lost nifty per cent OF
Its strength In the nrst few days OF
river Meuse. and that he was holding
500 yards of line with twenty seven
men. and when German gun units
started their 1Ankink movement. u
got separated spmahow.s he said