The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-02-09
ROCKAWAY HEROES
GET A MEDAL EACH
Returned Soldiers Of 57th
Coast Artillery Receive
Unstinted Ovation.
TWO BIG PARADES HELD
Kraus's Tank Corps and
0'Brien's Battalion Of Death
Among Greeters.

Virtually everybody who is anybody
participated yesterday in the great
Homecoming breakfast, conversations,
luncheon, parade, review, medal award,
dinner and dinner dance given by the
to their own favorite sons OF thu Over
seas Army OF the United States-the
boys OF the Fifty seventh Regiment OF
France a couple OF weeks ago after
having definitely placed Rockaway on
the map OF Europe.
Originally the Fifty-seventh Artillery
Regiment was to certain extent tho
Ninth Special Artillery Regiment N.
@. n. Y, which on the day after
the declaration of war by the Rock
Always against the Central Powers
set up It's recruiting office in the old
Imperial Hotel on Cornaga avenue. Far
Rockaway, which then and there became
for all time "the armory." The regi-
ment was a month In filling out a full
personnel of officers and men.
Then II was taken overland TO Fort
Hancock. on Sandy Hook. where it was
drilled, devilled. marched and counter
marched until It's component parts bore
somewhat Of the aspect OF soldiers when.
overnight and without a word to the
anxious folks at homo II was shipped
overseas and became part Of the uti-
mateiy full sised reginiental body OF men
known on the payroll Of the United
States as tho Fifty-seventh Coast Ar
tillery.
Major Casualties d Per Cent.
Strategists who have followed the
war from campaign TO campaign will
not require to be told that the Fifty
seventh acquitted itself with all the
aplomo possible 10 a military unit which
by the rules OF war vas required to
follow. not precede. the doughboys OF
the front line combat troops. Its major
casualties were s per cent.
1t received its full baptism and CON
frmation OF shell fire and gas waves
and for the last half hour before the
armistice delved 80 deeply into the re-
sources OF It's ammunition supply that
for two minutes preceding the last gun
Ii became strictly non-combatant or
ganization. since it had nothing left
to send away.
There were veterans in the line Of
march OF whom, anterior to the tocsin
OF war. dubious relatives had predicted
were ex-chaufreurs. ex-barkeeps. ex-
clam diggers and ex-aspirants for the
hstio championship OF the Rockaways
There was one. with two wound stripes
and gold star on his cum. who could
draw map of the Long Island City
Jail in the dark. And with these there
were three ex-bank clerks, two law stu
dents, one minister's son, a magazine
illustrator and a Sunday school ex-su-
perintendent.
Kenny Is Marshal of Parade.
p Andrew J. Kenny the best coal dealer
orator the Rockaways ever had. WAS
marshal of the parade which formed
early in the afternoon just over the
Federal line o. the naval air station at
Rockaway Point and gathering military
and civic bodies as It proceeded. wendell
its way TO Vernam avenue in Arverne
where Il was entrolleyed TO Far Rock
away. where the parade began again.
The parade was led by the Brooklyn
navy yard band. upon the heels Of which
followed in due course a detachment OF
officers and sailors from the naval
air." half regiment OF regular artil-
lerymen from Fort Tilden. at Rockaway
Point; a cons ignment Of the coast guard
then tho boys In olive drab from over
seas Cloud. prolonged and vociterous
cheers, a platoon OF yeomanettes. lent
by the navy because native TO Rocka-
ways glistening sands all the Red
Cross women and girls OF the community
and ultimately all those business and
professional men of the locality who in
the thoughtful months OF war have given
their time and energies 10 putting Rock
away over the Liberty Loan tops
Of oil of
status but filled with the solemn spirit
Of the occasion. came Nick krauss IT.
regular tank corps from Hammels Sta
ton and Jimmy O'Br!en's battalion OF
death from the White House in dear old
Arverne Thus on every notable Rock
away occasion Is the gang all there.
Flows From All sides.
Space inhibits in detail the enthusiasm,
the glsto. the fervor. the acclaim which
burst above the heads Of the heroes. as
through a multitude, pelting them with
flowers, cheers. horn blasts, they trod
the Old familiar boulevard of Rockaway
Beach and Central avenue of RockaWay.
Their old commanding OFFICER col
John ]. Byrne, abetted by col Nlarenc.
W. Smith, Major Robert ;. sullivan,
Major T.. J. Murray. Judge Burt jay
Humphrey and Judge Edmund Healy.
reviewed them, and al the conclusion Of
the parade they were received into the
open arms OF the blended hospitality Of
everybody from Rockaway Point 10 the
Nassau line. presented with medals,
dlned. petted and danced
The me Ials. OF which one was given
to every Rockaway son. were made pos
sible by. popular subscription and testi-
fed that this piece 81 imperishable
bronze was awarded and bestowed by
the home folk in concentration OF sig
nal valor and a world made safe for de-
mocracy. The dance which followed the
presentation ran under fun headway
until the stroke of midnight, whereafter
three waiting automobiles for every pos
stle soldier testified 10 the popular
feeling that 10 be allowed even to take
ore OF the Fffty-scventh's men to his
home fixed ones social position in the
Rockaways FOR as long as the memories
of the great war shall be discussed
among women and men.
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