The Sisseton weekly standard. (Sisseton, Roberts County, S.D.) 1892-1929, 1919-08-08
Lon Drake Probably
Killed on Battlefield


The fear than Lon Drake, scu Of
A. A. Drake of Garfield tow aslip mo
his death in action in France on the
10th of last july is now entertained
by the war department, according to
communication received from Mar
inc headquarters the first of tho week,
though the department has steadfast-
ly maintained until now that Lon was
with his company and in good health
never having received a report from
field headquarters to the contrary.
Now, however. The evidence the7
have received Sc stA,s conc usive, arl
they are taking steps to close his
records, on the presumption that he
died on July 10, 191S-the second
day of the great allied offensive.
which lead to ultimate victory.
The letter follows:
Headquarters Marine Corps, Wash
iSgton, d. c., July %, 1919. My dear
MIR. Drake: am directed by the
Major General Commandant to in
form you that your son Private Alon-
20 Drake, Marine Corps, who was re-
ported as wounded in action and miss
ing July 10TH 1918, is now report
ed as presumed to have died that
date, and is so carried on the records
of the Marine Corps Headquarters. a
certificate of prosumptive death has
this date been issued the B'.reau of
War Risk Insurance and othe dc
partments in oder that settlement
of his accounts and insura ace may be
~ de.
Every effort has been exerted to OF
tain information regarding your son
and still no information is available as
to his existence. therefore the only
reasonable presumption is that he is
dead.
The Major General Commanders
also directs me- to extend to you his
heartfelt sympathy in your loss Vi one
who so nobly gave his life in the ser.
vice of his country.
Very respectfully,
G. II. ketcham,
Captain, Asst. Adj. & Inspector
1t was definitely known that 10y
was severely gassed in the June ,of
fensive in which Henry Vrei.n ant
Ckas.. Babb were wounded, and wher
Alfred Vreim was taken prisoner
and that he reported back to his com
puny some time later, though the wal
department did not say when Nov
ln.re information comes through on,
of /. T. Dahls sons, wno saw hin
and spent three days with him bacl
of the line about the fourth of July
last year. At that time Lon was con
valescent and expected to report bacl
to his company in a few days. This HI
probably did-and what the 9th regi
ment U. S. M. c., of which he was
member, did to the Germans in tn,
offensive beginning the 18th of Jul,
is now matter of history. Thousand.
or American boys lOSt tnelr lives II
the days following, many of whom ar
unaccounted for, and it seems alto
gether probable that Lonnie DRAKE
made the supreme sacrifice at tina
time.
Naturally Mr. Drake receives tn,
report with optimism. He believes
there is still chance that his son i
alive and possibly we'll in the servic.
"over there But his friends hav,
given up hope some time since. Their
have been circumstances, it is true
that gave him good reasons for hi
optimism, but the preponderance nov
seems against him.
Until otherwise notified his friend
will mourn him as dead and hope wit!
his father that his failure to com
municate with home people is blu
circumstantial. Such things hav,
happened before.
1t is estimated that $50, 900 heae
of cattle, besides the beef steers, will
l., = a