The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-10-19
PELHAM DELEGATES
SCHOOL TO HEROES
Cornerstone of Memorial
Building Laid at Big
Celebration.
ROOSEVELT. is HONORED
Athletic Field Named for FIX
\ President-Girls Decorate
I Gold Stars.

American towns which have not vet
formally welcomed home their soldiers
and sailors and wondering what sort OF
n community memorial to erect viii be
glad OF learn what the town of Pelham
did yesterday.
Tho cornerstone of school was laid !;
It is the Memorial High School The
Gated: it is Roosevelt Field. On the
field an American flag was raised to the
top of pole. which not so long ago was
one of Otegon's tallest pines. At the
foot of the pole rested eleven gold stars
for the eleven Pelham boys who did not
come back Eleven girls in white frocks
advanced and laid flowers on the eleven
stars, while the autumn painted West
chester hills echoed the notes of a bugler
sounding taps.
Before these exercises 200 of the 275
Eervice men hailing from the three di-
visions of the town = Pelham, North
Pelham and Pelham Manor - paraded
impartially through each settlement.
They do say that on occasion rivalry
known, but If any of this spirit was in
evidence yesterday 1t was in a contest
RS to which of the trinity could do most
toward making the day happy for the
lads who had represented the whole.
Hold Mig Block Party.
Late last night. after a "for service
men only dinner" had been served at
the Pelham Club, the three Pelhams were
all one blazing block party, with dane
ing wherever you willed, and fireworks
left over from the war Illuminating all
the countryside.
Those Pelham folks contrived and car
rled through n celebration that has not
been surpassed in these parts for APP
tropriateness and entertaining quality.
The only disappointment was the In
ebIlity of Major-Gen. Leonard Wood to
speak at the cornerstone laying. He
was kept in New York by the illness OF
his daughter. who was attacked b. APP
pendicitis yesterday morning.
He sent as substitute Ma jor-Gen
Charles j. Bailey, the new command IT
of the Department of the East and com
mander of the Wildcat Division in
France. Gen. Bailey proved to be more
than n pinch hitter. He fired his open
air audience with his tribute to the
living and the dead, made them laugh
with stories of the camps, and said that
slackers were so few in New York that
he had no doubt 'all of them could be
out here in your dog pound and you'd
still have room there for all the other
ours you may want TO intern"
The parade started in North Pelham
and wound through the villages until 1t
had completed the circuit and arrived
at the site of the new school. Civil war
veterans, especially cheered by school
children massed by the reviewing stand
on Pelhamdale avenue, Pelham Manor
rode at the front in automobiles, FOL
lowed by Spanish war veterans and a
sailor and a soldier bearing flag with
eleven stars for these men who died in
the war: Charles Amato, James s.
Brown, Franklin Fairchild. a son of ex-
Representative Benjamin J.. Fairchild
who presided at the later exercises
Frederick C. Gerloff, Ilmani Heino, Rob
ert w: McClain, Charles II. Pond, Jr.'
George +. Walsh. john +. Young, Philip
f. Messenger and James Butler.
Their names and those OF the res,
Of the 275 Pelham men were inscribed
on a roll of honor with the words: "fot
earned our gratitude and you have it.
Soldiers in "Ctvies."
Most of the service men wore Olive
drab; a few longer out OF the army
were in civilian clothes. A man who
would nightly like to have marched
with them sat on the reviewing stand
He was Sergeant Charles B. Orwig, who
as assistant ammunition officer in tn
146th Infantry had a leg severed by
shell which tore his horse from unde
him. This was in the Argonne, bu
,Orwig was the only man OF his com
pany wounded. He is nephew of
o. Thompson, who in New York is
silk manufacturer and in Pelham a MAJ
active in all good works. 1t was Mr.
Thompson who gave the 100 foot flag
pole for Roosevelt Field and who stool
in. the background while two schoo
boys unveiled a tablet on the pol
reading:
This pole raised October IS. 1913
on Roosevelt Field in commemoration o
the Homecoming of the men and womei
of the Pelhams who served their countr!
in the world war and In grateful re
rnembrance of those who made the su
preme sacrifice"
Which reminds the forgetful reporte
that the women who went from Pelham
into the Red Cross, the automobile corp
and other war agencies were also in tn
parade or were giving their assistance
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