The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-23
WAR CROSS SEEMED
TOPEEVE HAWKINS
Lieutenant Failed to Under
stand Why Generals, Etc,
Should Pick on Him.
OTHER BOYS ALL THERE
Veterans of the Seventh Honor
One Of Their Own for
Bravery.

The veterans Of &c" former mem
bers Of Company q OF the old Seventh
Regiment, welcomed the returned MEM
bers Of Company G. 107th United States
| Infantry, concentrated the twenty
| men who met their end, pro Patria, pro
| Gloria" at Mount KENNEL and the
Hindenburg line, and to the surprise OF
| all except a few Of the initiated assisted
in the ceremony of decorating one of
their comrades last night at the Plaza
| Hotel.
After Gen. O,Rayan, a former mem
her of '7-G", and Gen. Debevoise,
who commanded the 10Th until he was
| appointed a brigadier, Col. Mortimer
Bryant, who succeeded Gen. Debevoise
| and brought the boys home, Capt.
Drake, q company's commanding Of
| ficer until he was wounded in the Hin
! denburg show, Sergeant Blake and Will
liam A. Hoy had all told how the 107th
had upheld the best traditions of the old
| Seventh in France and Flanders-Gen.
| Organ said that all the hundred years
of the regiments traditions II they could
be rolled into one had been eclipsed
by the things the boys had done over
| there-Mr. Ambrose G. Todd, the toast
1
a former Seventh man. now on duty
with the General Staff. And the Col
onel, stiff and formal in his uniform
with the black band of the general stan
| on his cuff. proceeded to surprise every
| one except a few who had been let into
| the secret
ut is pleasure. gentlemen" he be
| gan, ITO be again on duty with nv ole
comrades of the Seventh Regiment, n. @
l,.A..
to make a speech. but under orders.
will ask you ALL including the ladies il
the galleries, to rise and face Lieut.
Hawkins" And the Colonel marched
Lieut.. William s. Hawkins. looking yer,
much like a very nervous bridegroom
over In front Of Gen. Organ and re
quested the latter, as Lieut.. Hawkins
former division commander, to read tn
Lieutenant's citation.
Gen. Organ read as follows: Lieut.
William S. Hawkins. For extraordi
nary heroism in action near st. Sulplet
France, on October 17-1S, 1918. Will,
acting as liaison officer Lieut.. Hawkins
was wounded by the explosion of a shell
Unmindful of his weakened condition, h,
continued to carry on his duties for tw'
days and materially assisted in the com
plet!on of the operation before allowing
Then Col. Grail pinned the bit OF blu
ribbon with the little bronze cross dang
ling from II on the lapel OF Lieut.. Haw
| Eins's dinner coat and a barrage o
cheers burst from the veterans and tn
boys who had served under the gallan
Lieutenant at St Sulplet and through
dozen other battles of the war. Their
were calls for a speech. and Lieut.. Haw
kins modestly and almost apologeticall
said that he had only done what an
other man In the A. E F. would hav
done under the same circumstances. an
that he saw SO many boys around tn
tables before him who had done thing
more worthy of the decoration that h
scarcely felt that he deserved II.
Thereby he exemplified what Ger
Organ had said about the men OF tn
regime a few moments before. TIL
attituoc OF the men of the 10th. II
said seemed to be one OF such modest
that they always had an apologetic ex
preston no matter what operation the
had carried out as II they were afrai
they had not done quite all they ough
to have done.
William A. Hoy, VINO Is secretary O
the Seventh Company Veterans Associa
ton. read the names OF the twent
men of the company who fell in Franc
and Flanders. Included among Their
was the name OF Joyce kilmer. TIL
lights in the room were extinguishe
and as each name was called a tin
electric light in the monogram &c
above the speakers table was lighted 4
commemoration of the addition to tn
long regimental roll Of honor, while
bugler in the corridor sounded taps.