The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-03-07
Home-C Coming Story
That Fits Them All
Touching Description of APP
parent Display of Emotion as
Doughboys Again Look
Upon the Statue of Liberty.
by Damon Runyon.

who accompanied the Twenty
Seventh division home on the Levia-
than.)
New York. March 6-Home from
war came nine thousand men on
New York's Twenty Seventh division
TODAY, and what a home coming it
was,
From the moment the transport
Leviathan-eigh days out of Brest-
poked her big snout into the upper
bay, until she eased her matronly
girth, groaningly. into a berth at
Hoboken, things happened with such
amazing sequence that even now it
is difficult to assemble them into
coherent order.
They happened with such rapidity
that they left the brown clad men
stacked in tiers on the many decks
of the great boat. a wee bit dazed--
but fully cognizant of this one beau
ttful fact:
They were home, They were back
in that country, for which their eager
eyes had been straining since the
dawn Of the gorgeous day. They
were back among the home folks, and
the home folks were gind---Are glad
II should say. to see them. For it
was Gods country welcome.
1t Is not strange that some of these
men who have looked on dire things
and have been in dire places the past
ten months, suddenly found them
selves batting their eyelashes to re-
lieve them of salt-watery little drops
that appeared on them In the most
untoward manner. 1t is not strange
that some of them found themselves
a little choky-like in the region of
the windpipe.
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ing up out of the morning, each
building as clear AS If carved out of
crystal; that towering greenish figure
holding the old light on high. and to
which one remarked. perfunctorily,,
because one had been thinking OF say
ing IL for sometime:
'Old Lady, If YOU see me again
you'll have to turn around"---these
things, visuaifxed. were only the reaii-
cation OF the dreams OF every man
aboard.
They had dreamt of them in the
trenches; in the camps: in the mucks
and the mud, and the wrack OF war
which has been their portion these
long months; most OF them--the
New York bred-had every detail of
the scene burned by association. in his
memory. But the welcome that came
with these things was something not
entirely anticipated.
They had expected that there would
be some sort OF turn out" of course:
they had idly specialized on It during
the long days while crossing the ocean
from the land, they went to fight for.
and wondered lust what form it would
take. but 1t is doubtful if they looked
for the greetings they received today
I'd greeting with the great heart of
all New York state throbbing In It,
They say the water front strike
kept down the number OF boats that
went OUT to greet the Leviathan. Per
haps II was just as well. The navi-
gators of the gigantic vessel were not
entirely happy over the fleet that did
show up.
TO those on board tho Leviathan
It seemed as II the sea round and
about was fairly boiling With boats
Of all descriptions, as the big trans
port kicked her precarious passage
up the channel And surely each
boat. skipping hither and yon. lige 80
many water bugs, carried a band
Music welled up on all sides and II
was all grades and noises in music.
But there was one band leader who
knew something. His band kept play
ing a marvellous melody and the name
Of this melody is; Home Sweet
Home"
The men who broke the linden
burg line thought well of that tune.
They disgorged cheers which came
from the very bottom OF their souls
On the bridge OF the Levfathan as
she came up the bay stood Major
General John F. Organ who took the
New York men away to war. and who
Ia returning them, as he himself has
put II, THE same clean and efficient
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