Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-06-06
VIRGINIA TROOPERS
HERE ARE GRANTED
HEARTY WELCOME
Crack 3!17th Regiment
Parades as Slight Showers
Sprinkle Crowds.
FEW SOLDIERS FALL OUT.
AS WEATHER PROVES COOL
Crowd Smaller Than at Two
Previous Celebrations Held
in Richmond.
LINE OF MARCH Is SHORTER
Demonstration Closes With Cerc.
monies at Capitol Square, in
Which Officials partic{po,a
LINE OF MARCH is SHORTER
Demonstration Closes With Cerc.
monies at Capitol Square, in
Which Officials Participate.

when the gallant lads of the Three
''u"ured and Seventeenth Infantry
''s'ea IN review on Thursday after
mon pefore the thousands OF relatives
ana friends. whose every heart felt
He" prize and a new joy for their
pattie record and their return home,
iiichmond looked upon the las. re-
turning contingent OF the great regi-
menus Virginia sent TO meet the Hun.
Ana. later. when the famous unit
are" up under the shadow Of the Capt.
,oi TO present unsullied the banner IL
pore high on the fields Of France the
men made the final vindication of the
,nolce their State made in selecting
mem ior the hardest, yet most glorious
service that her sons had been called
upon TO render
From Office and shop and farm; from
oSety walk OF life: from all the homes
OF the commonwealth which cherished
ioNe Tor country and where that love
had set off the spark OF patriotism.
.nese lads went out to new expert
.nce, set their faces toward the old
World 10 fgnt for the Ideals OF the
Graves Dot Argonne Forest.
How we'll they d. their part. how
Eloriously they upheld the standard OF
which dot the ArEonne Forest aud the
impotence Of the once proud Hun.
thrown back step by step until he
crossed his inviolate Rhine before n
When they came back on Thursday,
Itichmond remembered a city In gala
oress greeted them. cheering thousands
,hem hened ad Isd nnasr s overcast skies to give
The children. who will emulate their
example through the years to come.
scattered flowers before their march
Hundreds of these tanned -hshtins
men the city Knew only few. months
as happy. roilickins boys. as bright
billty were strangers. as light hearted
!ounE men who had seen but one side
And then came the call TO war.
overnight became an armed camp.
From the pursuits Of gay young man
hood the inen OF the Three Hundred
and Seventeenth suddenly were called
10 fit themselves for the arduous task
OF beating the enemy OF civilization.
saw Them Go With Mixed Emotionsj
Richmond saw them 60 With
mingled emotions she bade them God :
speed on their high mission across
the sea In the training area she fol-
the news came that they were attack
ing In the greatest struggle of the
war her heart beat little faster. But
she han faith In them. And then, when
the battle Was over. she found that
they had made glorious history and
had given new luster to American
arms.
SO on Thursday she turned out 10
sec them reach their last objective, to
watch them as they entered their capI-
tai city. to greet them as they swarm
cd over the Fair Grounds for the first
meeting in more than a year with
relatives and friends, to review them
AS they marched In triumph through
her principal streets and to applaud
them as they came on with the swing
ing stride of veterans.
Weather Conditions IdeaI
For the parade, weather conditions
we're almost ideal. Though clouds be-
gan to gather early in the day. there
would be drenching downpour OF
rain during the march TO CAPITOL
SQUARE The sweltering heat of last
SatuTday' when the boys of the Three
hundred and Eighteenth came for
their celebration. had given way to a
temperature which allowed the men
10 march with some degree of com
fort.
AS the regiment was drawn .up In
Capitol Square to present its tag to
the State. and for some of its heroes
10 receive decorations for distinguish
ed service overseas. It began to rain
more heavily than 1t had done, but thr
ardor of the boys welcomers refused
TO be dampened and they followed
them. cheering wildly, to the Byrd
Street Station. where they entrained
for Camp Lee.
Welcomed by Din of whistles.
The din Of thousand whistles and
bells apprised the expectant CITY thai
its returning heroes had come in sight
when their seven special trains began
to rumble into :-,e corporate limits.
They were unloaded at the Fair
Grounds the first contingent reach
ing there about 1880 o'clock.
The parade, shorter than any OF tbe
preceding ones, began at 4 O'clock from
Monument Avenue An escort Aof of
mounted police led the column, with
Adjntant-General 10 Lane Stern and
it. Then came the service flag bear
Ing a single sold star for the men
Who ndiaasa died as soldiers. detachment
Of the Red Cross Motor Corps, is fols
Colonel Keller marched at the head.
dred and Seventeenth was Company
NJ. Of the Three Hundred and Eigh-
teenth Regiment. making total Oh
The line OF march was down Monu-
ment Avenue and Franklin Street, to
Adams and north on Adams to Broad
down Eighth to Grace and thence to
Capitol Square. where, after a brief
rest, the presentation ceremonies took
place. About o'clock the men en-
Camp Lee.
In tYU reviewing stand with Gov
ernof Westmoreland Davis were Major
G4L erals Omar Bundy and AdeIbert
Cfonk:flte and Mayor Ainsle.
~ Crowd Small at stand.
q smaller crowd than formerly gath
.N.d In and around the reviewing
nand in Monroe Park and gave the
returning troops warm welcome.
5 Mowers fell from 8 o'clock onward,
,+ut until after the parade had passed
fl,he reviewing stand they were so
slight that they but cooled the atmos.