Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1919-11-26
Sy!HlLD!ERTAKES PLATFORM
HERO OF THE'LoST BATTALION"
TO GIVE TALKS
Dr. Porter Proposes a Lecture Tour
and Recital of Army Experiences
by Ray LOCKER of Viola

Editor Censor: / believe that those
who attended the meeting at the Court
House Armistice night were all we'll
pleased with all the short speeches
given by the veterans. There are 200
veterans scattered over the county
who, if they will open their mouths
and talk about the war, will hold au-
diences as well as those splendid fel-
lows did that night. The Legion or
ganized here should encourage boys
who have seen service at the front to
tell audiences what they have seen
and done over there.
Instead of reciting poem, want
ed Losey Wood to tell of how he, as
sharpshoOter, refrained from killing
a German boy of fourteen, whom he
saw across the line in tears. Later
the boy was taken prisoner and Losey
interrogated him and found he was in
the position opposite him on that par
ticular day. LOsey told him, Il could
have killed you that day. | drew
bead on YOU but ] hated to kill a
young boy" The lad thanked him
and said he had long wanted to sur
render and that he was crying that
day because he felt so sad.
/ Ray LOCKER should take the lee
ture platform. He has talked an hour
or more about his part in the battle
Of the Lost Battalion. He can ex-
pand that talk into a lecture of 90
minutes AID hold any audience any
where, speliDound. He reeds a big
map Of Argonne and a plan of the
country around Grand Pre-, to illus
trate that lecture. If the people of
the villages of Vernon county want a
/ war lecture this winter if his health
! holds good, Ray LOCKER can give it to
them. 1t is talk fit for any ros-
trul1 in the land; talk that deeply
stirs the emotions and gives one a
| better idea of the endurance, fidelity
and patriotism of the American sol
der. When LOCKER was well enough
to leave Fl Smelling hospital the
Daughters of the Revolution invited
him to address them at their gath
erings and then the educational boards
of the Twin Cities gave him money
to visit the schools there, and for five
weeks he talked to the children in
those schools, from the Kindergarten
| to the High School County Super
! intendent Sanford and | believe this
boy should take the platform and tell
the people the tragic story of the
| Lost Battalion. We drafted him
! ana SeNL MN INTO nell ana ne comes
back broken in health, unfit for work,
yet able to tell of the part his COM
rades took in the Argonne drive. Mr..
! Sanford will have the teachers cooper
ate in arranging for these lectures;
he believes it is worth Is cents to
every boy and girl to hear this talk
| Mr.. LOCKER loves to talk to children,
! they pay such close attention to all
| he says. He wants Grand Army men
and veterans of the World War to
have free admission. He will pro-
| badly speak first at Viroqua in the
! largest auditorium in the city early
| in December. We hope to have a
map of the Meuse-Argonne sector, Is
feet long, ready for him. We believe
he will have a full house wherever
he goes and if people have to stand
two hours, as they did the other night,
they will do it gladly to hear this
simple story of the heroism of the
American soldier We have never
heard such a story before, and will
never hear it's like again. In our
childhood we were fed the story of
Thermopylae, Leonidas and his 300
Spartans Twenty -four centuries hence
children will be told the parallel story
that Ray LOCKER tells so simply and
with such gripping effect of the Lost
Battalion" c. V. PORTER.