The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-05-03
Memorial Address.
(By j. Sprole Lyons. .Jr., Chaplain
11Sth Infantry).

where today the crimson poppy
blooms and on the sides Of those hills
beyond the Sommc. whose rare beau
/ ty four years of the hatred of the
/ Hun has failed to more than mar. rest
the remains Of Carolina lads who gave
their all. There they await that final
buglc blast which shall call them from
their sleep to pass in review before
the Grand Commander of the universe
ITO receive from Him theil. eternal dec
orations and TO hear from His lips
well done thou good and faithful
servant"
| In all their service they were new
CT heard to mulHnur or complain
when duty called. When comradc
and pal and sometimes brother wore
falling by their side. willingly. yea
eagerly. they embraced the task
which they all but knew must be thei,
last. Wh:? They believed in the
righteousness Of their cause. Why?
Patriotism was the YER! air they
breathed Wh:;: Often Tor days and
nights their only meat and drink. u,;,t
rrora which they drew their strength
to endure and their courage TO per-
servcre. was the LOYALTY which surg
ed through their beings TO the rythm
of The Dca OF their hearts.
our Soutu Carolina men were the
! ti.rishcd product OF military science.
They We're equipped for every phase
OF the fighting mans career. They
were given and We're able 20 receive
th,. very best instruction which mill
itary experts could impart. Yes and
they had received and were able TO
appropriate and guarded rs their
choicest treasure that finest religious
instruction which is given to man
kind that which a man receives as &
boy at his mothers knee. Mother
always had her appropriate place in
the thoughts before the battle and
her name WAS most often in the
hearts and on The lipS Of the dying.
ELOQUENT tcstinloD" adorns the pages
Of the history Of the war that these
men. and fighters. met their duty
bravely intclligently and with an
irresistible energy and when the
books Of the universe are balanced.
they will bear their testimony that.
with the same intelligence. prepara-
ton and bravery, they met their
death.
On the third of July. 1913, the
11Sth Infantry marched. late IN the
afternoon. into the little French town
of Wylder. on the Belgian border. 1t
was one short days march from the
front. AS we entered the town we
had the unique experience of seeing
Il town near the front saily bedecked
with flags and curious flag hanging
from the town hall. 1t had twelve
and onc-half stripes and twenty
stars. The mayor explained its sig
nificancc When the villagers heard
that English speaking troops were to
be hillcted in the town for the first
time and that the men belonged to
the first American unit to enter Bel
gium. they decided to decorate their
town in ou:. honor. When they brought
out their flags. it was discovered that
thcy bad the flags Of all the allies cX-
ccpt the United States. The mayor
called the ladies together and asked
them to make an American flag. All
their RED. white and blue cloth WAS
brought to ting town hall and the
Gag. when finished. hati twelve an"
one-lla!f stripes because the cloth
gave out. and twenty stars because no
one III ihai town knew the number OF
stars in the American flag
When we had our first casualties in
Belgium and were preparing to bury
the fallen there was but one Amerl-
can flag to bc fond in the whole 3oth
Division. All the others had been
turned in when we exchanged our
American for British cquipmcnt ]
wen; back to Wyldcr, explained our
p,@dica mcnt to The nlnyor and asked
him if he would donate tn" fla3 OF
Wylder 10 the ftSth Infantry to be
used as q burial flag. He readily
agreed to do so and called together
tn" ladies who had made the flag.
The president and vice president Of
the orCsniza ton signed their namec
III the lower left hand corner and that
flag was tho burial flag Of tho 11Stk
Infantry dlnin" its campaigns III Bel
giunl and before the Hindcnbur" line
To my mind it is altogether appro
pirate that such i flag should be used
as u burial 1lay in the 4. T.. +. For i
illustrates ;hc spirit Of the met; In
or cxpcditiorary forces. Thos" wp
t1en Of Wyi,lnr knew what they wan!
ed TO do. they waEted TO make an
American ha:s They had he right
spirit ;,nd :. Willingness to work but
they were iGnoran, O ftnc details Of
their ::.sil so lil"l siinpl! did IN" b"s'
;hoy could with the Information and
materials at hand. Not one man IN a
thousand in the cXpcditionary forces
knew that details Of that for which
he WAS iishtin:. bit he knew that il
was a cause wort. tiCnliu:: for and
h" did til" best h could eyer 10 th"
enduring of hartlShips and the laying
down OF his !ifc. if necessary. lie did
this al the more willingly because Hc
knew :hat there were those at home
who woud take up the task where
he laid it down ard carry it through to
| Il glorious completion. Could those
tncl stand beside Ia" today. kacw