New Britain herald., 1919-05-27
SERGEANT ROBERTS
 BURIED AT LEMANS
Parents Receive Beautiful De- scription Of Hero's Funeral
INFERRED WITH 4 COMRADES
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IOnsllt-EpNorth League Supper Brief Items.
 Death robbed Plainville of one of it returning hero boys of the lO2d when sergeant Leon Roberts died from bronchial pneumonia at Le Mans, France while on his way to the port of authorization and the much longed for Home Sweet Home." The dead soldier was a hero of the most real kind for his heroic acts lasted even unto his bedside where his last dying words were, Give them my love" and he passed to soldiers 1 reward with a true soldiers smile lighting his face.
 Following is the personal letter written by the nurse who attended l him:
 l Mrs. C. C. Roberts,
 25 East Street.
 Plainville Conn.,,
 l My Dear Mrs. Roberts:
 l | am the home communication rem 1 resentatiVe of the American Red Cross | at Camp Hospital 52, here in I,e Mans ] and the link between our sick men and their families. Therefore, it is l with the greatest sympathy. and with a full realization of the priyilege 4hat is mine that I am writing to tell vou ! something of the last days of vour 1 sons life, which were spent in this hospital. You will already have re- l ceived cable from the government telling you that he died at 800 D, 
 l pneumonia in line of duty, having been admitted to this hospital onl , February 22d. 1 Your son was with us less than a 1 week and was very sick while here. I was sick myself for the first few days, but I saw him several times on l the 27th. When I asked him if could write to you he said, Don't 1 write yet, probably this afternoon," so l l went back in the afternoon and he said, Send my love-" That was all, 1 but his smile as he said it was enough 1 to how where his thoughts were. The 1 reSt morning he was delirious, then l sank into unconsciousnes and he left 1 us quietly.
 We have two Protestant haplains stationed at this hospital, and as these men live here all the time, every l boy can have the religious consola- l tion and friendship he needs, when l he needs it, day or night. l I am inclosing a description of the | funeral service as it is conducted l here. The grave is registered with the Graves Registration Bureau of the American Expeditionary Force and will be cared for by them If your son had any personal effects I of 1 Bureau at Washington.
 time through the Personal Effects Sincerely yours,
 MARY A. ROLFE,
 Home Communica ton Section,
 American Red Cross Sergeant Roberts was buried with four other soldiers. The following is beautiful description of the burial written also by Miss Rolfe and sent l to his parents:
 'It was o'clock on one of those ] soft gray days, common in France, which remind us so of April at home, that l went to the hospital with the 1 purpose of going out with some of 1 the boys on the journey to their last l resting place. 1 climbed up on the seat of big horse-draWn ambulance with the American soldier driver and a chaplain from camp fl miles away who had come to attend the burial of one of his men who had died sudden ly of heart failure. Our load that | morning was a very precious one the bodies of five of our boys-boys whom l had watched as they slowly l passed out into the future.
 We went through the great gates of the old priests school at Le Mans, 1 now used for Camp Hospital No. 52, along it's high stone wall and through l the narrow, winding streets, past the great old cathedral, with it's tiny an- i cient tower, it's Druid stone and won- | derful window glass, on down through the "Tunnel'-a covered stone road descending to the river, past the old Roman brick tower al the right, and on across the river, leaving the ruined stone arches and porticos of the Romans to guard the river bank at our left. Then we followed the river as far as the dam, where, turn ing to our left, we passed along the streets and out into the open countrv Looking back across the river, I saw the great cathedral rising impressive 1y from the heights, and not far from it the long buildings of the hospital cut the sky line, far above us.
 Soon we came to a few clustered houses and stores and then to the gates of the cem etery, the Grand [ C'im etiere of Le Mans. There we We're met by an Army band. the chaplain soldier pallbearers and the firing squad. As the first coffin was lifted from the ambulance to the horse- drawn, soldier-ridden gun carriage. every man came to a salute The firing squad presented arms. Thus the fag-draped coffin on its gun car