Mexico weekly ledger., 1919-08-07
FRANK OW|NGS TELLS
OF TR|UMPHAL MARCH
Was First American Naval Man to
Pass Under the Arc of Triumph
In Paris
AMONG FIRST AMERICANS
Flowers and Money Thrown Before
the American Sailors as they
Paraded.

A letter received by w. N. Boatman
from Frank Owens who is first class
musician in the U. S. Navy tells of his
part in the parade and march under
the Arch, of Triumph in France. He
was the first American Naval man to
pass under the Arch and one of the
first Americans. At present he is
drum major Of naval band and is
stationed in Brest, France.
The letter is as follows:
Brest, France, July 16, 1919.
Dearest Homefolks:--
Well / am at last back from one of
the grandest trips one could dream Of.
In that trip we marched in one Of
the greatest parades ever in this his
tory of the world. We started out
marching at six in the morning and
ended up at one-thirty in the after
noon after marching about fifteen
miles in all. | will start at the be-
ginning Of the parade and try to tell
you in the best way can to make it
possible for you to imagine the mag
nifcence Of it.
Yoa have heard of the Arc of
Triumph that was built by Napoleon /.
After the French and German war in
1S49, the Germans were going to
march through the Arc after they had
taken Alsaace and Lorraine away from
France. The French heard of this and
they put barricades in the arch and
chained it up so that no one could pos
sibly get through and swore that the
chains should not be taken down rs
long as France was under any obli-
cations to Germany. The arch has
never been used since that time with
the exception Of few men who have
slipped through it,
We took our positions at $50 in the
morning and at $50 with canon boom
ing the chains that barred the way
were cut forever and the greatest par
ade in the history Of the world started.
Military experts state that there will
never be an occasion again in his
tory that will cause another parade
such as this one.
First came Marshall Foch and Joffre
and all of the French Generals. Then
came General Pershing at the head of
a regiment of picked Marines, and be-
hind that regiment Of picked Amer
ican Infantrymen. Next came the
band of which was Drum Major and
two companies of sailors. Then came
a picked regiment of Belgians, then
a picked regiment of English and
Scotchmen, then came the French fol-
lowed by a picked regiment of Ital-
ians.
We marched through the Arch Of
Triumph and down the Champs-Ely-
sees and around the Place de Con-
corde, up Rue Madalone, and then up
Rue Italian to Place de Republis. We
were the first Americans to ever march
through the Arc of Triumph and your
grandson was the first American
Naval man to march through the Arc
of Triumph. That being because I
was leading the band and our officers
were behind the band. ! am sending
pictures Of the parade that shows the
Arc of Triumph and the reviewing
stand and the memorial to the dead.
1t is estimated that there were
between five and seven million people
out to see the parade, and there must
have been that many too as there were
more than anyone could ever imagine.
When we came marching, the
crowd would cheer so loudly that l
could hardly hear the two drums that
beat at the step, when the band was
not playing. When the band was play
ing it was hard to hear all Of them.
Our path was covered with flowers and
money that was thrown at US as we
marched. We talked to number of
French officers and they as we'll as
many others say the American sailor
looks best when on the march. With
the white hats, blue uniforms and
white leggons, clean and tidy, march
ing as if there was no one in miles of
them. Not one looking to the right
or theleft but straight ahead of them.
We saw ourselves in motion pictures
that night after the parade and it was
sure fine to sit and listen to the whole
theatre cheer the American sailors as
they came marching through the Arc
of Triumph and for you to be the first
one and leading the rest.
There is no other news to write and