The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-02-20
GEN. COLE WRITES |
ON HOMECOMING
Commander of 18th Division
Makes Suggestions as
to Welcome
ONLY ONE PARADE
LIKELY TOOCCUR
And Boston is the City Where it win
Take Place-All People of Maine,
New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecti-
cut and Rhode Island to Attend.

BOSTON, Feb. 20-Some idea of the |.
keen interest the Massachusetts men |
over there are taking in the possibilities |
OF their welcome home is given in the fol- /
lowing letter received by Louis A. Cool
ldge, chairman of the Massachusetts
committee to welcome returning soldiers. !
sailors and marines, from Brig Gen. |
Charles Fl. Cole, as follows:
Now that | have discovered that YOU
are chairman of the reception committee
for Homecoming soldiers, YOU may find
me to be a nuisance with the number of
letters, suggestions and ideas that | will
send To you. Moreover, am so much
interested in these fellows over here who
have done such wonderful Job, that |
am willing TO make myself a nuisance if
can help them and the reception which
| know you people in New England are
going to give them.
you Know that the 10Th division is
made up of troops from New England
We certainly hope that we shall be land
ed at Boston and have an opportunity to
! parade through the streets of Boston.
| There is an attempt being made to have
/ the l03d infantry parade in Maine. l03d
machine gun battalion parade in Provi-
dence, l02d infantry in Connecticut, all
j of which will be great thing if it can
be done. | am afraid. however, that the
only parade we can be sure of is the one
in Boston. and just how sure of that we
can be | do not know. If, however, we
are given an opportunity to parade in
Boston, it seems to me that it would be
a splendid idea TO get all the people from
Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode
Island and Connecticut to come to Bos-
ton to see that parade. This could be
done fairly easily by keeping the gov
eInors of those states informed of the
date of our arrival and of the parade
This don't have to make any suggestion
TO YOU about. but | have one suggestion
TO make to YOU in this connection, and
that Is this, if we do parade in Boston.
believe it would be a splendid thing to
have arrangements made for taking care
of the families OF the officers coming
from parts of New England not near
Boston They might be gathered to-
: gether in one building or in one place
You know coming as strangers to Bos-
ton they would not know where to 90
to see the parade, and it might be in the
crowd they would miss the whole show
which would be very unfortunate thing
to happen because the wives and the chill
dren of these officers have not seen their
husbands and fathers for year and a
half.
'Of eonrse, it would be just as splendid
thing To do for the enlisted men. but
that is such tremendous undertaking
. that it seems doubtful that it could bt
brought about There would not be q
! place big enough TO take care of all the
enlisted mems families unless you put
them on Boston Common, and then il
you got them there you could not get the
division there, as there would not b.
room enough for both crowds at the same
time If however, we land in detach
ments with a regiment at time it nigh
be handled for the enlisted men. Any
thing that you might want to find out il
the way OF information | can get to YOU
This i my first troublesome lette
to you.
Very sincerely yours,
'(Signed) Charles II. Cole"