The Cordova daily times., 1919-05-31
MONUMENT TO LOCAL HEROES
 IS DEDICATED

tial and fitting tribute to the memories of boys from this section who sacri. feed their lives for their country in a just cause, by unveiling concrete monument on Flag Hill, containing the names of those who have fallen either lover there" or lover here,'' which are to be engraved upon a bronze tablet.
 The exercises took place at 2:30 o'clock in the afternoon, as soon as the service men in town had arrived in full uniform. Attorney F. H. Foster delivered the dedicatory speech and after the monument had been unveiled by Miss Thelma MacConnell, it was accepted by Mayor A. J. Adams, on behalf of the city. Reverend E. P. Zeigler then introduced Mrs. A. J. MacConnell who read an appro- priate and pathetic poem of her own composition, entitled Lest We For get" A number of children deposited floral offerings on the memorial and the exercises closed by Bugler Burns sounding the taps.
 Attorney Fosters Dedicatory Speech Ladies and gentlemen:
 We meet here today to do homage to our honored dead. Dead in the body, but yet alive in the loving mem- ory of us who but a short year ago grasped these heroes by the hand and bade them God-speed as answering the call of their country, they em- parked on the great adventure full of enthusiasm, patriotism and the joy of living, with the wine of life free flow ing in every vein, they pressed for ward fearless until in the words of Tennyson, Gods hand touched them and they slept" Glorious was the death of him who surrounded by hail of shrapnel, wounded, bleeding, dying, carried on intrepidly against the foe until the Grim Reaper overlook him; :; and not less gloriously did he die who willing to risk all for an ideal, was taken by the ravages of disease.
 But, Are they dead? The spark of life is gone, under white cross in Flanders Fields the discarded husk reposes while Spring has covered the rows of somber earth with a carpet of living green and bright wild flowers. Are they dead? The dust has returned to dust from whence it came. But the soul which is life itself is not dead.
 We glory in the death of our heroes. We mourn the loss of their friend ship, of their sweet companionship. We sorrow over our own loss. Not over theirs for the memory of those we have lost will last until the human race shall cease to exist. Their deeds of heroism shall endure as long as the spirit of liberty shall remain in the breast of man. Their sacrifice was not in vein; not useless thing their suffering; for the holy fire which burned within the forefathers of those we honor. Which led them to cross the sea in search of freedom in religion and politics, freedom to govern them selves, freedom to worship in the way they believed right according to the dictates of conscience. This holy fire burned in the hearts and souls of our dead soldiers and the flame kindled and fed through their supreme sacri- flee shall burn more and more brightly until all the nations of the world shall be free and equal. May the great cataclysm of war through which we have passed, be the final one May this be the last necessity for the shedding of the blood of our young men that the greed of some de- generate monarch of misguided peo- pie may be satiated.
 And now, as fitting tribute of our respect and reverence, of our love and veneration to the memory of those who have died that we might be free, we dedicate this monument. the gift of the people of the Copper river valley, to be token unto our children and our children's children Lest We Forget.
 Mayor Adams Accepts tho Memorial Friends:
 Nearly five years ago the skies of Europe were darkened by the clouds lof war. which clouds rapidly spread and increased in blackness until two years ago they had covered practically the entire face of the earth. and this country was forced to take up arms in defense of liberty and In the cause of humanity.
 Although we mourn for those who