New-York tribune., 1919-03-26
Would Go Through Flanders
He'll Again just to Ex-
perience the Thrill of
Such a Homecoming
Wished for His sBuddies'
Joy Tempered by Sadness
at Thought of Those Who
Sleep at Hindenburg Line

n live to be a hundred years old
IN always believe that the reception
q and welcome extended by New York to
7 the 9th Division was the greatest and
s, most beautiful thing / have ever seen.
Il was wonderful. Words seem so in
4 expressive when you try to tell how
= YOU feel on such an occasion.
= You can't just explain the thrill
that runs through you when you are
: being cheered by thousands and thou
sands and you know that your mother
and sister and sweetheart are some
where in the throng. Many strange
Thoughts fit through your brain--pict-
lures Of muddy roads in Flanders,
broken down and shell torn houses
snd ruins of villages, Fifth Avenue, as
=. il vas when we marched away in 1917.
AL these and hundreds of other things
kept running through my thoughts as
( j liked along the pavement under vic
story arches and by the impressive roll
of the honored dead in front of the
public library.
There was where q pang Of regret
kswept over me. How | wished for my
Htwo buddies-the ones who marched on
either side of me as we gaily paraded
.Uaown Fifth Avenue on our way to the
great adventure,
Thoughts of Dead Comrades
Where are they now? Back yonder
s'in Bony, l think, at least in one of
The cemeteries near the Hindenburg
kne. They went west" the day we
we're getting ready to smash the Ger
man defences before Cambrai. Fer
guson and Trapani, how they would
have liked to see the homecomingi |
never missed them so much as when
I've marched by the honor roll, eyes
'-fcft, in reverence for those who won't
come back.
My first thought, while we were
waiting for the order to fall in was,
well, this is going to be some differ
irent from the time we marched up to
1.-The front in Belgium, after detraining
from box cars, and ploughed our way
Through the mud Then | began to
twonder what the avenue looked like
We had read so much about the deco
iatons, arches, flags, etc. The first
glimpse sent a thrill through me.
The tall victory arch at Twenty third
49, WIN us ulCHy dTliSLlC QecOrd-
exzons, and the tall buildings. the Metro
poilEan tower, the trees in the park,
e &led my attention to the striking diff
ference between New York and war
I h'ern France. How glad I was to be
ex home, away from the desolation of
burned and shattered towns
Hobnailed Shoes Unpleasant
Pulling upgrade past the Waldorf
astoria and Thirty-fourth Street began
so tell on me. l was all out of trim,
and the hot pavement was none too
v-sonltortable. Clicking along in hob
-nailed shoes that are hard enough on
the feet in Flanders mud is not the
most pleasant thing in the world when
sae ground underneath offers plenty of
assistance While think of it, nv feet
are taking a good rest right now.
- Inc double quick at spots along the
e-route took some of the joy out Of the
nareh too, but I didn't mind that so
much after we got along to the stands
lining Central Park. ! hoped to be able
70 draw resting spell where l might
see mother and the others, but !
Assoaicnt I PICK them out in the crowd, so
con- know whether they saw me or
not.
4 The feeling came that it was all over
iasr " were back where we start
sa' We had marched down Fifth Ave
q lSsr Nttn o@ch-duu What we mad been
Hroueh in that space!
- Thought of Parting Is Sad
Inc review seemed to be the part
@Mg. seemed to bring nearer the reali-
8 HseSson that we-my company, | mean
4 would not be together much longer
eemradeship IN arms is certainly close
$40 It touches something near your
neart when you think that the life to-
eeSetner IS soon TO end
AFTER It was all over, back in the
ssmory, | had forgotten the feeling Of
sfaahess over the parting, however. All
~ could think Of was, swell, let's get
s.ae next step over with" | was ready
men to get out Of the army-eager to
don't expect ever to see such a
ssa.hering again, never such gladness
sau cneer as we marched BY, nor do
sApect to see the desolation Of France
sae toll OF war. But | want to say
saa' II the occasion ever arose again
would 20 through it all-yes, and
4 ose-Just to come back and see the
welcome at home.
y New York's homecoming reception
va worth going through the war to
see' ana Ina glad had my part.
: New Yorl ars of Coast