Norwich bulletin., 1920-11-12

Armistice Days second anniversary was fttingIy observed in Westerly and a creditable parade was h !, especially when it is considered that re was but ono day for preparation. Co. einor BeecA- nan proclaimed legal holiday and that carried with it the closing of the banks, and there was to have been no other To- cal observance of the day. There was Q meeting of Merrill Post, American Le- zion, and it was then decided 10 have the stores, the schools and the manufactur- ing industries close for the afternoon, and to feature the event with a parade Committees were appointed and the de- sire of the former service men was achieved.
 Thefe was more or less enthusiasm and applause as the parade passed but the enthusiasm was infinitesimal in com parison with that demonstrated on the day the armistice was signed, and when the service men who marched Thursday were not in Westerly. Some were on the battlef1elds of France, while o,hers were in the service elsewhere on land or sea, and wherever assigned to duty. Wes- teIly is proud of her soldiers and sail ors proud of their achievements, proud of every man who served his country in time of war, and proud of the fact that no soldiers fought more bravely. or more heroically than did the boys who repre- l scented Westerly on the batt..tAs eds. In proposition to population Westerly $ l casualties were above the average, a l large percentage in casualties paying the supreme sacrifice.
 l In the parade Thursday were young I man who were wounded and gassed il l action, others who escaped injury others who were ready but were not privileged | to en,er active service, bus all admired and esteemed by their fellow townspeo | pie.
 l The formation of the procession was 1T 1 Elm street and the start over the shor i line of march was made shortly after l 2 o'clock. In the Westerly band, at thC , head were two players in army and ont in sailor uniform. The marshal Wal l Bourbon A Babcock and his aides were 1 James A Donohue and Linden Coombs i They headed the former service men, th' 1 army being represented by 120 uniform 1 ed lnen and the navy by twenty men il uniform. Many former service men fo lack of uniform, or other cause did no participate in the march.
 1 Veterans of the Civil war rode in au 1 tomobi.es, immediately following tn l young participants in the World war l then came the two former state guar 1 companies of Westerly and Pawcatucb the Boy gcouts, and the Red Cross, D A. R., and w. R. c. in automobiles
 The procession halted at the town hal l the paraders forming en masse, and tn closing exercise of the day were held The band played a patriotic air, and Re l Edmund J. Cleveland, rector of Chris 1 Episcopal church, wno served as arm chaplain, made brief address He ex
 plained the s.gniicance Of the day, ho,
 it recalled tie heroic dead and symbol
 ized that those who d.pd for countr
 did not die in vain. lie paid owing tri
 bute to the unknown soldier the un known man. He said it was the UT
 known man who won the war, not tn
 leaders. nor the statesQlen but the UT
 known man behiud the gun, who did jus
 what he was told to d.. It is the un
 known man who brought peace, and
 is the unknown man who will make tn
 world prosperous and g decent place
 which to live
 The band played another patriotic ai 1 and Commander Bourbon \. Babcock,
 Merrill post, American = ssion, bestowe
 victory medals issued by the war depar
 ment to former service men. The ban
 played The Star SpanGled Banner, U l bugler sounded Taps, and the first publ
 observance of Arnistice Day in Weste
 ly was al an end.
 WayIand A. stiIlman, after reading
 the finding of 2 Franklin penny, tt