The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1920-05-26
MEMORIAL DAY
in MANY LANDS
From This Time There Will be Graves
Of Soldier Dead to be Dec
Grated Overseas
SCENE NOW SHIFTS TO FRANCE
76.247 Of the Flower of American Man
hood Lie Buried in 2,342
Cemeteries In France 2


Of miles away. With cinemalike ra.
pidity the principal Memorial day
scene has changed from the 83 nation.
al cemeteries, where tiny flags decorate
nearly 400, 900 graves to France where
76,247 of the flower of American man.
hood lie buried in 2.342 cemeteries.
VI Filling the ever thinning lines of blue
and gray is the mighty khaki clad hosts
OF democracy. There is the patriotic
oratOry by the foremost men, but this
time by men tried by war. There is
the usual booming of guns, reinforced
this year by the blazing artillery of the
A. e. F..
But the significance of it all is an
almost international observance of the
great American Memorial day. For the
first time graves of American soldiers
like monuments Of democracy, are
found In rugged Scotland, in quiet Eng.
fsh churchyards, at Coblenz in Ger
many, on the icy wastes of Siberia and
In the fields of sunny Italy, as we'll as
on the slopes of MOntafaucon and at
Suresnes, in France.
Z Suresnes, the great American GENE.
terry just outside of Paris might be re-
fained in perpetuity by the United
States for the. purpose for which it was
30 generously given by the French ma.
tion. It lies on the beautiful slopes Of
Mount Valerien, sentineled by historic
fortress. Bordering the curved front.
age of its 10000 square meters runs a
shady boulevard, which the municipali.
fty of Paris has recently named "Boule.
ward Washington"
The Seine Winds Past
From this spot of the sepulture one
! Qverlooks the city of Suresnes, with the
Seine winding past its doors and the
: world famous Bois de BoulOgne lying
yet farther on down the gentle decliv.
: ity toward the French capital.
Writing to the mayor of Suresnes,
4 Maj. Gen. III. L. Rogers, former quar-.
terrnas' sof the A. E. r., but now quar-
terma stcr general Of the army, said:
The commander In chief is deeply
sensible OF the touching devotion thus
manifested by the people of the town
of Suresness, both in the donation of a
place that shall be sacred to the mortal
remains and the hOnored memory of
our heroic dead and in the noble resolu-
ton to watch over their resting place.
He also desires for me to impart to you
his appreciation OF the tributes. insti-
tuted at your suggestion, to the mem
ory Of our first American president, In
giving the name of Washington to the
boulevard leading to the space allotted
for this hallowed purpose.
Shell Holes Opened Up.
The graves registration service, that
comes under General Rogers, and
which did such laudable work through.
out the war under the able leadership
of Lieut.. Col. Charles c. Pierce, of
Philadelphia, reinforced by 10000 me-
gro troops, combed the entire battle
area of France in an effort to locate
and identify the bodies of all soldiers
who fell. So thorough was this final
inspection that even shell holes were
opened up in the search for missing
bodies.
The cemeterial branch of the quarter.
masters corps, in charge of Maj. III. r.
Lemly, organized, equipped and sup
piled four units of the graves registra-
ton service, which after preparatory
training at the casual camp at Cover
nor's island and at Camp Merritt were
sent overseas in command of Lieut.. Col.
Pierce, then a major.
1t was the business of the graves
registration service to locate all GENE.
teries under the prescribed procedure
they are established. In France, Bel
gium and Italy practically the Same
laws exist, and the same procedure is
followed in establishing American buri.
al grounds.
An officer of the graves registration
service took the initiative in all acqui.
sitions. A letter was prepared for the
BIB vi lLC III CIlel,
addressed to the French military mis-.
sion, or the commanding general of the
region, if In the zone of the interior,
asking for the allotment of whatever
space was required.
Inspect and Test Grounds
Commissions were then appointed by
the French authorities. consisting OF
representatives of the engineers, sani.
tary department, the prefect and the,
ministry Of war, and the American au.
thorities designated an American Off
Ger of the graves registration service
as the ffth member of the commission.
I The commission inspected and tested
the grounds in company with the mu.
nicipal authorities, making recommen-
datiOns upon which the ministry Of war
procured the ground for the French
state and set 1t aside for an American !
cemetery. 1t is thereafter controlled
and administered entirely by the graves
registration service.
On the battle front space was chosen
by the American commanding generals
directly, or through an officer of the
graves registration service. However,
the same procedure of acquisition was
followed, the only difference being that
the emergencies of battle were met
promptly, and the slower process of
legal fOrmalities arranged afterward.
Graves Given to the A. E. f.
In many places plots in French ceme-