The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1920-06-03
OUR GRAVEYARD OVERSEAS

Memorial day is the day of the dead,
the veterans Of three wars; but,
though newly consecrated by the fresh
and poignant sacrifices Of those who
passed away in the great war Of liber-
alton lover there" there cannot be
now, any more than in the past, any
associations but those of true Joy and
honorable pride, far removed from the
despair of causes lost. or from griefs
over those whose death Is without
meaning and end without result. For
II is the holy Joy of those who know
that the sacrifices were not in vain
that distinguished this day Of days
this year, coupled with the realization
that both those who went and those
who remained Joined freely in the
oblation on the altar of the country
with an unfaltering belief In the fine
nobility of the obligation and the deep
significance OF what II meant for the
common good.
While the ceremonies on this side
follow the usual lines, heightened by
the opportunity to pay fresh homage
where homage is due, the tribute that
Is paid "over there" beginning with
the ceremony at Suresnes, near which
has been developed the American
cemetery nearest TO Paris, at which
President Wilson officiated last year,
In the very presence Of the dead them
selves, takes on an especially moving
character. For In nothing did the
American expeditionary force and all
its helpful accessory agencies, such as
the Red Cross. so distinguish them
selves as In their concern that the last
resting place Of those who fell abroad
should be neither unknown, unmarked
nor unhonored. AS a result Of this
determined and conSecrated effort of
all services. the new graves Of the
hero dead. be they located where they
fell. or removed to the permanent
centers Of burial that have been Sc
lected at appropriate places as the
official American cemeteries, will re-
ceive every attention that Is their just
due from their brothers in arms lover
there" and a grateful country. The
graves, all separately and singly
marked with the cross. or the star,
save in name and title, no distinction
Of rank being allowed In the Identify
ing symbol. will he decorated, one and
ALL And while much that has been
devised as 70 the handling Of these
special cemeteries has followed the
plan of the British, who have been at
at
a peculiarly American touch Is given
In that this annual commemoration Of
Memorial day. so familiar to us all,
is new TO our allies. and to the French,
though they have gladly co-operated
with the American forces In order to
make the dav a truly notable one and
one Of general and significant com.
memOration.
So far as the general cemeteries 70
we have followed the British In the
plan for the separate graves. but they
have gone little further In that each
large burying place will be dominated
by tall Grass and plain altar stone.
described by Kipling as "the Cross Of
Sacrifice and the Stone of Remem-
brance," the stone bearing the inscrip-
ton. also suggested by Kipling. Their
name liveth forevermore." Save for
this. the great concentration ceme-
teries Of the American forces. such as
Romagne-sur-M Montfaucon the largest,
containing $4,000 graves Of those who
fell In the Meuse-Argonne battles. will
represent little more than the sim