New-York tribune., 1921-05-23
lflrong Hornors
SLIP w an Dead
AT Five Services
Gold-Starred Mothers Hear
laps Sounded mt Hoboken
Piers as Last Tribute to
Men of Seven Divisions
Home Boys i'm Final Rest
Body Of First u. S. Soldier
TO Die ON German Soil
Also i'm Flag-Draped Row

Memorial services were held yester-
day at Piers q and q, Hoboken, for the
o,ll2 men of the expeditionary forces
whose bodies reached this port Friday
on the Wheaton. Flag-draped cofIins
filled most Of the floor space on the up
per decks of the two piers.
Men and women in black, manv Of
them wearing gold stars on their
sleeves, contrasted somberly with the
ssplck and span color guards, selected
from the crack regiments of the New
York Guard, To the thump of muffled
drum, military and municipal bands
which had escorted contingents from
the American Legion marched in and
took their places
The men whose bodies stretched rank
on rank throughout the huge bare struc-
lures had been members of the 27th.
the 77th, the 18th, the 29th, the 1st,
the 9th and the 32d divisions. Five sep
arate services were held, one being for
the men Of the 77th or Liberty Division.
the 18th (Lightning) Division, and the
18th, OF which the New Jersey National
Guard was the foundation.
Four Divisions Were "Home Bows"
Although the 1st and the 9th di-
visions were regular army units, whose
men were drawn at large from the
country, and the 32d was composed
mostly of men from Illinois and Michi-
gan, the services at the piers were
peculiarly local in their appeal, for the
four other divisions represented among
the fag-covered coffins were home di-
visions.
Among the bodies were those Of men
who had swung gaily down Fifth Ave
nue. IN the summer of 1917 to the
strains of "Over There" and had fallen
on the Hindenburg line before it was
over, over there" Others were those
Of members of that cross-section of
New York which trained on the scrub
oak plains of Long Island and made
history in the Argonne.
Others, members or the Lightning
Division, had marched through Broad
Street, Newark, almost exactly three
years ago, their faces, bronzed by the
sun that beat down on Camp Dix.
growing ruddier at the burst of cheers
that came from group after group
among the thousands Of spectator as
friends or relatives were recognized in
the ranks.
There were also the bodies Of the
volunteer division Of New Jersey, the
strapping young fellows who had been
IS
to trainshed not far away in the
gloom of an early morning when they
departed for their Southern training
camp.
Flags were at half staff for them
yesterday in scores of New Jersey
communities and throughout the five
boroughs of the city in which hun
dreds of them lived. Official repre-
sentatives of New York and of New
Jersey cities took part in the cere-
monies. Former members of the divi-
sions represented had come long dis
tances in some instances to participate.
City Officials Join in Tribute
Mayor Hylan, Rodman Wanamaker,
Grover A. Whalen, the New York Fire
Department Band and the Police Glee
Club arrived at Pier on the police
beat John r. Hylan to take part in the
9th and 77th divisions. After the Fire
Department band, under leadership Of
John j. Schuber of Engine Company
SO, had played Lead Kindly Light"
the services opened with the reading
of scriptural passagea by Chaplain
Duncan H. Browne of the 305th In
fantry, 77th Division. and prayer by
the Rev. Elkan G. Voorsanger, chief
rabbi of the 77th Division.
The Rev. Herbert Shipman, chaplain
of the 1st Division, and Brigadier Gen
eral Robert Alexander, who commanded
the 77th Division, delivered the prin-
cipal addresses after prayers for the
departed had been recited by Chaplain
James J. Halligan, formerly of the
3e8th Infantry, 77th Division.
There were large delegations from
the 104th Signal Battalion Post, OF
Hudson County, American Legion, un-
der command of William G. Mckinley;
The 4th Infantry Post, American Le-
gion, under command OF Colonel Henry