Omaha daily bee., 1921-07-25
Merle Hay
Is Buried
At Clidden
First Yank to Die in France
Laid to Rest in Home Town
While Iowa Does
Reverence.
10000 Attend Services
BY ]. T. ARMSTRONG. A


Telegram with military 1,onors
due the soldier dead and with flags
flying at half staff throughout the
state by proclamation of Governor
N. Z. Kendall, Iowa yesterday after
noon laid to rest Private Merle David
Hay, her first son to fall on the
field of battle in the world war.
Ten thousand people from all
parts of the state gathered on the
grounds of Glidden's little brick
school house, where Merle had plays
ed as boy, to pay their last re-
spects to one of the first three Amer
ican soldiers to shed blood on for
eign soil. Under huge spreading
maple trees was placed the casket,
about it gathered stalwart ex-service
men in Uniform, old and tottering
men and women and children.
Parents Sit Near Casket.
Near the casket sat Mr.. and Mrs.
H. D. Hay, the fallen soldiers par
entss The mother, a frail middle
aged woman, sat with bowed head
during the services. She wore a
black veil and dress, but though her
face reflected suffering, she lifted her
head and her eyes shone bright with
pride when glowing tributes to Nc
bravery and goodness of her sjlr
were paid. g
The father. whose graying mou
tache and hair and knotted han
spoke of the long years of toll h
had spent in building the home an,
happiness so rudely shattered by the.
cruel fate of war, showed little emo
ton. His head remained bowed and
his shoulders stopped throughout the
services.
The body was carried gently from
its place of repose in the American
Legion hall by uniformed and he'll
meted ex-service men. 1t was es-
corted to the school grounds by
more than 500 ex-service men in uni
form of the Rainbow, the Sandstorm
and other famous divisions. T.
solemn procession was led by the
Argonne post band of Des Moines,
playing Chopin's funeral march.
Scarcely Standing Room. -
There was scarcely standing room
on the grounds when the procession
arrived. A sextet, composed of
Merls's former playnates, opened
the services. A tribute written by
Mrs. Willis Barber, who helps her
husband run a garage in Glidden
and writes little in her spare time,
was read. Mrs. Barber had known
Merle when he was learning to walk.
She described the departure of
Merle from Glidden. how he had
gone with several other Glidden boys
to Des Moines to enlist on May 3,
1917; how he and his companions
had been dined in the Methodist
church and how the band had play
ed as they marched down Main street
on their final leave-taking, May s,
1917.
She told of his army training,
which took him first to Omaha, then
to Fort Logan, Colo, then to Fort
Bliss, Tex, and eventually to Hobo
ken, where he sailed for France,
anding on June q. She told of
the bright, optimistic letters he had
written home. of his gay descriptions
Of Paris, and of how his battalion
had marched in a Fourth of July
parade in Paris.
Merle Falls in France.
1t was his battalion which had a
pet lion for mascot. Then came
Jews OF the death of the three
American soldiers, news that thrilled
his country as much as the declara-
ton of war, but left it sorrowing.
Among these three was Merle. He
lied in handto-hand fighting in the
irst engagement of the war, on No
'ember 3. 1917, in the Luneville sec
:or of Lorraine.
He had died fighting as a private
n company F, Thirteenth infantry,
first division. She told how Gid
len, his home town, had thrilled with
he nation, and how it had sorrowed
wen more acutely, how a brave little
mother suffered and father tried to
comfort her and be brave himself
She told how the village thrilled
lgain with pride when news that
General Pershing had specially cited
Merle and his two companions for
'ravery, and that a Frenchh general
lad gone out of his way to honor
hem when they were buried in
'ethelemont cemetery, France.
Fighting Chaplain Speaks. ,
Sheriff w. E. Robb OF Dcs Moines,
lighting chaplain OF the 16Sth ina
antry, made the principal address.
lie advocated some means of stops
ing future wars.
Mr.. and Mrs. Hay stood at tha
lead of their sons grave at the ceme.
cry. The mother clung to thu
ather's arm as taps were blown and
hey turned to a waiting car.
c. c. Cooper, H. D. johnson,
richard Henderson, Kenneth Satter.
leld, William ]. Leuer, Dean Fisher,
Walter Locschen, Alva Rudkin and
E. Hemming were in charge Of
ecorations at the school grounds
nd at the cemetery.
Glen Hunter, Herbert Brand,
George Brand, George Cute,
,harles Coleman and William
)ankle were pallbearers. They wera
ormer playmates of Merle, and all
x-service men. Andrew Lindapl,
I. E. Hemming, H. ID. McPhersor,
William J. Lcuer. w. o. Patrick,
Warren Conner. Kenneth Satterficld
nd Walter LoeSchen made up tha
ring squad.
c. c. Cooper was color bearer and
'ictor Mohr and Alva Rudkin Mera
olor guards.