New-York tribune., 1921-12-05
1000 Attend
Memorial for
Col. hittlesev
Leader Of ''Lost Battalion -
Who Disappeared at Sea,
Honored by Former Com
rades at 7lst Armory
Memory an Inspiration''
Colonel Averill Declares
War Hero's Death Was i'm
Reality a Battle Casualty

Memorial services were held vester-
Day afternoon in the list Regiment Ar
mory, Thirty-fourth Street and Park
avenue, for Lieutenant Colonel Charles
w. Wnittiesey, commander o. the Lost
battalion" of the 3O8th Infantry. who
disappeared from the steamer Toloa at
sea last Monday.
The services began at 3:2O and were
finished by 3:45 o'clock. There wore an
opening prayer and hymn. Colonel
Nathan K. Averill of the 3o8th Tn.
fantry and Chaplin James j. Halligan
OF the same regiment made short ad-
dresses. Another hymn was sung bv
the choir Of Grace Church. Father
haillgan otticiated and pronounced the
oenediction.. Bugler Ferris blew taps.
Approximately one thousand persons
occupied the center of the armorv floor.
facing east. On one side of the plat-
form was an American flag. On the
other was the standard of the 3osth
infantry Post of the American Legion.
IN front CT the platforms and between
1T and the assemblage was an empty
gun carriage draped with American
flags. = q Il
The colonel's father. Frank wbittla-
sey, and his brother. Celzer Wh;tt1asaS,
were there. His mother did not feel ahIe
to make the trip from Pittsfield. Mass,
Members of his regiment attended and
.ie .nere were delegations from the 77th
- DlVislon Association, the Military
lra!nlng Camp Association, the Har-
ward, Williams and University climbs
the American Red Cross and the Amer.
lean Legion.
Colonel Averill Speaks
Colonel Averill spoke for the reei-
ment and told of the noble charsctsr-
istlcs OF Colonel Whittlesev. He smoke
OF the colonels service in the arrv and
Of his death
While at first we were stunned " he
SAID, and could hardly credit the news
yet the more | think over his case the
more firmly am convinced that his
oeath was IN reality battle casualty.
and ana that he met his end as much in the
nne OF duty as if he had fallen by a
German bullet in the Argonne.
The scars Of conflict or the
wounds Of battle are not ALWAYS of
the flesh. We of the regular armv
nave seen too often the results of men.
lai STRAIN, even IN the older soldiers.
what a mental strain it must have
neen to that shy, kindly. loyable re-
tiring man when he could do nothinr
TO relieve the suffering and agony of
nose dying men beside him!
This occurred a little over three
years ago, but he has never been awav
from those scenes from that dav. Con-.
ing back to this country, he found him
SELF, much against his will, nonular
nero. Constantly called upon for aid
ard advice by mothers and widows
OF the dead and missing, he gave
cvery1hing he had, everything that
was in him, not only to them but TO
all the men of the regiment. wound sJ sJ
and in trouble.
Memory Always Inspiration
bis last answer to the call Of DUTY
was on November IL, when, with other
1Ieoal OF honor men of the regiment
NC Murtry, Miles, and Kaufman-he at
eenoea the ceremonies at Arlington
can all see him standing there with
the memories of the suffering and
paln pa OF war surging through his mind.
we know how ne suffered until at jast
the great heart broke. But the memory s
OF Charles Whittlesey will always be
an inspiration to the officers and men
VINO served with him in France
Among those present we're Mrs
" ililam kinnicutt Draper, acting
chairman of the New York County
oDh;apter, : Red Cross; Mrs. Whiteiaw
KeId, Mrs. August Belmont, John G
Agar, John S. Ellsworth, Alfred +.
Cqrrlss and f. D. Burrell, director Of
roll call activities. The Red Cross
emergency Canteen, which was active
during the war and had been reor-
ganized for the roll call, was renre-
sented by Mrs. John s. Ellsworth. Mrs
MacLsne Van Ingen, Miss Belle S. An
drews and Miss Emily B. Potts. Fif-
Teen members Of the Overseas Service
League attended in uniform. and +he
overseas units of Red Cross nurses
were represented by fifty wonan
headed by Miss Isabel Twins, director
OF nursing service for the local Red
Cross. eo