Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1921-08-18
BRINGING HOME THE DEAD
Bodies Of American HerSes Il
France Rapidly Sent to Relasives

France Rapidly Sent to kesauVes
Through the Graves Registration
Service OF the Quartermaster Corps,
United States Army, thousands OF
bodies Of American soldiers who were
killed or died In France are peing
brought to the United States, and 1t
is estimated that all the $4,000 bod
les which have been asked for by
parens or relatives will have been
sent to the homeland with all the
honor due men who gave their lives
In their country's need, by the emu
of the coming October. When tney
arrive at the port Of embarkation, the
flag -draped coffins are under con-
slant watch of guard Of honor IN
til they are placed aboard the trans
mort which Is to bear them to the
United States.
The tasking OF sending these bod
leg home is a mammoth one. Each
one must be identified again when
n ia disintered, the final identifca-
ton being made by means OF. the
teeth chart which is filed with every
OFFICER and man when he enters the
service. This teeth chart identifca-
tion makes the identity Of the body
ohsolute and the examination Is
made nv a commissioned officer OF
the army and an anatOmist wheh
the disinterment is made. Then the
body is placed in a new casket anu
is ready for forwarding. -,
Tn to the present time 4,646 bod
les have been sent to the United
Estates. At the present writing there
are 3,124 bodies In the Held ready
for forwarding to ports of embarka-
ton, and at the ports there are a.
035 bodies awaiting transports 10
take them to the United States. From
these figures 1t will be seen that
practically half the bodies which. are
TO be sent are already on their way
Most of the smaller cemeteries nave
been gone through and the bodies re-
ouested removed. Work Is about TO
begin in the big cemeteries, and al
Romapne alone, the great Argonne
cemetery, it is estimated that the
work will take five full months.
There is at present in France q
commission which will choose tne
four permanment fields Of honor In
which nearly 10000 bodies will re-
main permanently in the soil OF the
land where they gave their lives
This committee has decided on no
zane for the Argonne cemetery, III
which will lie $4,000 bodies; be'leau
Wood cemetery, with 1000; sur,
esnes. near Paris, with 1890, anc
FLANDERS Field, near Bony, with =
100. These figures are, naturahy
approximate.
With the concentration of TN
bodies before Memorial Day, 1877
the task of decoration and service
will he much simplified as nearly al
the bodies by that time will be IL
the four permanent fields OF honor
Tn the removal of the bodies IRON
the scattered cemeteries, which II
now going on, Colonel Rethers pay
a h;ph tribute to the French, boti
military and civilian, for their tac
and touching sympathy shown mem
|
hers of the service who are exhumini
the bodies. On many occasions III
French have held special services a
the last bodies were sent away.
The work of disinterring the pod
los in France will be finished shorti
after the same work in England an
Italy. The bodies in Great brital
will all be concentrated, about ~
in number, at Brookwood just ou'
side London, which will be the pei
manent field of honor in Great BTU
ain. The bodies now In italy les
than a hundred, are being disinterre
this summer, some will be sent t
relatives. who wish them. In tn
United States, and the others WI
be placed permanently in one OF Tn
fields Of France.
In the task Of disinterment as ia
ms possible the work is in the hand
of men who served I'm the army y
France and every respect Is there
fore paid to the bodies OF their "owi
dies'' which they prepare Tor the'