The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1922-01-14

FORMER VICE COMMANDER
OF LEGION SPEAKS
HERE.
Hon. Jas. C. Casserly, FORM
|erly vice commander of the Lou
isiana Department of the Amer
lean Legion, but now manager
of the Shreveport office of the
Veterans Bureau, spoke to the
few who gathered at the court
house Friday evening, January
s. In spite of the cold wind and
rain there were several present
and the Honorable Jim uncorked
enough pep to make these few
feel that they could successfully
be the Davids to give battle with
the modern Goliaths. His re-
marks were straight from the
shoulder end every man present
was touched by the pathos Of
his description Of the man in
the hospital, the need of this
man and the man who needs to
be in the hospital, the import
ance Of the work of caring for
these men and the part each can
play in this greatest of all works.
His remarks, in brief, follow:
The lack of understanding of
what the Legion is and what it.
stands for is responsible for the
inactivity of the post at Colfax.
This is due to the fact that your
post commander, or you as al
member, have failed to present
a clear-cut platform.
''The spirit of our forefathers
remains with us; that spirit
which overnight developed al
peace loving, commercial nation
into wartime patriots. Eigh-
teen months after the declara-
ton of war our army had passed
from $500 officers and 125, 600
men to 10000 officers and
8, 500, 900 men.
''Wescan all justly and with
credit feel that thrill of pride
that we belong to this genera
ton which has history in the]
A nation without he-l
roes is nation without history; i
q nation without history is al
nation without patriots and must
fall. Civilization begets better
citizenship, and citizenship bel
speaks of responsibility, and
when responsibility demands the
sacrifice of human life, we cani
classify as heroes We repre-
vent. that type and class of men
who fought, bled and died for a |
No greater love could |
they have manifested, our men, |
who now lie asleep, wrapped inl
their uniform, beneath the cold, !
green sod of Gods footstool.
But it is of our living heroes |
that / want to talk. Those men
who are paying the price of
patriots, in and out of our hos
pitals; not memories but living
)bjects of human devotion;
what honor, what credit to all of
Is. And the rest of us played
he game, some in civilian life,
some in the army, the navy or
he marine corps all rendered
service to our country and to curl
God.
"Our work did not cease onl
Armistice Day, nor on the day
We got our discharge. It has
Icarce begun. The aftermath,
he rehabilitation, the test Of
-eal endurance has just begun.
t is incumbent upon us who
low enjoy that peace written inI
he pages of history for all I
lines, in the blood of our fallen
Ind suffering heroes, it is in-
.umbent on US to carry on the
work for which they gave their
IL so that by our life and ex-
ample we will demonstrate curl
Iterling consistency. that we still I
tand for those doctrines for
which we consecrated our lives
a 1917 and 1918.
Il want to tell you that the
men of the American Legion
represent that type Of men who,
IS . body, q unit, an organize
ion, are still in the open fight
ng to maintain that peace for
vhich they fought, lending their
'oice, influence and vote in or
Ter that Democracy might bel
erved. and IS we who were inl
be service looked to those left
|ehind to keep the home firesI