Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1922-05-12
Lest We Forget

Lest We Forget
Editor Morris Tribune:
Today, more than ever before, with
a seeming discordant note ringing
from coast to coast and Memorial
Day in the very near future, it seems
worthy time to stop and ponder, for
moment, on the sacrifices that were
made during the past war and re-
member, when we would fain criti-
size, what many gave that on Me-
mortal day we may pay tribute to the
fallen and honor that flag of Liberty.
The following is taken from the
American Legion Weekly, written by
F. A. Boylan, ex-captain 146th Infan-
try, 9th Division.
FORGET-ME-NOTS OF AVOCOURT
/ He came to me on a busy day at
Camp Lee-One of the many soldiers
from a depot brigade-to fill my COM
pany to combat strength for i'm
mediate service lover there" Eigh-
teen years hung so lightly on the
cherub's brow that at the first glance
thought him too young for the
mans task he would soon have to
face. His kind disposition, his eager
ness, his soft Southern speech and his
very boyishness drew me to him
more than / can say and so 1 gave
him work that kept him nearme a
great deal of the time.
The day before the regiment hiked
to City Point to take river steamers
! to Newport News, his mOther-a
sweet old-fashioned woman-came
from Richmond to tell him goodbye.
He introduced me to "Mumsie", as he
called her, and before she left camp
she told me with tears in her eyes to
watch out for her baby boy. She
gave me a sprig of forget-me-nOts
for remembrance-for remembrance
of all American mothers with sons
under Old Glory.
On the way over I saw him often
and he spoke much of "Mumsie"-
that she would not worry, that she
was we'll and that her garden of blue
forget-me-nots bloomed as she would
like to have it. The day before we
landed at Brest he moved up shyly
to me near the rail of the transport
and stopped my day dreaming by
showing me an old tobacco tin. l had
never seen him smoke and asked him
why he carried it. Blushing, he told
me it contained something that made
/ 'Mumsie" seem closer and asked me
in case anything happened to him to
try and recover it. gave it no more
thought, but on several occasions in
our training area in the Haute Marine
I caught him looking at it with a for
away look in his eyes, and I thought
too, of sweet old "Mumsie" and her
sprig of forget-me-nots.
Everything was in readiness for
the offensive on the morrow We were
to jump off in front of Avocourt and
only few hours would find us in the
midst of a mighty conflict. I had
premonitions as our barrage rolled
overhead and we waited for zero hour
-premonitiOns about the Cherub,
and thought again of "Mumsie" and
sons, guessed, would soon be strew-
ing the fields of the Argonne.
Zero hour came and went over
with the boy near me. He smiled and
joked about the Hun as all went
well in the early stages of our ad-
vance. The first kilometer covered,
the resistance grew sitter for the
enemy began replying with machine
gun and artilley fire from his unsi-
fenced guns. Crossing barbed wire
ENHANCEMENT and finding it rather
difficult, the cherub laughed and
said, II wish Mumsie could see us
now" A moment later the light of
the world went out for me and when
l reopened my eyes was lying on a
stretcher in an ambulance dressing
station. Looking to my right, whom
should I see but the Cherub, trying
weakly to smile.
I guessed the same shell must have
gotten both of us. I caught the med
ical officer looking at the youngster
with serious expression on his face
and by some intuition felt Mum
sie'' would soon be alone in the
world. A short time later he made an
effort to speak-it seemed to come
SO hard-and muttered. Captain, re-
memba' the little tin and tell Mum
Sic love her. Tell her I always
think Of her forget-me-nots and that
I see the flag in-the sunlight-away
up yonda-and-not- and the
Cherub went west-the boy of eigh-
teen summers who had lived life to
the hilt.
By my request a medical orderly
found the tin in the boys breast
pocket. I opened it and, picking out
paper, noticed that the tin was
filled with nothing but dry earth,
I gently unfolded the paper and read:
"Sweetheat Mumsie:
eff something should happen to
me I'll not be lonesome. With this
note is a tin full of earth from your
farden of forget-me-nots. Should