The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1922-06-16
MEMORIAL DAY ADDRESS BY
REV. G. l.. BANGHART.


Comrades of the G. A. r.. members
of the American Legion, the Ladies'
Relief Corps. and fellows Citizens
We meet today to honor the memory
of our soldier and sailor dead to pay
n tribute of those gallant men. of the
now fast thinning ranks. who for four
long years fought and toiled that the
government of the people. by the people
and for the people should not perish
from this earth; to pay tribute to the
men of '98, the men of Dewey and
Sampson, of Miles and Wood; and like
wise to pay tribute to our comrades who
have given their lives in this last and
greatest of all wars. that the German
menace might be crushed. and that the
free peoples of this earth might live
in peace and security.
Yet to more than THESE alone do we
pay our tribute today, for Memorial
Day is ever widening in lis scope and
meaning. To all who have ever served
America, fought for and died for Am
erica in whatever time or place or
struggle. do we pay our tribute.
The strength Of a nation lies rot
alone in the thrift and prosperity of
Nus people, III iCS HeluS Oh corn anu MS
mines of copper, iron and coal. Neither
does it lie in the might of the army and
navy. important though these are and
must always be in the world of human
Enperfections. There is nothing so
great except the worship of God that
equals in power the influence of our
heroic dead as that will lead them to
Hay down their lives on the altar of
their country. We can best of all serve
the cause of country and liberty by
dedicating ourselves to the service of
Justice, love and freedom. AS we Look
back into the years that are past, we
see that almost three generations have
come upon the stage since 1861. / we'll
remember the early celebration of this
day. can see in memory the well fill
ed ranks, the strong lusty body of
young men that marched to the GENE
Eery to decorate their comrades graves.
can recall the regrets. expressed by
,Ghem and by the onlookers who crowd
ed our streets, that this one and that
one did not return from the Southland
ito join in the exercises. Fathers and
mothers who had lost boy, wives
evno had lost their husbands, girls who
End lost their sweethearts, were proud
objects of sincere sympathy in those
early days.
- Many were the stories of bravery of
daring, reviewed and repeated upon the
a1rst Memorial Day by orators who
spoke under the inspiration of partici-
patton in the events narrated.
Full of inspiration We're those first
exercises to the young who had heard |
so much of the trials and struggles en-
dured by their elders.
The personal element surrounding |
chose events has. in the course of |
time, almost disappeared.
Fathers, mothers and wives have |
rnostly passed to the great unknown. |
"A few of the brave Boys in Blue still |
remain. All honor to them. the real |
heroes of this generation. the savtors
of this nation. fs-
To-day is their day. This celebration
MS for them and their comrades, living
szrsd dead / can also remember how,
as time passed, and the years rolled by;
"A different spirit took possession of the |
generation that was born after the
TRsar, and it was with grief and sadness
con the part of all who knew and APP
spreciated what Decoration Day really
meant and stood for, that a change in
it's observance was gradually being
wrought, and that change for the
gvorsR i'm this particular; that a great
Snarional sacred day was steadily losing
! its character as a holy day and was be-
coming a holiday.
do not believe there has ever been
"a time when any American designedly
and purp0sely so far forgot his debt
TO THE soldiers and sailors of our coun-
try as to wish that the solemn features
of the day should be eliminated, but
unwittingly and carlessly too many of
our young Americans have neglected
the sacred obligation they owed to
a1heir country to see that this day was
properly observed. and they profaned it
by turning it into "a day for sports and
amuSementS. I have always regretted |
tnat the day was not kept as l think
it should be kept, as the hottest day of
the year. 1t should be day of solemn
memories, day for national self-exam-
drn41aoGn. and for renewed conservation
at the altar of freedom by all Ameri-
cas- sons and daughters.
All honor to the survivors of the
Grand Army of the Republic, to the
SoHs of Veterans. to the Patriotic Sons
OF America, the American Legion. and
to other societies who keep alive the
spirit that moved their forefathers to
ssg gage in the struggle for liberty; who
love this day and know for what it
stands.
AS we look toward the past. earths
greatest heroes seem in strangest COM
7pany; Christ and the malefactors; the
Missionary Livingstone and the cannibal;
Lincoln, who smote the bands from the
wrists of the despised black men. there
TIA g stand on Mt. Calvary surrounded
by jeering multitudes. but today they
are together among the immortals. |
That which touches the heart of the
old soldier most is the thought that he
rot only contributed to save his coun-
tTys flag, that he not only helped
president Lincoln to preserve a prin-
sciple as vital to our national honor 'as
any IN our history. but he preserved