The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1922-06-01

sets. Belleau woods, Just above the
village of Belleau, where the Germans
sheltered their guns, is now called
the "WoOd of the Marine Brigade"
and what was once a lovely wooded hill
Is now a rocky devastation It's crown
of natures green now rows Of tooth
picks" standing naked to the sky.
In Washington, In June, 1921, the
plan Of the Belleau Wood Memorial
association to rebuild the town of Bel
leau by popular subscription was
launched. The Belleau Woods Me-
moral association thinks 1t better to
rebuild
"a house that has echoed a baby's
laugh and held up its stumbling
feet"
better to put a
"home's loving wooden arms
around a man and his wife,"
than to erect a shaft of marble cold
to the sky In memory Of our dead.
The national committee hopes to raise
100000 and with this money rebuild
the little town of Belleau shattered by
our boys in their advance on Belleau
wood.
The plan Is to rebuild the village as
it was, with the addition Of a better
church, school, and with an adequate
water supply; the supervision will be
In the hands of Col. Charles r. Forbes,
director Of the Veterans bureau, who
served in the A. E. F. and who is a
noted engineer in civil life. Every
cent raised will go into the rebuilding
memorial, as the organizing expenses
are being borne by a small group of
contributors. The names and adj
dresses of every contributor will be
preserved in the archives of the rebuilt
"Marie," or city hall. Eighty-twO stone
buildings are to be restored, as well
as a group of small farms on the hill
side. The French government has
promised to have all roads put into
condition as their contribution, and it
will be guarded by our boys who lie
silent in the little green-and-white
cemetery just across the way.
Homes Must Be Rebuilt.
In time nature will restore to France
her trees and lowered loneliness, but
neither time nor nature can rebuild
shattered homes. Those of us who
have not been intimately touched by
the horrors of war or the cruelty Of
sudden overwhelming separation from
those IVn lnVn CON only onnrnyiyoot q
the sadness In the lives of those about
us who have not been so fortunate.
Many a mothers heart Is buried and
her enthusiasm deadened. 1t is only
through some practical memorial that
her interests can be reused and re-
awakened.
The field Of honor at Belleau will be
"where a shining forest of snow-white
crosses will stand as sentinels over
the mortal remains of 5000 Of our
boys" The organization for this me-
mortal to our dead has its headquar-
ters in Washington, with Marshal
FOch chairman for France, John w.
Weeks, honorary president. The pres
IiCIit 10 ~ OHihCS Solloll TItZcI,
vice president Of the Navy League Of
the United States, and Vice President
Coolidge as u member of the national
committee. Mrs. Charles Lea is chair
man for Pennsylvania Mrs. Theodore
W.. Reath, acting chairman; Gen. w.
T. Waller, executive secretary; Mrs.
Helen Foster, secretary.
L>,. 49,. n.,- MAJ Ak> AA&;oa
Mrs. Reath revisited France last
summer and went over all the ground
in the neighbOrhOOd Of Belleau. At
4 Les MOres farm she made the &C
quaintance of a young F%renchman who
had been severely wounded at the Bat
tie Of the Marne. HE had witnessed
the advance of the American troops"
said Mrs. Reath, land his account was
so graphic and bore such testimony to
the truthfulness of the American cor
respondents who had covered the ad-
Of the American army In 1918
and described the troops in action at
Belleau, that l feel l should tell 1t to
you as he told 1t to me.
"'ThOse men were magnificent, ma
dame! They had taken of their coats
and had pinned to their shirts a pop
py. AS they rushed forward they
yelled, and, madame, as they fred
the Germans went hipity hop! hipity
hop This was the only English word
that Frenchman knew, but 1t was the
most expressive English word l have
ever heard. 1t does seem incredible
that our boys should have been so
careless with their lives" continued
Mrs. Reath. but l have no reason to
doubt the truth Of the mans word,
especially as 1t corrObOrated the &C
count Of u own correspondents at
the time"
This memorial at Belleau il to be
established to those boys-0ur boys
to their idealism ; to their heroism that
broOked M barrier. 1t IL to be q me
-nN.t>r AA-e .-auu 49, A. A. --~-n -