The New York herald., 1922-05-28
HONORLESS BURIAL
STIRS HERO'S PALS
American Legion Representa-
tive Investigates Funeral of
Sergt. Wheaton in Nyack.
LAST WISH is IGNORED
Walter Reed Hospital Inmates
Indignant at Lack of Mill
tary Attention.

The fact that there were no military
honors at the funeral of Sergeant Albert
A. Wheaton. who was buried at Nyack
y. r., on May 16. has aroused a storm
Of protest from his companions and fell
low sufferers in the Walter Reed Hos
pital. Washington. where Sergeant
Wheaton died several weeks ago. A
representative OF the American Legion
arrived In Nyack yesterday and investi-
gated the circumstances OF the funeral
and why the military honors were not
accorded the body.
The story of Sergeant Wheaton Is
romantic. During the recent war he
was member of the engineers OF the
First Division and received the French
Croix de Guerre for gailantry under hre.
He was badly wounded and gassed; as
the result of which he died.
Passing through Now Jersey on his
way to France in 1918 with a replace
ment unit, Sergeant Wheaton tossed a
note with his name and address from
the window OF the troop train as It
dashed through Englewood. N J. Miss
Ida Barrett, a native of Nyack. found
the note and correspondence sprang up
between the two and after Wheaton had
returned and been sent to the Walter
Reed Hospital the young woman visited
him and cheered him up. The two were
married on March 25, Wheaton lying in
bed surrounded by flowers sent by Mrs.
Harding. and the ceremony was per-
formed by an army chaplain. Two days
later Wheaton died.
One of his last requests to his COM
rades in the hospital ward was that he
should get the burial of a soldier In the
fighting of the Meuse River he had, sin
gle handed, silenced German machine
gunners, for which he was decorated,
and he wanted to be buried as he had
helped bury other comrades in France.
George Washington Post of the American
Legion in Washington planned to have
Wheaton buried in Arlington Cemetery
with full military honors. However. the
two day bride insisted that the burial
take place at Oak Hill Cemetery at
Nyack. and the body was sent there.
Then to the wounded comrades in
Washington came the news that there
had been only a plain funeral service
without firing squad or bugle or flag.
Inc lnulSatlOn was intense III the hos
pital ward and a committee of the dis
abled men put 1t up to the American Le-
sion. Sergeant James T. Cahall, chair
man Of the American Legion Welfare
Committee. was sent to Nyack to investi-
gate. At Nyacli yesterday he was told
the funeral service had taken place in
the Salvation Army hall. with Capt Bert
Larcombe of that organization offici-
ating. only two ex-service men had at
tended.
According to Capt. Larcombe.s 1t was
arranged to have a firing squad and
delegation from the Bluehelds Camp.
near by. where the members Of the Come
Back Club of Columbia University. all
disabled men, have summer club The
Charles r. and Raymond Blauvelt Post
OF the American Legion. was to have
been on hand. but they. too. were absent
and the services were held up for two
hours while relatives of the young widow
looked about for the firing squad that
never appeared.
Members of the Legion Post at Nyack
said that they didn't think they ought
TO turn out for fellow they didn't know,
1t was said yesterday. At the Come
Back Club camp. it was stated that no
one in authority had been consulted
about the funeral
Sergeant Cahall announced Yesterday
that there will be services over the
grave on Memorial Day. and what's
more. he Is going to stay over In Nyacl
until he actually sees them performed