The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1923-01-24
NATIONAL AERIAL
DAY is DEMANDED
Aviatrix Urges That Annual Trib-
ute Be Paid Flyers Who
Have Given Lives.
ALSO TO HONOR MOTHERS
Plan Has Official Approval Of the
Chiefs of Army and Navy Air Serv-
ice-LilIian GatIn Is Back of
the Movement.
Don't you think that the men
who gave their lives in the de-
vclopment of flying should be re-
membered?

! Washington.-A young woman II
aviation clothes stopped beside a fly
er's grave in Arlington the other da,
and placed there pink rose, a spra,
of white chrysanthemum and a bit o.
Jerusalem ivy. Twenty-four army an(
navy officers stood at attention close
by. From overhead came the throb Of
five planes flying in formation, while In
the background some 500 onlookers
watched the little ceremony.
From this grave the young aviatrix
and her little company went to the
other 40 flyers graves in the national
cemetery, and last, 10 the grave Of the
unknown soldier, leaving each time the
three floral tributes
The young woman who paid this hon
or to the aviators who have given their
lives for the country was Lillian CAT
lin. She is the girl who recently came
East by the air mail route from San
Francisco to New York, thereby be-
coming the first woman to fly across
the country.
Began Flying in 1911.
Miss Gatlin has been flying since
1911, and she considers herself one of
the pioneers. Many of the aviators who
were her friends have crashed to earth,
leaving mothers, who had been so
proud of them, suddenly broken. Be
cause she gets the point Of view both
of the aviatOrs who flew until they
crashed in spite of everything and of
the mothers they left, Miss Gatlin is
giving herself to the cause Of proving
that the flyers are not forgotten.
She has asked President Harding to
permit her to designate the second Sun
lay in September as national aerial
lay, when tribute may be paid to the
gold star mothers of aviation and their
sons. Her plan has the official approval
IF Major General Patrick, chief of the
lrny air service, and of Rear Admiral
Moffett, chief Of the naval mir service.
To stop in the midst Of our busy
vhirl to place flower on a grave once
ach year and to think about men who
ave done their work and gone on, may 4
eem sentimental thing The strictly
PRACTICAL minded would agree with
Tachel Lindsay that "To live in man.
ind is far more than to live in a
anne"
But most people cannot take so Spar
an view. The fact remains that al
lost every individual Graves to be re-
rendered either for his personality or
Or his achievements. Miss Gatlin |
oints out that the man who provides /
! his Will for tombstone generally |
Oes so because he is afraid no one
lse will erect stone for him and |
lat his name will be forgotten. The
arved name on a stone is his one hope
keeping his name alive.
Flyers Not to Be Forgotten.
Miss Gatlin is determined that the
vers who risked their lives that avia-
on might progress are not going to be
rgotten. Their mothers are to have
lie comfort of being assured that their
,ys have not given their lives for
,thing.
MISS optiiii tViio ooVul II eagerly |
he is blonde young woman with q
yish, ghtforward manner OF
eech and gesture, which contrasts
til her close sympathy for the ma
rnal point Of view and her feminine
e of symbolism
Everything about her method of pay
g tribute to the flyers has some sig
icant association. She placed the
rusalem ivy on the graves at Airing
n because it is said that it never
IS. Each part of the flyers costume
e wore on her trip East once be-
ICED to some aviator who has flown
)" as Miss Gatlin puts it. The pair I
white baby shoes she carries for q
arm are associated with flyer who
lshed just before his baby was born. :
ese little shoes interested President
riding when he talked with Miss Cat ;
about the proposed national tribute. :
e pink roses are reminiscent of Lin :
n Beachey. !,