The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1923-05-02
WEDNESDAY, MAY 2, 1928.
THE FLAG is STILL HERE.

ldE FLAG ID SllLL HERE.
"a Message from Legionaires of Europe)
~ OMRADES of the Legion in the homeland
this is just little talk between US, mem
bers of Paris Post No. 1, and you "ovel
therein the United States. 1t is talk on
subject that is dear and sacred to all our people
but more especially to those of US who were vet
Grams of the great war, for it is about the graves
of our buddies overseas.
THE FLAG is STILL HERE. Day in and
day out it is flying from tall white stats in
France, in Belgium, in England, Scotland, Ireland
and Spain. In soldierly array, rank on rank,
beneath those staffs 3O,587 of your comrades are
camping for all eternity. And yet, how often do
you stop to think of them?
THE FLAG is STILL HERE. Away up on
the edge of things, at Romagne where you help
ed write the closing chapters Of the war, it is
flying about the white crosses and the white stars
of thousands of your buddies. At Thaucourt and
Fere-enT ardenois, at Belleau and at Bony, ground
hard won from the enemy, and at Suresnes, near
Paris, "The Star Spangled Banner" still waves.
At Waereghem, in Belgium, and across the chan
mel in the British Isles, and in sunny Spain, the
Flag is daily flying about the graves Of our dead.
THE FLAG is STILL HERE. And at these
cemeteries it will continue flying for all time for
here to stay. When "Taps" has sounded for the
last American veteran of the World War, when
the American Legion will have closed it's books
forever the Flag will still be here for these sacr
ed cemeteries are decided in perpetuity to our
try by the nations within whose borders they lie.
They are as much American soil as is Arlington,
and above them the Flag will forever wave.
THE FLAG is STILL HERE. But will we
always remember, and will there always be some
one to take upon themselves the great task of
seeing that on each Memorial Day of the future,
long after the present generation and the one to
come have passed away, each of these 30,587
graves will have it's flowers and its Flag? We,
the members of the Paris Post of the American
Legion answer Eyes. Even when death shall
have closed our post, the Memorial Day of that
time will be observed overseas in the same sacred
manner as it is today.
The FLAG is STILL HERE. We have here
in Paris the American Overseas Memorial Day
Association, composed of all American citizens
and organizations in Paris and including the AM
erican Embassy, American Consulate, American
Legion, American Chamber of Commerce, Ameri-
can Red Cross, Knights of Columbus, American
Y M. c. A., American churches,-all who are far
from the homeland. And every year since the
Great War, we have seen to the proper decoration
OF the graves OF your comrades In Europe.
THE FLAG is STILL HERE. But what of
the years to come? What of the time when we
gone? That is where you, our comrades of
the homeland, may be of service by contributing
to the Overseas Graves Endowment Fund an
nounced by National Commander Owsley and by
telling the little children, the churches citizens,
and various civic, fraternal and patriotic organ
izations about it. This $2000OOO0 dollar per-
manent endowment fund will remain forever in
the United States in of the Legion, but each
Memorial Day it's interest will be sufficient to
insure the decoration of these graves for all the
years to come.
THE FLAG is STILL HERE. And today
asking you, as comrades to comrades and
in the name of dead, to aid in this campaign.
Do not wait until the last minute-make your
contribution now. And spread the gospel so that
your community may be happy in the knowledge
of the part it has taken in this labor of love- The
little French children to whom you gave chocolat-
es-they come to the graves of our dead on Men,
orial Day and place wild flowers upon them,
gathered with their hands. Then, shall we,
their own kindred, forget them?
THE FLAG is STILL HERE!