Putnam patriot., 1925-11-13
ADDRESS OF E. l.. WHITE
 DIST. COMMANDER, A. l.,

Ny presence here is certainly not from any inherent ability as an ora tor. l stand here not as person, but as a symbol. humbly represent tn yon on this occasion that great body of four million odd men and women whose honor 1t was to wear the com mon livery of our country's service and to serve under that flag. I sup pose as representing these men and women l shouldmake acknowledgement of the spirit which is made concrete and permanent by the establishment and setting up of all the memorials to the obligation the general public seems to feel toward us. Memorials are for a single purpose, to recall memories. and l am going to try to give you different slant upon this idea.
 Now to whose memories are they erected? To those who gave their lives? Yes, of course. But nothing man can do will add one iota to their memories that are everlasting here. and whether we build bridges and buildings and statutes, we can never approach the tender memories that We of the service have for those who gave their lives, or approach the glory of those mems families And so of course they are to the memory of the men who died but they only serve to keep alive and not Co com plete that memory. To those who were more fortunate in coming back alive? Nothing that you or we can do can add one bit Co the satisfaction Hrs.-.. fas hs. seiousness that We were men and wom- en and fulfilled the full duty of Amer lean citizens, and You can not add ta ii by anything that yen can build. And so they are of value to keep alive those memories. They do not add.
 War Wss Over
 There are other things that should be brought to mind Seven years ago today. and not one can not remember it; some of you were perhaps sadden- ed, but as a general thing 1t was q great time of rejoicing. The war was over. We had fought and We had won. It was a war Co end war. The war only started seven years ago for hundreds and thousands of American citizens. We have organized the larg est organization. There is no eompar- ison between our organization and other organizations. It is the largest. lt was necessary for us to organize and we organized, not for what We could get but what we could give. Our first duty was to see that our fellows were taken care of We received dis tinct solemn promises that none of us were to suffer by our services. Thank God. l can say I never did, but II may not have been so with all. It was nee essary for the Legion to organize so that we could have the power to keep reminding the country to make proper and adequate provisions. And so, not entirely, but certainly with the assist auee of the Legion, this country has set up legislation and appropriated money of generous amounts so that Ii is possible for any ex-service man or woman to be financially aided. They can receive medical care, training, etc. Co make up for the time lost in the ser- vice. l do not claim that 1t has oper- ated perfectly. but by the assistance and efforts of the Legion, we have been able to receive and obtain the assistance and aid which the Govern ment has so freely offered, and l am proud to say that Connecticut, with out waiting for the Government to act, passed the finest and most generous legislation for the relief of veterans of any state in the country. It IS the charge of your State Relief Fund sub