New Britain herald., 1928-06-05
COMMUNICATED
EECkLEN CEMETERY
GrahJ> of Veterans Neglected
Ancient Burying Ground.

Editor New Britain Herald:
The tumult and the shouting
ties, and the captains and the
kings depart but still there re-
mains that ancient sacrifice - the
Recklay cemetery.
Color bearers may rehuke the pop
ulace for lis innocence OF flag Ell
elect OF the graves of our nation
heroes?
The Beckley cemetery has been
the subject of controversy for the
past twenty years. At least twenty
years ago some patriotic (?) organ
ization conceived the brilliant idea
of removing the obsolete foot stones
and readjusting some of the head
stones. The result is a conglomera-
ton of foot stones and bits of
broken head stones in one corner
of the burial ground; two foot stones
enjoying the rank OF head stones side
by side with their respective head
stones, if YOU get the exact meaning,
MIR. Editor.
For d few Of those twenty ysars
the cemetery grass was moved, but
that gave place 10 the patriotic prac-
tico OF burning the whole lot on or
the day before Memorial exercises,
when a delegation of veterans sons
actually appeared in person to place
4 flags on graves sunken, dismantled,
and even wood chuck tenanted.
For three or four seasons some
| hard working school teachers and
their pupils practiced lessons in civic
! duty raking and cleaning away be-
! fore the advent of the delegation
thereby holding off the so-called
necessity OF the irebug. And last
year through the intercession Of a
New York lawyer Cor was ito some
men were paid to NOV and rake
away the debris.
At Easter time this year I found
that the coarse dried grass raked
out very readily while the ground
was moist and soft so ! cleared about
an acre that way, myself. | then
called the Herald office hoping tc
! llllu INC ItpOiltI IIOlll llllo NlSilii
and leave word concerning the de-
SRA bility Of securing volunteer GENE
| tory rakcrs Of my especial ability
but the reporter was busy SO the
good deed passed unnoticed and I'M
sung.
/ Is it true that the selectmen OF
Berlin have a hundred dollars with
in reach to use in order to keep this
cemetery in respectable condition
If so, has the price Of matches ad-
Nanccd?
Again the cemetery has reverted
stones are blackened, cracked, fall.
en-, broken and in not a few cases
have the inscriptions been obliterat'
Cd by furnace heat.
What shameful procedure! Al
this lessons in civics, all the patriotic
instruction, and Memorial Da.
eulogies are as nothing to the deel
meaning of the last resting place o
the heroes of the three wars Nhic.
meant as much in the founding anc
continuation of the American repub
lie.
How different 1t was when TIL
splendid patriots of the Civil Wa
fame, wearing the uniform of thu
Grand Army, gathered at Beckley!
bridge and headed by the East Der
lin drum corps with "Comrade'
Walter Penfcld as color bearer
| Ia 70, op 49,
Frederick Slater, and there received
from the community all the flower
to carry up the hill to place on tn
graves of their comrades who ha'
gone before, There was no burn
ing then. Cheshire roses and lille
of the valley bloomed where brier
and weeds now run riot up to tn
last minute when match act
,quickly but leaves the hill in a pa
of crepe.
Would you like to know who dec
GRATED the graves Of the soldic
dead of Beckloy cemetery this year
1t was the children of few Pol
ish and German families. They di
not forget to remember and the
said it with flowers.
am wondering what their ment5
reaction was 10 the broken stone
and charred aspect Of the America
historical burial spot. Boosting tn
sign "163S-192S".
Yes. verify we must teach thes
; foreigners" American ideals
You're sincerely
81 Same Il. COBEY.
r West Rocky Hill