Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-13
MOTHERS AWAIT
|. GRAVE PILGRIMAGE
Sorrows of War Are Borne
Silently by Women Who
Lost Sons.

The silent sorrows and heartaches,
tragedy of the World War, which for
more than a decade have been carried
in the hearts of Americas Gold Star
Mothers, once more become wildly real
and apparent with the announcement
of names of women who will join the
first contingent of mother pilgrims
journeying to France and England next
Spring to visit the graves of their boys
who gave their lives on foreign soil.
From all classes and walks of life,
except perhaps the very rich, these
mothers, most of them timidly, have
accepted the Governments offer to take
them to the last resting places of their
sons. Many of these mothers have
never known how their boys died Swept
into the caldron Of war, many Of these
young men were killed in battle with
hundreds of others and the short mill
tary message, killed in action" was
the only notification ever received by
the mother that her son was dead. 1t
is not strange then that these women
should desire the meager consolation OF
personally visiting the places where
friendly hands placed the last remains
of their boys.
Az ItAC IliilC WHICH, Vic Government
brought back many of the bodies of the
war dead from overseas, many mothers
requested that their sons bodies be I'M
disturbed. Frequently this was due to
the young mans own request.
Many have deplored the fact that 1t
became necessary, due to the concen-
tration of the war dead into the great
military cemeteries, that their sons
bodies had to be reinterred from their
nV.{n o1 ha1rx
battle fields.
Mothers Here Garry On.
The Districts Gold Star Mothers are
quietly carrying on" proud, despite
their sorrow, that their boys were
among those who answered when the
country asked for men.
That motherhood makes all woman
kind akin is apparent after visit to
homes of mothers who wear the tiny
gold star. It makes no difference what
her color or her creed, her heartache,
undiminiShed by the years, is the same;
the sons memory cherished with the
same tenderness.
Mrs. Mary E. Simmons sent two sons
and a husband to France, only short
time after third son had been killed
in an accident in the West. Her two
sons by former marriage, Benjamin
IT,.
in the same company of the 58th 1nfan-
try. While going over the top the older
boy, Benjamin, saw Arthur killed by a
machine gun. He was buried by MS
comrades and his brother near where
he fell, but his body was later moved
to the great MeuSe- Argonne Cemetery.
Mrs. Simmons husband, Wolcott H.
Simmons, also served in the Infantry:
For several months. during which period
ArI
Simmons was led to believe he was dead.
Later she learned that through mis-
take in address, Mr.. Simmons letters
had been returned to him in France.
After the armistice, Simmons served
with the Army of Occupation in Ger
many. Mrs. Simmons and her husband
live at 39l7 Eighth street. She is a
| dreSSmaker. She has two sons and a
daughter in the West.
Mrs. Reed Plans Trip.
Mrs. Gertrude L. Reed, who lives at
the Wardman Park Hotel and is now
working with the evaluation section Of
| the Veterans Bureau, also has eX-
pressed her desire to make the pilgrim
age to France. where her son, James
B. Reed, lies buried in the American
Cemetery at Surene.
Mrs. Reeds son came from long line
Gen. Joseph A. Reed of Philadelphia,
fought in the War of the Revolution.
James Reed was a graduate of Princeton
University and at the time the United
States declared war In 1917, he was
practicing his profession of civil engi-
neer in New York City. He enlisted on
the first call for volunteers and went
to France early in the war as menu
Der Of Company E. 165th Infantry
THE Fighting 69th." He was killed
while undertaking a very hazardous
mission of a confidential nature and
his body was found some time after his
death. Reed left wife and two sons,
besides his mother and two sisters.
Mrs. Reed has the distinction OF
having received a lawyers degree from
New York University, although she has
never practiced her profession.
In the death of David L. Meeks OF
the 10th Infantry, who was killed In
action in october, 1918, Mrs. William
L. Meeks of 1882 Potomac street lost
her oldest son. Mrs. Meeks, whose hus-
band is a railroad conductor, has two
daughters and two sons besides the boy
whose grave she will visit with the
Gold Star Mothers. Over the mante