Milford chronicle., 1936-05-29

e delivered an address which stirre
+ all the hearts of those who were /
the congregation.
With the permission of A. F. Fail
of Milford, adjutant of Milford Pos
No. 3, of the American Legion, tn
following Memorial Day theme
presented to the Chronicle readers:
Memorial Day is a day of mem
= DRY, a day dedicated to the memoir
Of those brave men and women VIII
gave their lives that America ant
the precious things America repre-
sents might live. Today we hold Ger
emOnies in their honor. strew flow.
ers and hoist flags. Today we re-
awaken in our hearts and minds
visions of their marching ranks go
ing to meet death for our country
The thought must come to US all
most certainly comes to all men and
women. why It was necessary for
these men to prove their patriotism
with that ultimate proof of devotion,
! the sacrifice Of life. Why need a
peaceful nation. seeking nothing but
to be left to undisturbed develop
ment of its own national life. be
compelled to sacrifice its young men
by the thousands on the battle field? ?
| Why is il necessary for this nation
to regard the future fearfully in APP
prehension that the bloody con-
fiicts Of the past may be repeated?
The answer to these questions lies
hidden somewhere in the deep tangle
of human emotions. interests and de-
sires which is as battling to modern
science as it was to ancient thought.
Men have conquered the skies, made
a slave of unseen electricity, over
come diseases, learned to talk
around the world. but what have
they learned about men? They have
not learned how men can live at
peace on this earth. how freedom.
justice and plenty can be assured
for all.
Here on this American continent
men started anew to attack life's
problems, unhampered by the fixed |
conditions of the old world. They |
struggled with the wilderness, then
found they were fofced to struggle |
against old world domination to
hold the freedom and prosperity
they had won. The United States of
America was born out of the death
Of heroic patriots. other heroic pa
riots died to keep it free and to
weld it into a united nation. Still
,thers died to remove foreign tyran-
~ from neighbOring lands.
Then. within the experience of
most of us. our country was called
lpOn to defend its principles and its
lights on European battle fields.
Igain a tide of American blood was
'oured out and fields of new graves
we're dug that now receive our
memorial flowers and flags. Some of
IS sorrow for sons whose lives were
AIKEN, some for husbands. fathers
nd brothers. All of us feel grief
nd regret which the passing of
Ighteen years has not wiped out.
Here today we can give express .
lon to that grief and regret. We
an pay tribute to the nations dead
blenders and from the memory of
leir deeds draw fresh inspiration
II our own services to our coun-
y. We can do that and more. We :
IN face the question of war and !
'cide what we as individual citi- =
ms can do to make the sacrifice =
other young men in war less like .
to become necessary in the flu Z
re. y
It is difhcult to escape a sense of ~ !,
when we look back =
the World War, the war which y
as to end war forever, which was q
make democracy secure through ~
t the world. We know now that =
lr is not ended and democracy is
t secure. But is it not possible ~
at through the sacrifices of the :,
N who died in that conflict we ~ ~
~ find a way to preserve peace :.
d democracy for America? y
War came to the United States in %
II as the result of repeated ag- "
sssions against us. Our peaceful ~
)tests had been received with ~
,fn. What were our rights to ma
MS struggling for their lives? We Ii.
l no army or navy capable of ~
King our weight felt in the con- 80
{. Our weakness invited the ag- ~ ~
ssiOns which forced us into war. ~
our lack of preparations cost y. '
lives Of many of those whom 20,
mourn today.
onditiOns in the world have not ~ ~,
nged basically since 1917. Today ~ ~,
ny nations are fighting for their ~ ~
s against economic and political az
ditions. They are more heavily -
led than ever before in history. Il
{ likely that any considerations H.
ustice or humanity would with sas