Evening star., 1937-09-21
100000 VETERANS
MARCH IN PARADE
Fifth Avenue Becomes Men,
ory Lane as Million Watch
Legionnaires.
By the Associated Press.

great war marched up Fifth avenue
today in the greatest parade this city
of notable parades, vast and mag
nificent spectacles. has ever known.
1t was not just another American
Legion convention parade another
long trek under arms to the rattle of
drums and the blare of bugles up the
broad avenue under the windows of
the biggest buildings in the world
But to thousands it was a home
coming after Is years, and it brought
a reSurgence of those feelings of hap
piness and gratitude that marked the
victory marches of 1919. These same
men, now older, grayer, stouter. slower,
were then striplings with hard muScl. -
and weather. beaten faces fresh fl I'm
manning the artillery and the trenches
in France or newly come from the
perilous transport duty of the dirty
gray North Atlantic
The change was noticeable today
to thousands of older people, who
jammed the sidewalks from Twenty
sixth street to Seventy-ninth.
1t was apparent, too, even to men
and women who had been youngsters
in those feverish days when the trans
ports used to unload their cargoes of
excited doughboys on these shores.
And this feeling-the feeling that
everybody was q little older and maybe
wiser-added to the quiet, mystic ex-
element Of the crowd, a New York
crowd, sprinkled with visitors. Injured
to curious and thrilling sights. There
was breathless quality about it.
Throngs in Good Spirit.
That high movement of emotions
which band music brings was evident
long before the parade actually got
under way at 8:55 am daylight time)
within the shadow of the eternal light
at Madison Square. The throngs were
plainly in good spirit. The day, hap
PLY, was pleasant for marching and
for watching, and veterans stepped
along gayly.
Long before the movement OF Legion
naires got under way New York-at
least that part of its citizenry which
could get away from the daily Job
had moved into Fifth avenue. parking
along the curbS with box lunches and
vacuum bottles, swarmins in from the
side streets. filling the countless win
dows of the tall building.
They were happy to WATCH for hours,
for the police officials. putting 5.97l
men along the line of march to keep
order. estimated the vast body of
Legionnaires would be moving uptown
for l8 hours.
And so. headed by a detachment of
rs New York City motor cycle police
men. all members of the Legion. the
men started up Fifth avenue. march,
ing l6 abreast, eyes bright with Joy,
shoulders straight. proud of bearing.
Hep, hep. hep!-up the street they
moved, up past the Empire State
Building, the Public Library with its
glowering lions, past Forty-second
street and the long range of steel and
masonry that is that part of the city,
past the miracle of Radio City and
st. Patrick's Cathedral and st.
Thomas Church-past the equestrian
statue of Gen. w. t. Sherman, who
Park, with the bands filling the can
yon with sound and with storms of
shredded paper floating downward,
The head of the psrade-the COM
bined legion posts of the New York
City police department. Grand
Marshal Ray Murphy of Iowa and
his staff and the honorary grand
marshals and staffs and detachments
of the United States Army, Navy and
Marines, reached the reviewing stand
at Fifty-ninth street about half an
hour after the parade started.
Commander in Stand.
National Commander Harry w.
Colmery. eyes red from sleepless
hours, had been in the stand for
close to an hour. He looked about
him to see thousands of men, women
and children, jammed on the side
walks as far as the eye could see.
He was joined by Maj. Gen. James
Harbord, retired.
They watched together as the van
guard swung up the street. Mayor
F. H. La Guardia, wartime major
OF aviation, and Gov. Herbert H.
Lehman, a wartime colonel, marched
snartly with Mai. Gen. William N.
Haskell, commander of the 9th Divi-
sion, New York National Guard
Children Delighted.
Children screamed with delight at
sight of the infantrymen of the Reg
ular Army and the brilliantly garbed
Legionnaires. Women wept openly
recalling the heartbreaks and the
dreary days of 1918, the sudden, in
credible break of emotions of the ar
mistice. the joyous days of 1919.
Men watched with that impalpable
feeling of dryness in the throat as the
marchers swept up the wide street,
listening to the echo of the tramping
feet, the gay war songs, played with
the old fervor, yet carrying within
themselves new meaning.
There was no crosstown traffic That
had ceased long since. Side streets
we're jammed with pedestrians. Am
balances we're parked at strategic
spots
A Gold Star Mother in the Public
Library grandstand whooped delight
edly as each detachment came abreast.
1st Division Has Honor.
In the Army section, the 1st Di-
vision, Co. F, 18th Infantry, first unit
of the Army to suffer casualties in
the World War, had place of honor.
The Navy and the Marine Bands
played Anchors Aweigh" and band
after band of Legionnaires played
''Hinkey, Dinkey, Parley-Voo."
The first Legion unit, marching be-
hind the service detachments, was the
Commonwealth Edison Post Of Chi
cago Drum and Bugle Corps, last
years champions, who lost the title
last Eight to San Gabriel OF Call
forniaA
TheSwere snappy in white uniforms