The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1941-05-31
~ bruce naFlan

~ bruce nsrssn
FROM the grave Of Unknown soldier the crowds melted
away The great Of the nations who had stood there
hare headed stepped into their and whiF<d ba<k
town The music Of the band. grew faint and ceased
and stopped and again until finally enI The rHrd
remained The day ended Night silently and threw
the grave the healing mantle II darkness.
Then strange thing happened
Three dim figures from nowhere gathered and stood un
beside the tomb No word of greeting passed between
them they seemed to know each ether well Slowly ans
after another they stopped and read the freshly carved
Then the oldest spoke.
Il fought with Leonidas Thermopyas We fell aide h.
side and the other two hundred and niney-nins Our
our resting place. Our names have perishsd but ws held
the pass :. .-......s
Might after night she waited At tbs window. until
foolish 10 hope longer Then she too wanted 10 die
But the nerhhos in and eheered her You have rven
country 70 your country they cried
the Persans driven back and Greece u freed He died.
so my mother took courage and held her head high II
fine 10 have given 10 make the world better
world"
The Unknown paused for moment hi. soics rrsw dull
he Romans swept over the Greece that died for" he
said The barbarians swept over Rome sometimes won.
der whether Il worth while to die At 2ata sleep 81
Thermopylae unknown
7 fought with Charles Marts nj Tours the second
soldier said I'VE turned back the Arab hosts saved
Europe from Accommodation; kept a christlAn con
tinent
1t Ia splendid they said my mother. splendid 10
sacrifice the altar Of peace and good will
That 200 years ago. the second soldier said And
where l. the peace that s sssfor Where The fAlthI
The good WIFI"
The third Unknown had stood with wellington IT Water
loo II high enthusiasm that had carried him there
the vision OF world free from tyranny and re fell
and buried In trench, under rude cross marked IN
known.
we thought IL be the worlds last great BATTLE
he said There would be wars. youthful
lives snufed out mothers waiting and weeping At
home
But a century went BY. and there ; beside
which seemed little thing. Our friend over whom
the bands played today Of millions who their
lives Men have heaped honora him such never had
DO the that the hearts Of have changed
wonder They broke faith with viii they keep faith with
him.
The three dim figures disappeared The stood guard
above the silent grave In the East lhs first Of the
morning crept into the sky They reached saanss hez
tatngy. touching the city Of Washington WHARF, we're
gather day speak Of inscription
which Nation had cut in the stone the body Of IL
Unknown Soldier solemn inscription; nations promise
that who lies there dead shall not have died IN vain
The world has made that promise before al - unknown
dead have died that faith And the promise has died with
them.
10 ask ourselves beside the soldier this Memorial
day.
We told that boy when he marched away that he was
fighting 10 end all He fell besylnf and We
have buried him and carved inscription hs tomb
But the real inscription will be written any stone
Il will stand the dictionaries Of the future Only By writ
thus the world keep faith with the long, sad pro-
Of is unknown heroes whom has lied 10 and cheated
and fooled
This will be the inscription: "war-an armed contest be-
tween nations now obAoets-unknown.