The Wilmington morning star., 1945-12-24
SIMPLICITY MARKS
RITES FOR PATTON
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civilians, who had stood shoulder
to shoulder for hours awaiting the
procession.
Many of the Germans were
stony-faced, but the GI's were
clearly grieved.
After 19-gun salute the flag
draped casket was placed aboard
one of two special funeral trains
which rolled away in the winter
dusk for Luxembourg. Tomorrow
Patton will be buried in the Ameri-
can military cemetery at Hamm
near Luxembourg, where many of
the men Patton commanded in the
Battle of the Bulge" a year ago
have found final resting place.
Approximately 900 soldiers, in
cluding virtually all the top rank
ing American officers in Europe,
and representatives of a dozen
countries, crowded into the church
for the service.
Mrs. Patton and her brother sat
in a front pew with 1t. Gen. Geof-
frey Keyes, commander of the
Seventh Army. They were within
a few feet of the casket, which
rested before an altar covered with
red and pink roses, carnations,
camelias and mimosa. A Christ
mas tree witt: a few tinsels form
ed the backdrop.
Across from them on the other
side of the church sat the pallbear-
ers-six enlisted men selected for
their soldierly qualities. One was
Master Sergeant William l.. Meeks,
Negro from Junction City, Kas.,
who as Patton's orderly for eiEht
years was with him in all his cam
paigns.
Other active pallbearers were
Sgt. Oliver r. Day, Hudson, N. c.,
Sgt. Vernon P. Rehberg, Paines-
vile, Ohio; Sgt. Frank Huboly,
Bulger. Pa; Staff Sgt. Charles j.
Kadlow, 4849 Paulina St., Chicago,
and Staff Sgt. Ben Heck, n Crest
man ST., st. Louis, Mo.
Mrs. Patton, wearing a brownish
grey fur coat with a tri-cornered
black hat, arrived at the church al
.. m. in a black sedan. She wore
no veil.
Slowly but steadily she took her
place in front of the church and
turned her head. to look at the
choir loft when a soldier choir OF
SO voices began to sing the hymn
''The Strife is Over"
Two Army chaplains-Col. Edwin
R. Carter, Richmond, Va, and Col.
Loren T. jerks of Michigan-of-
ficiated at the services.
Before the service the general S
body, preceded by an Army band
and 16 armored cars from Patton S
old 18th calvary, was borne through
the streets from the hilltop villa
where it had rested in state.
Dozens Of generals, including
Joseph T. McNarney, new com.
manding general of U. S. Forces in
Europe, and officers representing
several foreign governments, were
in the procession that moved at a
walking pace.
Col. Frank Fraser Of Phoenix,
Ariz., chief of the American Army
mission to Belgium, said Patton S
grave in Luxembourg will be tend
ed by that little duchy's royal fam
lily.
In a statement given through Col.
Fraser, Grand Duchess Charlotte
said:
Luxembourg and my people
have been greatly honored in being
charged with the care of the last
resting place of the beloved Ameri-
can General Patton. We will do
everything we can to keep this
trust"
Fraser said every American
buried in the hillside cemetery at
Hamm marked by 10000 white
crosses has been adopted by some.
one in Luxembourg who is charged
with care of the grave.
Soldiers of Belgium, France,
Luxembourg and the United States
will line both sides of the road
during the three and a half mile
funeral procession from Luxem'
bourg station to the cemetery.
Fraser said that 1t. Gen. Weldon
Walker, former Goth corps com
mander under Patton, will arrive
in Paris early tomorrow and fly
directly here as a representative
of Chief of Staff Gen. Eisenhower
and the Secretary of War. His an
nouncement discounted reports that
Eisenhower was flying from Wash
ington to attend the burial rites.
Most of the men buried at the U.
S. cemetery at Hamm are dough
boys killed in the Battle of the
Bulge" year ago, in which Pat
tons forces played such a brilliant
part. Many of the dead are troops
Patton once commanded.