Evening star., 1947-10-27
100000 in New York
Pay Tribute 10 6,L1
Dead Of World War II
By the A Joiuted Press

NEW YORK, Oct. 27.-New
York paid tribute yesterday to
the 6.251 war dead brought home
from military cemeteries in Eu-
rope and Newfoundland.
Planes circled overhead, floral
pieces floated In the harbor and
aaes were at half staff as the Army
transport Joseph V. Connolly arrived
with the first group of war dead to
be returned from Europe.
Police estimated that 250,000 per-
sons watched the funeral procession
and 100000 attended memorial serv-
ices in Central Park as guns roared
salutes and church bells tolled.
The flag -draped casket of a post
humous Congressional Medal of
Honor winner-chosen to represent
his comrades in arms anonymously
was borne on a caisson from the
transport to the park and placed on
q catafalque.
Catholic, Protestant and Jewish
chaplains participated in The memo
rial services.
Some Break Down.
Most of those in the front sec
ton of the assemblage reserved for
the next-of-kin held their COM
posure but some broke down Elderly
women and small boys and girls,
ioined by men in and out of uni
form. gave way to their grief.
Along the route of the cortege a
brief stop was made at the Eternal
Light, a memorial to World War I
dead In Madison Square, and
wreath was placed there.
The assemblage at the sheep
meadow in Central Park bowed
heads in prayer, listened to hymns
and heard speakers warn that
Americas 100000 combat dead will
have died in vain If the Nation does
not maintain its military establish
ment.
The Joseph v. Connally was to
move today from it's Hudson River
pier to the Army base in Brooklyn,
where unloading of the bodies was
expected to take five days. officials
expectedl it would be 10 to 80 days
before all the bodies are turned over
to next of kin.
Royal Speaks.
New York's official day of mourn
ing Yesterday was the formal start
, of the return of war dead to rela-
tives who requested burial in this
country.
At the Central Park services, Sec
retary of the Army Royal repre-
sented the Nation, Gov. Thomas E..
Dewey the State and Mayor William
ODwyer the city. Delegations from
the United Nations were on the
speakers stand.
A wreath was placed on the coffin
by Mai. Gen. Harry H. Vaughan,
military aide to President Truman.
Secretary Royal told the as
semblage that many a one who
died must have known that his
death would not have come if Amer
ica had been realistic. This
Young man whom we honor-he and
his brother In arms, living and dead
ARE looking to you to maintain
the peace with realism. They are
expecting America to face the world
in one hand an olive branch OF
peace and in the other shield OF
pcwer."
Transport Met by Destroyers.
Gov. Dewey said the United
states must be so strong that no
nation will Judge 1t to be weak and
challenge it to war.
Mayor O'Dwyer said the United
States fought the war to preserve
the promise of American life," and
declared, I'VE dare not diminish
its promise of freedom, of dignity,
of hope"
=, The transport was met near the
entrance of the harbor by two de-
stroyers, which dropped floral pieces
into the water after brief religious
ceremony. The casket of the Sc
lected Medal of Honor winner, at
tended by guard of honor, rested
on the boat deck of the transport
behind the pilot house. Sailors on
the destroyers lined the rails at
attention as Army and Navy guns
In the harbor fired salutes.
The Belgian liner Bastogne, out
bound, dipped its flag as it passed
the transport and its escort. The
Bastogne was named for the town
In which the 101st Airborne Division
was surrounded by the Germans
during the Battle of the Bulge.
Many of the dead on the Connolly
fell there.
Third Cavalry Unit Present.
There was brief ceremony when
the Connolly docked. and then pail
bearers representing all the armed
services nlaced the casket of the