Evening star., 1947-10-26
Removing U. S.Wor Dead
Opposed by Some Britons

Opposed by Some Britons
Repatriation Requests Also Decline
After Parents Visit Cemeteries
By A. A. Hoehling
LONDON.-The English have gone to court
in an effort to keep their adopted boys'-the
Americans who died on their soil.
This was revealed by spokesman for the
American Graves Registration Command as
preparations went forward to remove all the
l48 bodies from the American Military Cemetery
at Lisnabreeny, ireland, one of the three in
the British Isles
No one can interfere with removal OF the
bodies from the cemeteries-which have become
American soil-once the next of kin make the
request. But isolated graves of American flyers
are also scattered throughout the countryside.
I'm such cases." the spokesman, who pre-
ferred to be nameless explained; "a farmer
would bury the men right beside the wreckage
Of their plane. Later he would put little
marker there and he and his family would
tend it regularly and place flowers beside it.
These families have come both to feel SO
strongly that the boys are their own and that
it is wrong to transfer their mortal remains
that it has been necessary in many instances
removals"
This possessive attitude of the British toward
our war dead was brought home most poignant
to the military cemetery at Cambridge in which
nearly 5000 of our boys are buried.
y *
The largest of the two countries which
will remain permanently in the British Isles
the other is Brookwood, just outside London,
which contains total of S,635 graves from
both World Wars-is located on a hillside just
in sight of the spires of the famed university
town. Surrounded by woodland, farms, hedge
rows and little rises alternating with little
valleys, 1t is place of impressive and tranquil
beauty.
AS the afternoon wore on, men and women,
and children as well, from surrounding villages
began to arrive in their automobiles dn spite
Of gasoline rationing), on bicycles and some
afoot
Some brought wreaths, others cut flowers,
while one 8-year-old girl in pgtails dropped
dried autumn leaves on q few Of the graves.
Some merely walked slowly around the ceme-
tery-which becomes a very chill place in late
autumn afternoons -pausing here and there
to bend over . cross or star Of David.
It was not an unusual number either, ceme-
terry attendants hastened to explain Just
part of the 400 to $50 visitors who come there
every week end. The majority of the visitors
apparently knew of none of the boys who lie
in the cemetery at Cambridge-yet they. too,
have adopted certain Of the graves as their
own.
"You know it's funny thing" said an Army
corporal, one of the small honor guard sta
toned at Cambridge. "the English will never
say much But think deep down they must
have liked the Americans an awful lot"
In the group Of visitors, however, were
few who did know the Americans-these wero
girls from Cambridge and the towns around 1t.
During the war" the corporal continued.
I'VE didn't seem to take girls too seriously.
But you know a month never goes by-some-
times less-without these same girls coming to
the same graves and maybe stand around
while, and leave some flowers.
"One day late this summer bus came all
the way from London and there were 40 girls
in It, Each one had q definite grave she
wanted to go to. You know. I think these
girls who come here must really have loved
those fellows"
Though so many war dead now are being
returned across the seas to America, sentiment
is growing in favor of leaving many more OF
the boys where they lie.
According to Joseph P. Cetola. superintend-
ent Of the cemetery at Cambridge. nearly 300
mothers and fathers, widows and other family
OF the dead came to Cambridge this
summer The majority. he said, had already
informed the War Department they wanted
the remains eventually shipped home.
But" he declared, ut was a marvellous
thing how 50 many Of them, before they started
back for the States, came to me and said they
were going to write to the department again
and ask that their original request be Cancelled.
They were 50 impressed by the beauty OF the
place that they came to realize their loved ones
should never be disturbed again from the rest
they earned 50 well"
It was his understanding that originally 30
per cent of all the next of kin OF the nearly
800 900 American war dead asked that the
bodies be returned, but that now the figure u
below so per cent and still is going down.
Mr.. Cetola, who looks upon his work as
lifetime Job, has anything but morbid out
look. "one should not be sad about this" he
said TITS an inspiration to work here. These
boys have lived their lives and done their
part. They've Just gone on, that's alas every
one must eventually. Bill and Joe and Dave
and the rest haven't died-they've Just left US
temporarily.
'I lust wish more families could come here
I think they would begin to understand, too
cNorth American Newspaper AllisneD
West Points Horses
From, the New York Times
To the sentimentalist the announcement that =
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