Evening star., 1947-10-30
Truman Attends Rites
AT Arlington for First
Returned War Dead
By George Kennedy

Their own families, the Presi-
dent of the United States and
the high command of the Ma
tion's defense forces paid honor
to 20 war dead brought back
from overseas today when their
bodies were committed to their
native soil in Arlington Gene
terry.
They were the first Of 5000 from
overseas who will be buried there.
THE earth and the sea shall
give up their dead" said Maj. Gen.
Luther D. Miller, Army chief of
chaplains, in reading the Christian
hope of resurrection in the service.
He was followed by Catholic and
Jewish chaplains.
The 20 graves were laid out in
two rows in a field below the tomb
of the Unknown Soldier, hitherto
unbroken for burial. The field is
bounded by the cemetery wall along
Arlington Ridge road at the Airing
ton Farms dormitories.
Families Sit Behind Coffins.
The dead were from the Pacific.
Among them were men who had
flown the first sorties against the
Japs, had waded into the beaches
under fire, died in the jungles or
had met death aboard ship when
kamikaze pilots had managed to
get through defense fire. The first
shipment of dead from Europe ar
rived In New York Sunday. The
bodies are still held at distributing
depots.
President Truman, cabinet men,
bers and commanding officers of the
military services arrived promptly
at II am, taking assigned positions
in front of sycamore tree, the
only tree in the field.
The Army Band played Nearer
My God to Thee"
The families of the war dead were
already seated on benches behind
the coffin in the long roped-of rec
tangle. Friends of the family stood
behind them and in back OF the
ropes stood a crowd that grew to
several thousand before the cere-
mony was over 1t was a family
crowd, with children there, too. 1t
was hushed crowd when the chap
lain started reading the service. No
amplifiers were used, and all strained
to hear.
Services Last 20 Minutes.
The Catholis service was read by
Capt. j. F. Hughes, deputy chief of
Navy chaplains, and Col. Patrick j..
Ryan, who has the same position in
the Army. Maj. Henry Tavel of the
Army read the Jewish service.
Formal services were brief, lasting
20 minutes. After the chaplains
concluded, three volleys were fired
and taps were sounded twice.
Mothers who, more than two years
ago, had received missing in ac-
ton" kilograms, followed by the
dread KILLED in action" message,
broke down after the ceremonies
and wept unrestrainedly. Fathers
wept, too, and there was much weep
ing in the crowd outside the ropes.
Mrs. William R. Somsel of Primos,
Pa, knelt to examine the metal dog
tags wired to the front handle OF
the bronze coffin. They were
stamped Second 1t. William R.
Somsel, jr."
Ashes of Jap PW in Box.
Another mother held in her arms
the flag which the guard of honor
had held over her sons coffin during
the ceremonies.
In the center Of one row OF collins
was a cubicle wooden box. 1t con-
tanned bronze urn with the ashes
of Aviation Machinists Mate 3/C
Ronald Keith Hathaway, son OF
Paul L. Hathaway, 1928 T street
NV, of the Veterans Administra-
ton. Donald Hathaway was cap
tured by the japanese and his body
was crefnated after his death.
Two of the families had their own
pastors read services after the
scheduled ceremony. The Rev. Paul
Reaser of the Lutheran Church Of
the Atonement, North Capitol street
and Rhode Island avenue, read
services over Ensign Donald w.