THE BOYS OF ILLINOISTOWN:
East St. Louis in "The War to End All Wars"
a play in one act by
Thomas A. Pearson
Copyright Ó 2005 by Thomas A. Pearson.
Some rights reserved (see copyright notice at the end of this play).
Cast: Reporter (brown suit, bow tie, and hat)
Naval Officer (in dress uniform)
Army Officer (in dress uniform)
Soldier (in fatigues)
Gold Star Mother (black dress with black hat and veil)
Politician (dark suit and red or blue bow tie)
Women's War Organization Member (dressed all in white)
[Note: Costumes should appear as much as possible to be of WWI era vintage.]
(Play takes place on a stage bare except for a good-sized wooden desk, down stage center, and two microphone stands, down stage left and right. A typewriter, an old-style telephone, a copy of the script, and a microphone are the only items on the desk. Stage is dark as the curtain rises. A spotlight shines on the Reporter, who enters from stage right. As the play is in progress, black and white slides of World War I photos are projected on a large screen up stage center. The Reporter takes a seat behind the desk, down stage center. The Reporter reads his lines from the script on his desk, as if he's doing a radio broadcast. The spotlight stays on the Reporter only while he is speaking. There are microphone stands several feet to each side of the Reporter's desk at down stage left and right. Cast members step forward from the darkness to the microphone to say their lines. The Soldier carries a stack of letters, and reads his lines from them. Male cast members step forward from stage right, female cast members from stage left. They are hit with a spotlight only while speaking their lines-- they step forward from and then step back into darkness.)
REPORTER
Hello, everyone. When World War One began in 1914, we thought it was going to be a war for the Europeans, fought by them in Europe. All the action would happen Over There. With any luck, it would be over in six months, a year at most. In the meantime, America could keep on doing the thing it does best: business!
East St. Louis in the years prior to the war increased in population due to the growth of the St. Louis National Stockyards and other industries related to animal or chemical processing. The need for workers for these industries brought in immigrants from Europe and the American South. But the war didn't end quickly, did it? The shells kept flying, European boys kept dying, and it seemed that the war got bigger and bigger-- it seemed to be happening in more and more places, involving more and more countries, until finally, as of April 6th, 1917, we were suddenly in it, too.
When President WILSON told us war had been declared on Germany, some men volunteered right away, like they always do. They were mightily afraid that it would all be over before they got their chance to take a few pot shots at Hun soldiers in their funny spike helmets.
East St. Louis was no different than other parts of the good old U.S.A. Boys here were as eager as guys in other places to serve their country. With a little luck, they might wind up doing some brave and noble thing, and then the local girls would line up for a chance to make time with a hometown hero.
Many boys from East St. Louis volunteered to fight in what was known then as "the War to End All Wars" or "the Great War." Some of these boys did not come back from the war. They were buried in Europe, near the locations where they died. The East St. Louis Journal printed numerous stories about the war in Europe, some of which were about local men who had been killed in action or died there from other causes. It's stories like these, taken from that great paper that I worked at for many years, which can help us keep alive the memory of these boys-- boys who have lain forgotten in their graves-- until tonight.
NAVAL OFFICER
Clyde Walter BOISMENUE was such a boy. He enlisted in the Navy on June 10th, 1917, barely two months after President Wilson declared war on Germany. Clyde never made it overseas, though, or even to boot camp at Great Lakes Naval Training Station. While waiting to be called into service, he went fishing with his father, fell into the Mississippi River, and was drowned. And Clyde wasn't the only American boy who was drowned while in the service, either- 727 boys died that way during the Great War. Clyde is now buried in Mt. Carmel Cemetery, where he was just one more name on a tombstone- at least until tonight.
Charles John ADLER of our town also enlisted in the Navy. Charlie made it as far as boot camp- and died there at Great Lakes Naval Training Station, of the Spanish flu, on September 25th, 1918. Charlie was only 19 years old when he died. Now, he wasn't the only victim of the Spanish flu, though- no, sir! In October 1918, it killed 195,000 people in the U.S. alone! Charlie ADLER was buried in Holy Cross Cemetery, with an honor guard of 18 sailors from Great Lakes Naval Training Station. Since then, though, he's been just another name on a tombstone- at least until tonight.
ARMY OFFICER
William G. ALLEN, a local boy raised on a farm on Collinsville Road, joined this man's Army and actually made it to France. He served as Chief Wagoner for the 124th Field Artillery Regiment. Disease killed him, though, and he is buried in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery in France.
GOLD STAR MOTHER
I am Billy Allen's mother, Mary ALLEN of East St. Louis. I went to see my boy's grave as part of the Gold Star Mothers' and Widows' Pilgrimage sponsored by Congress in 1930. I was one of 6,693 women who made that sad trip to France. It's a beautiful place, though, the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery-- well kept up and so very pretty. There are acres and acres of white crosses in neat rows- they seem to go on forever. Since 1930, though, nobody from the family has been able to get over there to see Billy's grave. For all these years he's been alone and unremembered, in a place far from home-- at least until tonight.
ARMY OFFICER
Earney BRYMER also made it to France. He was a career soldier who joined the Army in 1913. He was in the Supply Company, 6th Field Artillery Regiment, when he died in France of pneumonia on May 25th, 1918. A letter he wrote to his mother, Mollie, arrived in East St. Louis on June 8th, 1918. In it he said:
SOLDIER
“Dear Mother: Just a few lines to let you know that I am well and happy. Never felt better in my life; also having a good time under the circumstances. As this is Mothers’ Day, this is your letter. Every soldier in France is writing a letter to his mother today.
Mother, I would like to tell you all I have seen of this war, but owing to our strict censorship I am unable to do so. So don’t worry about me, for I am fine and dandy. I don’t think the Huns have a shell to fit me over here. I feel sure I am coming home some day.
Since we landed we have been on three different fronts, and don’t you know each one has gotten a little livelier. How long we will stay on this one I don’t know, but I don’t think it will be very long. I have nothing else to write, so I guess I will close. With all the love a son can have for his mother, I remain, Your loving son,
Earney.
ARMY OFFICER
Some of our boys did make it back to East St. Louis, of course. Frank Andrew DODSON did, although his return wasn't a cause for celebration. Frank, a private in the 35th Railway Engineers, died in France of pneumonia on October 19, 1918. He was buried there in the American section of La Rochelle Cemetery. His mother and father, Mr. and Mrs. Isaac DODSON of East St. Louis, couldn't bear the thought of their boy all alone in a far-away land, though, so they brought him home. He was reburied here, at Mt. Hope Cemetery, on November 21st, 1920. His pallbearers were guys he'd served with in France: William BENNETT, Louis SPOONEMAN, Ed SPOONEMAN, William DASKE, Rudy MAY, and Ben REYMER. A bugler from Jefferson Barracks, Joe McDONALD, played "Taps" at Frank's reburial.
REPORTER
Other East St. Louis boys were also killed by disease- penicillin was yet to be discovered, after all. Elmer CLEVENGER, a Wagoner in the Army, died on August 31, 1918. He's buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. John HERMAN and William MILES, both privates in the Army, were also killed by disease, and are also buried at Jefferson Barracks. Poor Billy MILES was just 19 years old when he died. Joseph THOMAS was also killed by disease- he died on November 26, 1918, two weeks after Armistice Day. He didn't make it home, though- Joe THOMAS is buried at St. Mihiel American Cemetery, in France.
Other East St. Louis boys killed by disease were William CONNORS, John DULLEA, Conrad KLEE, Henry LONGUST, Milton MOSER, Leo TOWNSEND, Walter WOLFE, and Charles YOUNGHOUSE. Milt MOSER was just 18 years old when he died. During the years since the war ended these boys have been just that many more tombstones in far away graveyards- at least until tonight.
ARMY OFFICER
Not all of our boys who died in France died of disease, though. No, not hardly. The Meuse-Argonne Offensive, which started on September 26, 1918, killed 26,277 American boys. Some of those boys were killed by a new horror first unleashed during World War I- the gas attack. Gas attacks killed 1,462 American boys. One of them was Charles NEIMAN, an East St. Louis boy. Charlie was injured during a gas attack, and died of gas gangrene related pneumonia four days after the armistice was signed. He was buried in France, then returned home in 1920. He was reburied at Mt. Hope Cemetery on January 11, 1920, in a ceremony that included pallbearers and a firing squad from Jefferson Barracks.
Some of our boys who were injured in combat didn't survive. 13,673 American boys died later on from wounds received on the battlefield. One such boy was Louis Joseph SCHAUB, a private in the 138th Infantry Regiment. He was wounded in action on September 23, 1918, and died of those wounds on September 29th. In his last letter home he wrote:
SOLDIER
“Don’t worry if I don’t write for some time as we are chasing the Huns so fast I cannot find no time or paper to write. We sure are getting the Kaiser’s goat and he’s traveling fast. My buddy, Rankin HAMMOND, is in the hospital— in bad, too, with one arm and one leg off— he’s done his hit and none braver. You see I’s still “lucky Louie,” and that’s what I hope to be.”
REPORTER
But "Lucky" Louie's luck didn't last- it ran out on September 29th, 1918, when he died of wounds received a week earlier. Other boys at least didn't suffer much- the war killed them in an instant. Nearly 37,000 soldiers in the U.S. Army were killed outright during World War I. One such soldier was Paul BETHARD, an orphan who worked in George POLLACK's barbershop. Paul enlisted in the Army in May 1918, one year after President WILSON's declaration of war. He'd been promoted to Sergeant, and was serving in the 125th Infantry Regiment when he was killed in action on October 4, 1918. He's home now, buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, in Section 41, Site 12674.
ARMY OFFICER
We all know war is cruel- it's no respecter of persons. It can kill a boy, or a tent full of boys, in an instant. And that's what happened, ladies and gentlemen, on October 8th, 1918, near the Argonne Forest in France. An German artillery shell struck a mess tent there, killing Corporal James R. BUXTON and Private Richard C. HOWELL, both of Battery F, 124th Field Artillery Regiment, both of them East St. Louis boys. BUXTON was survived by his wife, Genova, his mother, and five brothers and sisters. HOWELL's parents were both already dead; only his sister, Mrs. Lena DWYER, was left to mourn him.
We also know that war can kill a hero as easily as it kills a coward. One hero who died in France was James J. BORDERS. He was a medic in the 124th Field Artillery Regiment, a man whose job was saving lives. In October 1918, Lieutenant Fred S. WILLBUR, also in the 124th Field Artillery Regiment, told his own mother in a letter about the bravery displayed by Jim BORDERS:
SOLDIER
Jim BORDERS has distinguished himself twice…
Once he pulled a Frog truck driver out from under a burning and exploding truck of artillery shells. For this the French awarded the top sergeant of the truck ammunition train the Croix de Guerre. Can you beat it?
Two days ago Jim had another adventure. He and another private were in ‘no man’s land’ scouting for wounded. Jim was ‘armed’ with a hatchet and a cane (medics don't carry weapons) and his companion with some first-aid dressings. They ran into a bunch of ‘Huns,’ seven in all. Their commander pointed his automatic pistol at Jim and tried to bluff him. Jim couldn't speak German very well, though, so he walked up to the Hun and took his pistol away. He then marched the seven Germans into our lines, and then went back out to look for wounded men. Jim BORDERS was known throughout the regiment as the ‘man without fear.’
REPORTER
Jim BORDERS never made it back home, though. On November 1st, 1918, he was killed when an artillery shell burst near a group of soldiers from the 124th Field Artillery Regiment. A piece of shrapnel struck Jim behind the ear. He died while in an ambulance on the way to a field hospital.
GOLD STAR MOTHER
I am Jimmy's mother, Ada BORDERS. I went to see my boy's grave as part of the Gold Star Mothers' and Widows' Pilgrimage sponsored by Congress in 1930. It's a beautiful place, really, the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery-so well kept up and very pretty. There are acres and acres of white crosses in neat rows- they seem to go on forever. Since 1930, though, nobody from the family has been able to get over there to see Jimmy's grave. For years he's been all alone and unremembered in a place so far from home- at least until tonight.
REPORTER
We've all known people who seem to be happy no matter the circumstances they find themselves in. One such man was Frank L. GILL, Jr. Frank was a Sergeant in the 124th Field Artillery Regiment. He died in France on October 4th, 1918. He was in typically good spirits, though, as he wrote the last letter his parents received from him:
SOLDIER
Well, dear folks, I was sure glad to get your letters. You ask why I have not written—I have an awfully good excuse. We generally fire every other 48 hours, only stopping long enough to cool off the gun barrel, then the other 48 hours we have nothing to do but put on and take off gas masks, sleep and dodge shells—lots of time to write! I had 48 hours leave and was back in a large city and had an awfully good time, though I was tired out. Managed to enjoy myself at that—trying to talk to and understand French girls. They sure love the American soldiers. I guess I have a dozen fiancées over here, and every one I talk to I tell her after the war I’m going to take her back to America with me.
I got a letter from Glenn the other day and he says he is going to enlist again. I hope he does and I hope he gets in. I will sure be proud of him if he does, for a guy has only one chance to do something for our grand old flag. I wish I had nine lives, like the cat, to lose fighting for our country and my loved ones so far away from me.
But we have our fun. Our war cry is, ‘Heaven, Hell or Hoboken by Xmas!’ and when a big shell is coming the boys holler, ‘Shoot, you devils; you’re faded!’ I have not been shot as yet and don’t think I will be for some time. They haven’t even dented my hat. It is made of boiler plate, so no chance.
Well, dear folks, you must be good and write to me often, for I sure like to hear from you. With all my love, your son, FRANK.
REPORTER
Frank is buried at the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery in France. He worked before the war at the Aluminum Ore Company, and his name was entered after his death on a bronze plaque at the entrance to the plant's main building. There was a memorial service at the plant's main gate on November 19th, 1918.
William T. GOODWIN, a member of the 124th Field Artillery Regiment, also worked at the Aluminum Ore Company prior to enlistment. Private GOODWIN died on October 4th, 1918- the same day as Frank GILL, Jr.- killed in fact by the same artillery shell. His name is also on that bronze plaque at the entrance to the plant's main building. He was also remembered in the memorial service at the plant's main gate on November 19th, 1918.
The Aluminum Ore Company lost quite a few boys to the war. One of them was Clyde PENDLETON. Clyde enlisted in the Army shortly after war was declared, and was shipped to France. He died there, too, killed in action on September 27, 1918. His friend, Sergeant Bud MENGES, wrote a letter to Clyde's brother, Ras:
Dear Ras, By the time this letter reaches you I know you will have been notified of our recent engagement. You have my most heartfelt sympathy; even more, if possible. My heart has been broken ever since. Ras, you have a brother that was a true and brave American. Everyone here speaks of his bravery.
Ras, I know how you feel, but I feel just the same. Clyde was my good friend. The one consolation we have left is he gave his life nobly. There are many things I would like to tell you, but you know I am not permitted; perhaps some other time.
Ras, extend my most heartfelt sympathy to your dear mother and father and the family. If there is anything you would like to know, I will write you at any time. Sincerely yours, Sergeant “Bud” MENGES.
REPORTER
Clyde is buried in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery in France. His name is also on that bronze plaque at the entrance to the Aluminum Ore Company plant's main building. He was also remembered in the memorial service at the plant's main gate on November 19th, 1918.
Another East St. Louis boy was killed on the same day that Clyde PENDLETON died. Private William A. HALLIHAN knew Clyde PENDLETON- they lived a few doors from one another on Baugh Avenue. Billy HALLIHAN was the brother of Deputy City Clerk John HALLIHAN. Billy was killed in action in the Battle of the Argonne Forest, and is buried near Clyde PENDLETON in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery.
ARMY OFFICER
Sometimes notice of a boy's death in battle came from unexpected sources. Private George KAEMMERER was killed in action on September 29, 1918. The telegram from the War Department sent to his family to inform them of George's death was delivered to the wrong house, however. The KAEMMERERs were initially informed of the death in a letter from Miss Ethel M. DAY, an English girl who'd met KAEMMERER and a few of his buddies while they were receiving Tank Service training in England. She learned of George's death from one of those buddies, who'd found George's body on the battlefield.
George KAEMMERER died the same day as Max SUMNER, one of his buddies in the Tank Service. One month after Private SUMNER's death, his aunt in Chicago, Mrs. C.W. GILL, received the following letter from an Australian soldier, Corporal W.S. HITCHCOCK:
SOLDIER
Dear Madam—During the recent fighting which has taken place here in France we Australians have been with American troops, and early this month, during an advance I found a man, with this address and photos with him, who was not buried. So I am sending them on to you. Kindly let me know if you recognize them. Respectfully yours, Corporal W. S. HITCHCOCK, Headquarters Co., 35th Battalion, Australian Imperial Forces Abroad.
REPORTER
HITCHCOCK's letter included photos of SUMNER's parents and sister, along with a letter in SUMNER’s hand addressed to Mrs. GILL. Also included were two brakeman's passes on the B. & O. Railroad, where SUMNER had been employed before enlisting.
GOLD STAR MOTHER
I am Max's mother, Laura SUMNER. I went to see my boy's grave in the Somme American Cemetery as part of the Gold Star Mothers' and Widows' Pilgrimage sponsored by Congress in 1930. It's a beautiful place, really-- well kept up and so very pretty. There are acres and acres of white crosses in neat rows- they seem to go on forever. Max is in Row No. 14, Grave No. 14. Since 1930, though, nobody from the family has been able to get over there to see Max's grave. For years he's been all alone and unremembered in a place so far from home- at least until tonight.
REPORTER
Other East St. Louis boys were also killed in action. Adolf SMOLIK of the 129th Infantry Regiment died on September 29, 1918. Nick MUFFA of the 61st Infantry Regiment died on October 12, 1918. George DOUARD and Peter HURST were also killed in action, and are buried in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery in France. Paul BETHARD was also killed in action, on October 4, 1918, as was Ambrose BOULDEN, on November 11, 1918, but their people were able to bring them home-- they're both buried at Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery in St. Louis.
One East St. Louis boy, however, paid what has to be considered the ultimate price- he was killed in action on Armistice Day, the day the fighting in Europe ended. Corporal William VOGEL enlisted in the Army on April 6, 1917, the day that President Wilson declared war on Germany. He was wounded shortly after arriving in France, and spent several months in the hospital before being declared fit enough to rejoin his unit. But then, on November 11, 1918, Billy VOGEL was killed in action, one of the very last battlefield casualties of World War I.
ARMY OFFICER
First Lieutenant Byron B. CARMICHAEL didn't die on the last day of the war- he died a week before it ended, on November 4, 1918. He wasn't killed in combat, either- he died of influenza in a field hospital, where he was being treated for injuries suffered when an exploding artillery shell burst his left ear drum. But Lieutenant CARMICHAEL was part of a family tradition of service- his grandfather, George W. CARMICHAEL, served in the 139th Illinois Infantry Regiment during the Civil War. Byron CARMICHAEL was a football star at East St. Louis High School, and had seemed destined for a life of great achievement. His death was thus a terrific shock for his family. The shock was eased somewhat by a touching letter the family received from Private Walter B. BECKER, who witnessed Lieutenant CARMICHAEL's funeral:
SOLDIER
At four o’clock on the day following his death the funeral left the hospital with the guard of honor and about fifty men. The procession slowly passed in solemn silence through the village and everyone stood with bowed and uncovered heads to do reverence to the dead. Old women at the open casements who may have known the grief which is yours today, dropped to their knees and clasped their hands in prayer as we came by. And so we proceeded until the village was left behind and now our path led over the peaceful hills glowing with autumnal colors, and all was silence save for the tread of mourners’ feet and the tolling of the bell, faint in the distance.
At last the beautiful cemetery was reached where it lays sheltered by the mountains on a spot as lovely as any on earth. And then the casket, draped in the Stars and Stripes, and covered with a great wreath of flowers, was carried to its resting place. In the rush of the coming twilight and the sky aglow with the radiant splendor of the setting sun from beyond the purple mountains, “Taps” was sounded and the casket lowered into earth’s arms.
And there we left him, sleeping in the quiet peace of the mountains, surrounded by others who slumber, too, in a foreign soil. I hope you will find solace in the thought and the solemn pride that your sacrifice is made in a wonderful cause and that your son has not died in vain. Very sincerely, Private Walter B. BECKER.
REPORTER
The solemnity of the ceremony and the beauty of his resting place was not comfort enough for his grieving relatives, however: Lieutenant CARMICHAEL's body was brought home for reburial on familiar ground after the war ended. His body lay in state in East St. Louis City Hall before reburial.
Sadly, direct hits by the big guns used in World War I didn't always leave a clearly identifiable corpse for grieving buddies or family members to bury. Several East St. Louis families received notification that their boys were missing in action. The family of Edward M. KIRCHOFF, a mechanic in the 138th Infantry Regiment, went missing and was presumed killed on September 28th, 1918. Heinrich J. KARWELAT, a private in the 2nd Engineer Regiment, went missing and was presumed dead on October 7th, 1918. Both men are listed on the Tablets of the Missing in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery in France.
POLITICIAN
It didn't seem like names on tombstones or on Tablets of the Missing in a far-away country did enough to honor the sacrifices of our fallen boys, so East St. Louis citizens began to discuss preparing a tribute of some sort for them on the first anniversary of Armistice Day-- November 11, 1919. Committees were formed to raise money for a monument, to plan an Armistice Day parade from downtown East St. Louis to Jones Park, and to organize speakers for the dedication ceremony. Patriotic organizations including the Grand Army of the Republic and Veterans of the Spanish-American War helped organize the effort, as did ladies in all the war organization auxiliaries and lineage societies. Miss Cecil TOWNSEND, secretary of the Red Cross, and members of the Lions, Rotary and Optimist Clubs also helped in planning and fund-raising.
The monument was to be dedicated to those who died in four wars- the War of 1812, Civil War, Spanish-American War, and World War I. One of the tiers of the monument would have the names of all men from East St. Louis who died during the Great War. Originally, 98 names were inscribed-- five more were added later, for a total of 103. Helen WARNER, a member of the Business and Professional Women’s Club, compiled the list of names for the monument. She worked with the Illinois office of the War Department to compile the list, and would also preside over the unveiling of the monument
The Soldiers War Memorial, also known as the Veterans War Memorial, has stood at the intersection of 25th Street, Lynch Avenue and Caseyville Avenue in East St. Louis for 80 years. This three-tiered monument of granite was dedicated on November 12, 1924. The parade started downtown and ended at the monument for the unveiling and dedication ceremony.
The granite monument is located in a grassy island at the intersection of three streets. It has several parts: a two part base (one large with rough sides, another smaller one with smooth sides). The next tier has names inscribed on all sides of those who died during the First World War, while the third tier is a long shaft that has one war on each side with its date. At the top of the shaft on all sides is a draped flag of stripes topped by stars which symbolizes a draped coffin. At the very top, there stood an eagle carved in the finest granite from the state of Vermont. The eagle had a wingspan of three and a half feet-- sadly, it has disappeared and no longer watches over the monument. In total, the monument stands about 17 feet tall. The Walter P. TISCH Monument Works, which is still in business today, constructed the monument.
WOMEN'S WAR ORGANIZATION MEMBER
The parade began at 2:30 p.m., at 10th and State Streets. The Grand Marshall was Max ADELMAN, former president of American Legion Post Number 53. The parade was headed by the Grand Marshall and Rev. Joseph LONERGAN, both in uniform. The next participants came as follows: the Sixth Infantry Band of Jefferson Barracks, G.A.R. members in a limousine, an elaborately decorated pony cart for youngsters, Gold Star Mothers in automobiles, East St. Louis city officials, the Jefferson Barracks Drum Corps, 100 Spanish American War veterans, World War I veterans, members of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Women’s Relief Corps headed by a float trimmed in white with the letters WRC in red, auxiliaries of the American Legion posts, a float representing all branches of the world war service, representatives of the women’s auxiliaries, the East St. Louis High School band, Ainad Temple drill team (Steven KNOWLES, in charge), Y.W.C.A. girls in buses, St. Joseph’s Boy Scout band (headed by Scout Executive A. H. CURTIS and Scoutmaster Charles KASTNER), and members of the Business and Professional Women’s Clubs. It was estimated that 600 marched in the parade and 200 rode in automobiles. About 1,500 persons gathered in Jones Park awaiting the parade and dedication. The parade ended at 25th Street and Victory (now Argonne) Drive. It took 20 minutes for the parade to pass any given point on the parade route.
The dedication ceremony director was Mrs. C. H. NIEDERFELD of the Women’s Relief Corps. One of her assistants was Mrs. William BAHRENBURG of Belleville, past president of the WRC. Two children, Virginia Lucille JOHNSON and Charles ASHTON, unveiled the monument. Women of various war organizations attired in white, arms laden with flowers, placed them at the base of the monument for those East St. Louis men buried in the Meuse-Argonne, Oisne-Aisne, Suresne, St. Mihiel, and Somme American Cemeteries in France. The Sixth Infantry Band played the Star Spangled Banner, with a chorus of 400 from the public high schools singing along. Rabbi Jacob R. MAZUR offered a prayer. As the first speaker, Rev. J. Stanley MITCHELL, began his speech, “The Price of Peace,” rain drizzled from dark clouds that had previously gathered. Then hard rain fell, dispersing the crowd before the other speakers could take their turns. The speakers included Rev. Joseph LONERGAN of Duran, Illinois, Mayor M. M. STEPHENS, Attorney Kevin KANE, Miss Helen WARNER, and Rev. J. J. DOWNEY of St. Joseph’s Church.
REPORTER
As we now know, World War I was not "The War to End All Wars." Barely twenty years after it ended, The Great War would become known as World War I, to differentiate it from the new world-wide conflict begun by Germany and Japan-- the conflagration we now call World War II. But World War I did bring to a sudden end the lives of more than 100 East St. Louis boys. We've spent a little time tonight remembering some of those boys- boys from a place that was once called Illinoistown. Time hasn't stood still since World War I for the town these fallen heroes were raised in, a place we now call East St. Louis, Illinois. But the passage of time needn't erase our memory of the lives they lived here or the sacrifices that they made. By choosing to remember the boys of Illinoistown, and boys from other towns all across America who have died in war so that we can all live the lives we choose to, we can both honor their memory and keep alive for all time the dream of hope and freedom that is the United States of America.
THE END
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