World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives, American
Dr. Alice Barlow-Brown (of Winnetka) was in Paris at the time of Lieut.
Ely’s death, and attended the services, which were very impressive, and
which indicated the appreciation of the French for the personal and
national service which we as their allies are endeavoring to render to
them and to the common cause.
Extracts from Dr. Brown’s letter follow:
Paris, April 24, 1918.
DEAR MRS. ELY:
This afternoon I realized how very proud you should feel that you have
given to the “great cause” one of the noblest and best of young men. I
was more impressed of this as I walked with many others behind the
hearse and saw the reverence and homage paid him by every one—men,
women, and children—to “les Americains,” as the cortege moved along from
the chapel at the hospital to the English church—in front of which was
draped the Stars and Stripes—where the services were held. The French
artillery escorted from the chapel to the church, remaining outside
until the services were concluded—then from the church to the gates of
the cemetery.
After the detachment of French artillery came a detachment of U. S.
marines, the chaplains, then the hearse, on both sides of which were
members of the Aviation Corps, five of them from the LaFayette
Escadrille, on each side of these were four French artillerymen,
marching with their guns pointed down. Behind came the pall bearers and
then representatives of the government, the prefect of the Seine et
Oise, representatives of the Allied Council and French military. Then
followed civilian men and women, the representatives of the Y. M. C. A.
and Red Cross. The services at the church and the grave were conducted
by the English chaplain and a U. S. army chaplain. The songs were “Abide
with Me” and “For All the Saints Who from Their Labors Rest,” also a
solo.
From the church the cortege proceeded across the Place des Armes to the
Ave. de Paris, for some distance. Here, while in progress, a friendly
aviator descended very low and followed for a distance. In passing,
every man bared his head, from the small boy of five years of age to the
gray haired old men, every one standing reverently while the cortege
passed. The silent tribute paid by the French was very touching.
Two striking incidents occurred. At the church when we entered was
sitting a French woman in mourning, who joined us in walking to the
cemetery, and said that she had a deep sympathetic feeling for the
absent parents. Asked for your address to write you. She had lost two
sons. The other, an old French woman of 70 years, seeing that it was an
American who had given his life for France, joined the procession to pay
tribute to him.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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