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Show A Memorial Forest in North CarolinaHonors CarolinaHonors Carolina CarolinaHonors " " Honors the Soldier-Poet Soldier Poet - Who Wrote "Trees Trees I IBy IBy By ELMO SCOTT ' WATSON WATSONI I I T T HAS been reprinted reprmted in innewspapers innewspapers inI IT IIT newspapers and otherpublicatlOns otherpublications other publications publicatlOns hundreds of oftimes oftimes oftimes times . I i ' It has been set to music musicand musicand musicand and you've youve ' probably heard It Itsung itsung itsung sung as a solo or played on onsome onsome onsome some musical mstrument instrument mstrumenthundredsyes instrumenthundredsyes instrumenthundreds hundreds--yes hundreds yes hundreds-yes - yes , thousands thousands-- thousands- thousandsof - of times . And , as the time bme for the thecelebratlOn thecelebration thecelebration celebratlOn celebration of Arbor day ap- ap approaches approaches ap approaches - - proaches , you will be hearingit hearmgIt hearmg hearing It again and again agam . For , of ofall ofall ofall all the poems ever written on onthis onthis onthis this subject , it is probably the thebest thebest thebest best known and best loved . It is Joyce KIlmer's KIlmers KIlmer's"Trees Kilmer's"Trees Kilmer's"Trees KilmersTrees ' " It " ItJ "Trees Trees . I J If Joyce Kilmer Kllmcr had never done donemythmg doneanything doneanything mythmg anything : else but write that one onepoem onepoem onepoem poem his lus fame would be secure secure.But secureBut . But because he did write it , he hehas hehas hehas has recently recenUy been honored wIth witha a memorial that is unIqueDown uniqueDown unique uniqueDown Down m in Graham county , North NorthCarolma NorthCarolina NorthCarolina Carolma Carolina , in ill the heart of the N Nan- Nan Nantahala Nan-tahaja Nan tahaja an- an antahala - tahala national foiest forest fOI est , there IS ISa isa isa a tract of 3,840 3840 , acres of one of the themost themost themost most beaut beautiful ul remnants of OUf our OUfnatIon's ournation's ournation's ournations natIon's natIons ' virgin vlrgm foiests fOlests Within WIthm Its Itsconfmes itsconfines itsconfines confmes confines are magnificent magmficent e ex- ex examples ex examples > . - - am amples pIes of more than 100 specIes specIesof speciesof speciesof of trees native nahve to that region . Since Smce last summer visitors to tothat tothat tothat that tract have found there a aplaque aplaque aplaque plaque which reads : JOYCE KILMER KILMERnlEIUORIAL KILMERMEMORIAL KILMERMEMORIAL nlEIUORIAL MEMORIAL rOREST FOREST rORESTDedIcated FORESTDedicated FORESTDedicated DedIcated July 30 20,1936.Joyce 201936.Joyce 201936Joyce , 1936 . Joyce Kilmer , 165th Infantry InfantryRainbow , Rambow Rainbow Division , soldier and andpoet andpoet andpoet poet , author of "Trees Trees " , " was wasborn wasborn wasborn born m in New Brunswick , N . J J.December JDecember . December 6 6,1886 61886 , 1886 ; killed lulled m ac- ac acbon action ac action - - tion bon in m France July 30 , 1918 . This ThJS memorial memorJal was lwhated initiated lwhatedby initiatedby initiatedby by Bozeman Bulger Post , Vet Vet- Vetcrans Veterans Veterans - erans crans of Foreign Forcign Wars , and andwas andwas andwas was selected by the tbe Uwted United Uwtedstates UnitedStates UnitedStates states Forest Service . , . . . Twenty sears 5 ears ago Joyce KIl- KIl KIlmer Kilmer Kil-mer Kil mer - mer was a young writer on the theSunday theSunday theSunday Sunday staff of the New York YorkTImes YorkTimes YorkTimes TImes He had attended Rutgers Rutgerscollege Rutgerscollege Rutgerscollege college and Columbia unIversIty unIversItyand universityand universityand and had met and fallen in love lovewIth lovewith lovewith wIth Aline Alme Murray of Norfolk NorfolkVa , Va , who shared his interest mterest In Inpoetry inpoetry inpoetry poetry . They were married In InJune inJune inJune June , 1908 , and in that year he hebecame hebecame hebecame became instructor mstructor in ill m Latin Latm m In the theMorrIstown theMorristown theMornstown MorrIstown ( N . J ) high school school.The schoolThe . . The next year he became edito edIto- edItorIal edito- edito editorial editorial - - rial assistant on the Standard StandardDictionary DIctIOnary StandardDIctIOnary where he served for forthree forthree forthree three yearsDurmg yearsDuring years yearsDuring During Durmg this thJS time tune Kilmer won wonconsIderable wonconsiderable wonconsiderable consIderable recognition recogmtIon as a apoet apoet apoet poet and was a regular contribu contrIbu- contrIbutor contributor contributor - - BookNews tor to the Literary Digest , Book News Monthly and other lIterary lIteraryperIodIcals literaryperiodicals literaryperiodicals perIodIcals His first book of ofpoems ofpoems ofpoems poems , "The The " Summer of Love Love"appeared Loveappeared , " appeared in 1911 and the next nextyear nextyear nextyear year he became literary editor of the ofthe Churchman For ror some tIme he timehe had been a contributor of book bookrevIews bookreviews bookreviews revIews to the New York TImes TImesand Timesand Timesand and in m 1913 he joined Jomed the he staff staHL o I IOXVILIE OXVILIE OXVILIEF OXVILIEc F , fi , V ' . ; Cr ' , . ASHEVILLEat ASHEVILLE . c . . . , . . r . - rs - at atN N s , JOYCE 3JOYCE JOYCE.KfLMEft JOYCEKfLMEft . , . SI9 ? 3 MEMO MEMOR R/ R RER ER ERA ERCREST 'M M ' .r r A/OW A OW / / UJ UJfOfiesj A ! fOfiesj CREST " 0B 0BS 0Bp.4TIQNgL S . ? yy'o yyo ' , u uft . IrTOa US ! ? US N \ft ft \ g 19 19RF " ' RF roksRA roksRAi . . p.4TIQNgL p4TIQNgL p.4TIQNgLN . . . . , i P P.J .J J . soq ; ' TEARPHY s64 Is64 M MURPHY RPHY RPHYFOREST MAoq UNOQ soqUNOQ l4RTRS iRTtus.TOKE'Sr iRTtus.TOKESr iRTtusTOKESr [ J I . .L L . i20aA TEA . . FOREST ' N NO NOfDAHLONEGA G GGA , GA GA GAgG gG gGOALTON OALTON OALTONs . P ' s # , /fDAHLONEGA fDAHLONEGA / fDAHLONEGAJCARTERSVIU.E OAHLONSGA OAHLONSGACA 53 JCARTERSVIU.E JCARTERSVIUE JCARTERSVIU.EPrepared CA RTER5VILIE RTER5VILIELOCATEON . ' LOCATtOM LOCATION LOCATEON OFJOYCE OF OFJOYCE ' JOYCE KILMER MEMORIAL . FOREST FORESTEST FORESTESTABLISHED FORESTESTABLISHED EST ESTABLISHED 8LISHED IN 1930IN 193CATLANTA 1938 1930 193C 1938IN ATLANTA . IN THENANTAHALA THEPrepared THE THENANTAHALA Prepared FORESTR0 by byUSJ-onirtStrwce byUSJ onirtStrwce USFore - , Service , NANTAHALA NATIONAL FORESTNORTH FOREST _ R0 Re&orfe Reorfe & o AitantaC AuantaGa a ' , _ NORTH AROLINA CAROLINA of that newspaper and began beganwriting beganwntmg wntmg writing news stones storlcs stories , mtervlews interviews interviewsand mtervlewsand and feature articlesAn articles articlesAn An Heroic erOlc ReporterIndIcatIve ReporterIndicative Reporter ReporterIndicative Indicative of the heroic stuff In mhim InhIm hIm was an incident mcident during durmg thIS perIod thisperiod of his career . He had hadtried Yorkand NevYorkand trIed to boardl board a : train tram to Nev/ Nev New / York and v . v.as vas . as thrown off andserIously and serIously hurt seriouslyhurt doctortold In the hospital the doctor told him that he must be put under un- un un - - der an anesthetic so that hIs hisbroken broken bones might be set"But set"But set set"But "But But " I have a Sunday story to towrite " " wrIte , he said " ' allm allill "I've Ive ' got it all ill m my head and the editor needs it needsit . Wait Walt until I do it . . " secretaryto So he sent for tor his lus secretary to anddIctated come out from New Yorkand York and dIctated the story before he was wheeled waswheeled m in to the operatmg operating . . - - .0 0 room * M 'ltl ltl ' roomAlthough Although 'ltlAlthough low fellow highly praised by his fel- fel fel - - newspaper workers for hIS grIt hisgrit , Kilmer boththe made light hght of both the accident and the incident mCldent During Durmg incidentDuring mCldentDurmg his career as a and reporterand feature writer Kilmer reporter contmued continued con con- - tinued tmued his poetic work workIncludmg including Includmg , t- t 4 - t'r 4t t - . " ' ti 'r r ' : ' a ff . a ' ar r r f * 4 ' + r Ii R Rr 3 3M 3r j 7Jj ' + ! L ryfl r 7J r ' i M ( t r X X y , t tfi'Ip 5t 5tE li . E f + yti ytirX p6 rX rXs rXr s d dt r S St it itt q.t qt . fi'Ip fiIp fi'Ip5t ' t t rys ! fd'1 fd1 ' t ' TREES TREESa a er < I think that I Ishall shall never see seeIX IX 3 j I Itt tt A poem lovely as a tree , A tree whose hungry mouth is pressed I tE ) p f ' Against the earths sweet flowing breast , ' ) t tAnd A tree that looks at God Godall all day 1 4 4 < t k ' . And lifts her leafy arms to pray ; r ' fr . ' A tree that may in Summer wear t : , y yt yE yI yA ynest t E I A nest of ofrobins robins in her hair , ll llJ t L $ y ' ; Upon whose bosom snow has lain ; i iWho J ' Who intimately lives with withrain rain . Poems are made by fools like me , , I IJojce , , ' But only God Godan an make a tree . I If1 f1 1 > t tt t -Jojce Jojce - Kilmer x b bii ' ' f fri ri f q t r1 i j y yr1 ii s " , ' ar arr arf r < rr rrj a Tra Trs j4t j s . } I v vY r Trr piI piIt t ! ! Z ZI I . ' , ; ; ; Y F Tr 4 - y rl rlr rla a r yw ' ? r C a J/ J / [ S std stdq # # r i Jr y yi s ifijis i fr ifiji q t w ; UYT : " pf pft pfi t i ; r Y 1 1i I , * ' , , t : X rris is isi \ sX rr 0 i i ' 1 nk nki 4 4s 4t ! 1 r t < xR " xf f far fl x ! s rffd , f ff n nr r y f < 44 44y r , r.r rr . f'ir fir ' ' ( t tof of ofr4j r4j r4jP P , r r , I 2 2a s J Sarr o , # / /a a / as ) f din din4t 4t 4tA V A ' ' M MM X . . * r h S 1 M Xw } Y .V V , Y VY 2 ! { a"w aw " " p Y z 1f rfi . s sz sf s1f f ; 1r a- a af .l l . - l lJ J x ; f i it t c ck cc k c c , x :1yt 1yt : t tF F 4 4t 4w f fflit , t . . . t w . s j j.Q , .Q Q .Qr1xS.w ' /r-1xS.w r1xS.w r 1xS.w 1xSw / - aw.au awau " flit A S'kk Skk S'kknw ' nw . ry ryrLCaY1'v4 rLCaY1'v4 rLCaY1v4 rLCaY1'v4.wxw ' ' ' .wxw wxw . X B 3 3Virgin Vlrgm Virgin timber in the Joyce KIlmer Memorial Forest , Nantahala NatIonal Forcst Forest , North Carolma Carolina . ( Photograph , courtesy Umted United States Forest Servle Service ( . ) his now-famous now famous - "Trees Trees " " , whIch whichwas whichwas i iwas was written for his friend , Mrs MrsHenry MrsHenry MrsHenry Henry Mills Alden , w wife e of the thevenerable thevenerable thevenerable venerable editor of o Harper's Harpers Harper'sMagazme Harper'sMagazine Harper'sMagazine HarpersMagazine ' Magazme Magazine It was published inbook ill in illbook mbook book form under the title of ofuTrees of"Trees of"Trees ofTrees uTrees "Trees Trees " , and Other Poems , " In in1915 1915 . Other poems were dedicated to tohIS tohis tohis hIS friend and "boss boss " , " Alden AldenMarch AldenMarch AldenMarch March , Sunday editor of the theTImes theTimes theTimes TImes On that April Aprll day in 1917 1917when 1917when 1917when when the news of the sinking smkmg of ofthe ofthe ofthe the Lusitania Lusltama was flashed across acrossthe acrossthe acrossthe the Atlantic , March called Kil KIl- KIlmer Kil- Kil Kilmer Kilmer - - mer to him and said that he want want- wanted wanted wanted - ed a poem to be used as a page MagazineAt MagazmeAt feature pagefeature in the Sunday Magazme Magazine At first Kilmer demurred , saymg saying that sayingthat saymgthat he could not write anythIng anythInggood anythinggood anythinggood good enough for such a subJect subjectnor , nor for such prominence prommence . But MarchmSIsted Marchinsisted March mSIsted insisted insistedandthe and the ne"t net nett ne " t morning mormng Kilmer Kllmcr apologetic apologetIc- - ally apologetically laid his on desk the manu manu- - - script SCrlpt manuscript manuSCrlpt of the poem "The The " Winte White ShIPS WhiteShips and the Red " It was a : bnlllanUy brilliantly abrilliantly imaginative 1magmatIve imagmative p 0 o e m poemwhich mwhich mI whJch which was destined destmed to be heard I around heardaround the heardI I world and to stir the Init feelmgs feelings thefeelings thefeelmgs of men in every land In It Kilmer Kllmer envisioned enVJsloned the wreck of thehorror wreckof the Lusitania Lusltama , red from the theto horror of the deed downto , gomg going down to the bottom of the thereto ocean , there to join the ghosts of those WhICh whichhad had been sunk by shipwreck storm , ship shIp- - wreckand wreck icebergBut and IcebergBut icebergBut iceberg hisindignation hIsmdignatIon But Kilmer did not limit 11mIt hIs mdignatIon indignation against agamst those respon respon- - sible responsible for sinking smklng the Lusitania Lusltania to writing towriting poems On April 23 , 1917 1917iust _ , 17 da Just 17 days after u the Umted United States entered the World war , he left ien the me TJIr'es TJIres Tames y ' rres and enlIstedas enlisted as a prIvate aprivate in lo the Seventh Sevi3nth Sev nth regIment of regimentof the New Yorknat Yorknatibo.al York nat natibaal- natibaal natibo.al natiboal natibaaluard bo.al-gttard bo.algttard bo.al boal gttard . . - - gtard gtardA uard uardA ; A Front Line Fighter raghter . ' - , leffor lefLfor Shortly before the regiment Jeft lef . for Spartanburg , S Kilmerwas C , Kilmer was transferred to the 165th m In fantry at Camp Mills , Long Is- Is Island Island Is Island - land , and he was senior semor regiment regIment- regimental - al statistician when his Ius outfit outfitsalled outfitsailed outfitsailed salled sailed October,1917 October1917 for France m October , 1917 . It was a job which would wouldkeep wouldkeep wouldkeep keep him close to regImental regimentalheadquarters regImentalheadquarterswhat headquarters-what headquarters what - - what the army armycalled armycalled armycalled called a "soft soft " berth " It was ex- ex exactly exactly ex exactly - - actly for that reason that KIlmer KIlmerwas Kilmerwas Kilmerwas was dissatisfied He wanted to tobe tobe tobe be in the front lines lmes where there therewas therewas therewas was action achon and his insistence led ledto ledto ledto to his transfer to the regImental regImentalI regImentalIntellIgence regimentalintelligence regimentalintelligence I IntellIgence staffAs staff staffAs I As sergeant on the IntellIgence intelligencestaff intelligencestaff I staff he displayed the same fidel fidel- fidelity fidelity - ; ity and courage that he had hadI hadshown hadshown I shown as a newspaper man On On30 OnJuly OnJuly ' July 30 , 1918 , that fidelity and andcourage andcourage andcourage courage took him into mto the scarred scarredand scarredand scarredand and shattered timber which they theystIll theystill theystill stIll call the Wood of the Burned BurnedBrIdge BurnedBridge BurnedBridge BrIdge His outfit was trying trymg to tolocate tolocate tolocate locate enemy Tiachme maclllne machine gun nests n sts : I I Not more than 30 feet away from awayfrom WIllIamJ Kilmer KlImer was Maj WIllIam WilliamJ wholater J . ( "Wild Wild " Bill " ) Donovan , who later commanded the 165th 165thWhen When it came time for them to tomove tomove tomove move forward , Donovan called caIIed to KIlmer toKilmer . There was no response Donovan responseDonovan looked closer and saw KIlmer sawKilmer huddled on the ground groundA A sniper's snipers smper's smpers ' bullet had stilled for for- forever forever forever - ever the voice of the man who whohad had sung of "Trees Trees " " * . . * . They buried burled Joyce Kdmer Kilmer Kdmeramong Kilmeramong Kilmeramong among the war-blasted war blasted - - trees of BOIS ofBois Colas-the Colas the Colas - the kind kmd of trees treeswhIch treeswhich treeswhich whIch were far different from those fromthose he had m 111 in mind mmd when he hewrote wrote the poem that has been beenhis hIs hIsmemorIal decades memorial for nearly two dec dec- - ades But now he has another memorIal anothermemorial which will , , literally lJteraIIy and figuratIvely andfiguratively , "keep keep " his memory gleen gi memorygleen memorygi een . . " " It is the memorial forest m North inNorth mNorth dedicated ded1cated Carolina Carolma which was dedi ded1- ded1 dedi- dedi - - ceremonies ceremomes cated last |