| OCR Text |
Show GEN. PERSHING QIVESJHANKS Refers to the Dark Days of Mid-summer on French Front. AMERICAN HEADQUARTERS IN FRANCE, Thursday, Nov. 28. Where possible, Thanksgiving day was observed ob-served throughout the war zone by ' the American forces, all unnecessary military duties being suspended. The day found many troops marching or entrained for pprts, but in cantonments and fixed camps services were held, and an effort was made to provide some substitute for the traditional American dinner. . An Impressive service was held at the great general headquarters. The troops were paraded without arms and the officers and men held a moeting which was attended "by local dignitaries dignitar-ies and members of allied military missions mis-sions here. The Rev. Charles Henry Brent, former Protestant Episcopal bishop for the Philippine islands and now -working among the American troops, read the president's proclamation proclama-tion announcing Thanksgiving day. General John J. Pershing made a brief address. Bishop Brent then read Washington's Washing-ton's prayer. Led by the headquarters band, the meeting sang "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," "Marsellalse" and "America "Amer-ica " After Bishop Brent's benediction a band concrl was given. The text of General Pershing's address ad-dress follows: "Fellow soldiers: Never in the his-, his-, tory of our country have we, as a peo-' peo-' pie, come together with such full hearts as on this greatest of all Thanksgiving days. The moment throbs with emotion, seeking to find full expression. Representing the high ideals of our countrymen and cherishing cherish-ing the spirit of our forefathers who first celebrated this festival of thanksgiving, thanks-giving, wo are' proud to have repaid a debt of gratitude to the land of La-Fayette La-Fayette and to, have lent our aid in saving civilization from destruction. "The unscrupulous invader has been driven from the devastated scenes of his unholy conquest. The tide of conflict, con-flict, which during the dark days of mid-summer threatened to overwhelm the allied forces, has been turned into glorious victory. As the sounds of battle bat-tle die away and the beaten foe hurries hur-ries from the field, it is fitting that the conquering armies should pjiuse to give thanks to the God of battles who has guided our cause aright. "Victory was our goal. It is a hard-won hard-won gift of the soldier to his country. Only the soldier knows the cost of a gift wu now present to the nntlon. As soldiers, Inspired by every spiritual : sentiment, we have each silently (prayed that the success of righteousness righteous-ness should be ours. Today, with ' thankfulness, we humbly acknowledge that His strength has given us the victory. vic-tory. We are thankful that the privilege privi-lege has been given to us to serve in such a cause. "In this hour of Thanksgiving our eloquent gratitude goes out to those heroes who loved liberty better than life, who sleep yonder, where they fell; i to the maimed whose honorable scars j testify stronger than words to their 'splendid valor and to the brave fellows J whose strong relentless blows finally I crushed the enemy's power. "Nor our prayer shall we forget the widow who freely gave the husband ' j more precious than her life, nor those! 'who in hidden heroism have impover-! Ished themselves to enrich the cause, j , nor our comrades who In more obscure i posts here and at home have fur- ntshed their toil to the soldiers at the j front. "To majiy fame has come. New J names have been inscribed on the roll I of the Immortals. To all have come a new outlook on life, a clearer perspective per-spective regarding its obligations, a more exalted conception of duty and honor and a deeper sense of responsibility responsi-bility to the nation and to God. "May we give thanks that unselfish service has given us this new vision that wo are able to return to our fireside fire-side and higher aims and a firmer purpose pur-pose alike cnobling to ourselves and to those who have held long vigil and have prayed for us that we might worthily represent them. "This spirit that has won the victory vic-tory is to become a permanent and Indispensable In-dispensable mainstay of peace and happiness. It is not a matter of individual in-dividual choice but of obligation, that we should proudly carry it back with us. If the glory of our military serv-1 serv-1 ice has been a spontaneous offering of loyalty, It is too priceless to be cast aside by indulgence and too sacred not to be cherished always. "Our nation awaits the return of its soldiers, believing In the stability of character that has come from self-disciplined and self-sacrifice. Confident of the new power that the stern school of war and discipline has brought to each of us, American mothers await with loving hearts their gallant sons. Great cause, indeed, havo we to thank God for trials successfully met and victories vic-tories won. Still more should we thank him for the golden future, with its wealth of opportunity and its hope of a permanent universal peace." oo |
