Thursday August 28, 1930

What a full day this would turn out to be!

First there was breakfast: Stewed prunes were available; fresh fruit, including oranges and grapes, were in short supply. Also available was oatmeal, but there was no such luck for those pilgrims who ordered bacon and eggs. There were hard rolls – many of the women on many of the pilgrimages commented on the hardness of the French rolls! Then there was a period of rest at which time some of the ladies went to the hairdresser.
Later in the morning, Lieut. Yarborough, the army officer in charge of Josephine’s Group 1, those mothers and widows going to the Meuse-Argonne Cemetery, held a conference for the ladies, explaining points of general information, including the exchange of money.

The pilgrims were instructed on how to change American money for French money. In a letter dated April 30, 1930, the pilgrims were instructed to bring with them such funds as they may desire to use for making small purchases and for other uses of a distinctly personal nature. All necessary expenses were paid by the U.S. Government.

Besides Lieut. Yarborough’s oral presentation, the pilgrims were given needed information in a typewritten three-page document from HEADQUARTERS IN EUROPE / AMERICAN PILGRIMAGE GOLD STAR MOTHERS AND WIDOWS.

The first topic covered was the Ceremony at the Arc de Triomphe that would take place later in the day. Details were given about attending church services on a Sunday when the pilgrims were in Paris. A list of services available to attend were given, including St. Joseph Roman Catholic Church, 50 Avenue Heche that had a 10 AM Mass and Madeleine, a Roman Catholic Church, located at Place de la Madeleine, that also had a 10 AM Mass.

Details were also given about a shopping trip, under the guidance of the pilgrims’ conducting officer (Lieut. Yarborough), to one of the large department stores of Paris.

There was a paragraph discussing the pilgrims’ itineraries in France. These various itineraries were quite full and would keep the mothers and widows busy if they desired to make each and every trip outing:
Many of you will have strength enough to make every trip; but some will be tired. You are urged to tell your Conducting Officer whenever you feel too tired to make a trip, so that he may start the auto-car on time. You are requested to save yourself and your companions fatigue, annoyance, and delay, by being ready to depart promptly at the times indicated on your TIME TABLE ITINERARIES for the various trips, or to notify your Conducting Officer, Nurse, or Interpreter, as far in advance as possible when you do not wish to make a trip.

Note: I am writing this narrative with the assumption that Josephine took part in all that was offered.
Lunch was at noon at the Hotel Ambassador.

At 2:50 pm, the pilgrims departed for the ARC DE TRIOMPHE CEREMONY. Every Gold Star Mother Pilgrimage participated in a ceremony laying a wreath (sometimes more than one) at France’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arc de Triomphe. Today two wreaths were laid at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Colonel Ellis aided Mrs. Catherine Cassells and Mrs. Catherine “Bird” Seymour as they laid wreaths at the tomb of the unknown French soldier. Both of these women had lost two sons in the war.

These wreaths were laid on behalf of the Gold Star Mothers of America:

“I present this wreath from the Gold Star Mothers of America to the unknown soldier of France with reverence.”

As described by Marion Brown (not in Party R): “We stood in a rectangular formation while it was done . . . everything was very quiet and dignified.”

On some pilgrimages, including Josephine’s, other mothers from various states were allowed to lay additional wreaths at the tomb. Mrs. Mary Everson, a Joplin, Missouri Gold Mother, was chosen as the representative from Missouri to place a wreath on the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. I do not know whether any of the other states on Pilgrimage R laid wreaths at the tomb.

One mother on another pilgrimage was quoted as saying:

Next to placing a wreath on the grave of my own son, I think the most solemn moment of the entire trip was when we, as a group, placed a wreath on the tomb of the Unknown Soldier, realizing as we did how many millions of mothers we were representing at the time.

I am imagining that Buddy was never far from Josephine’s mind, from the first moment of the trip to the last. At such a solemn, somber, moving ceremony, did she shed tears for him?

Note: The concept of a tomb to honor an unknown soldier was a unique Great War development. There were millions of unidentified war dead in many countries. Each country decided to build a monument to honor one of the fallen to represent the many.

After this beautiful but somber ceremony, the pilgrims went to the Restaurant Laurent, one of the most fashionable restaurants in Paris, for a formal reception and tea. Colonel Ellis welcomed them and then introduced the U.S. Ambassador to France, Walter Edge, who spoke briefly to them. Ambassador Edge served as ambassador to France from 1929-1933. Ambassador Edge’s wife often accompanied him to these functions.

Ambassador Edge told the pilgrims that at first he was afraid of the pilgrimages because they were such a vast undertaking. He said that he had held his breath when the first contingent came over earlier in May. But many pilgrimages had been made since that time, and after watching all summer, he now knew that the pilgrimages were the right thing to do, and it made him happy to see all pilgrims return home satisfied.
Then Colonel Ellis introduced a French official, who spoke to them in French. Did Josephine understand what he said? Both American and French dignitaries spoke to the mothers with touching gratitude for the sons they had sacrificed in the war. Speakers, both American and French, thanked the pilgrims for leaving their sons and husbands overseas and reassured them that the graves were well cared for and that their pilgrimage would bring France and America closer together. They spoke of their gratitude for the sacrifice of the young men who had lost their lives in the war.

Note: The topic on the pros and cons of burial at home vs burial overseas is a topic for another post. More American war victims were returned home for burial than were buried overseas.

Next Colonel Ellis introduced Canon Gibbs, rector of the Protestant Episcopal Church. Canon Gibbs extended an invitation to the pilgrims to visit his church. Then Canon Gibbs gave the blessing.

Refreshments were then served: ice cream first, followed by thick ham and cheese sandwiches. For drinks there was lemonade – but it was as sour as vinegar! But at least it was ice cold! It was what the pilgrims needed because this day was one of the hottest days in the history of Paris! Being from the South, could Josephine bear the heat better than some of the other pilgrims? Or was it an entirely different kind of heat?

French war mothers and French widows were present at the reception. Some French widows wanted to shake the hands of the American war widows. The French widows looked with puzzlement upon the American widows because the American widows were not wearing mourning veils 12 years after the end of the war! Some of the French widows were wearing veils; others were in black dresses. Mrs. Fannie Fine reported that the American officers had asked the pilgrims to wear somber clothing to this event in deference to the feelings of the French war widows.
Each mother and widow was given a tiny parcel of French soil wrapped in flags of the United States and France.

Did Josephine and the other members of Party R leave this reception “feeling kindly toward those who were responsible for such fine entertainment”?

Traveling back to the hotel, with a bit of sightseeing on the way, the pilgrims noted that there were no traffic laws in Paris! The streets were very narrow. But they could see beautiful flowers along the way. One lady observed to Mrs. Fine: “I can see nothing. I think every minute will be the last. We missed that car and that telephone poll by the skin of our teeth, and just because the star on the front of our bus gives us the right of way, the chauffeur is taking advantage!”

It was around 6 pm when they returned to the hotel for dinner.

Did Josephine, as Mrs Fannie Fine did, meet many interesting people in the Hotel Ambassador, described by a friend of Mrs. Fine’s, as the finest hotel in Europe? And how many sad stories of the war told by guests at the hotel did Josephine hear?

What a long and exhausting day this must have been! Josephine was probably very happy to go to bed and rest even as she looked forward to another exciting day in the city of Paris!

Note: The pilgrims were given itineraries for each day they would be in France. Some women took advantage and went on every planned event; others could choose not to go as long as they notified the officer in charge that they would not be going.

Many of you will have strength enough to make every trip; but some will be tired. You are urged to tell your Conducting Officer whenever you feel too tired to make a trip, so that he may start the auto-car on time. You are requested to save yourself and your companions fatigue, annoyance, and delay, by being ready to depart promptly at the times indicated on your TIME TABLE ITINERARIES for the various trips, or to notify your Conducting Officer, Nurse, or Interpreter, as far in advance as possible when you do not wish to make a trip.

I hope that Josephine was able to go on all the excursions planned and participate in all the activities that were planned. I am writing this narrative assuming that she did.


Source: written by Carolyn Ourso