NEW ZEALAND SOLDIERS

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24271, 31 May 1944, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND SOLDIERS

— * — TRIBUTE BY COMMANDER OF AMERICAN LEGION

MEMORIAL DAY SERVICE

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, May 30. “I bow my head in humble homage to the great soldiers of this land who have fallen that New Zealand might have a better place among the nations,” the national commander of the American Legion, Mr W. Atherton, said today, speaking at an American memorial day service at the Wellington war' memorial.

“There were those who gave their all at Gallipoli, those who fell on the Western Front, those who fell on the long trip from Alamein to Tunis, those who fell driving the despicable Japanese from your northern lands, who have perished to perpetuate freedom, democracy, and civilisation. Men have perished so that we may live in our country, and that you may live in your country, and this has made our respective nations the envy of the world, and it is because of them that you are privileged to enjoy personal liberty, to have the right to have schools' at every crossroads, to have the right to use your wonderful water supplies, to have labour-saving devices, to enjoy good health, and to have security for those of older age. Let us pro\ e. then, that we will carry on for God.”

The Dominion president of the New Zealand Returned Services’ Associatjon, Mr B. J. Jacobs, said it was his privilege and pleasure to send a message pf greeting and goodwill to the American Legion. HO expressed the hope that the ties binding the two countries would become ever stronger and expressed the gratitude of New Zealanders for the way American torces had helped to protect the Dominion.

AMERICAN WAR DEAD HONOURED

AUCKLAND CEREMONY

(P jA) AUCKLAND, May 30. Homage was paid to-day to American war dead who are buried at the Waikumete cemetery at the first United States memorial day ceremony to be held in Auckland. Service and civilian representatives gathered for a brief and simple but effective service which was held in tne open air by the’graves of Americans of various forces who um,Tr, d J Cd . this area as a result of wounds, sickness, or accident The SlS r ‘t? enera] (Sir Newall) attended the service at Waikumete