Chester's citizens in the Great War: The Roughneck

By Aaron Lefkowitz
CHESTER, N.Y., AND ST.-QUENTIN, FRANCE — On Sept. 29, 1918, the American 27th and 30th Divisions, attached to the British Fourth Army, attacked the seemingly impregnable Hindenburg Line. This highly engineered defensive system, developed by the Germans, was considered to be the most heavily fortified position in the world.
The New York 27th was a distinct unit, as one of only three divisions formed entirely from a single state National Guard. It was known as O’Ryan’s Roughnecks after their commander, Major General John F. O’Ryan.
On that day, 40 Orange County members of the 107th Infantry Regiment of the 27th would fall in battle, making it the bloodiest single day for a U.S. regiment in the entire war. Every year, Orange County recognizes Sept. 29 as its own special Veterans Day in their memory.
But Daniel S. Burrows was not one of those men. He was in the 105th Infantry, Company L, and would survive the relentless fighting to break the mighty Hindenburg Line. On Oct. 19, 1918, Burrows fell in combat with his regiment, capturing a position described by military documents as “in the face of slight opposition.” Like all his fallen comrades, Burrows was immediately buried and his relatives informed.
At the war’s end, more than 100,000 Americans had died and were buried in Europe. Countless families demanded that their fallen sons be returned to America, a major logistical nightmare. Many high-ranking Americans, such as General John J. Pershing and especially former President Theodore Roosevelt, whose own son was buried in France, insisted these Americans would be best taken care of in France under the newly formed American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC). Pershing chaired the ABMC for the rest of his life, 25 years. He personally supervised the monuments' construction and maintenance because these men were his, and he had a responsibility to watch over them.
Still, many sons were taken home and buried, including many in Orange County. Ultimately, the decision by his relatives to leave Burrows under the care of the ABMC was the best option. The graves are maintained daily, cared for by government employees and local volunteers eternally grateful for the Americans’ heroism.
Hometown soldier is rememberedIn commemoration of the centennial of the Battle of the Hindenburg Line, the Orange County historian, Johanna Yaun, organized a trip to St.-Quentin and the Somme American Cemetery and Memorial, where her group, including myself, placed flags on the graves of the Orange County soldiers to honor their sacrifice. In these serene, rolling farm fields of Picardy, Americans are warmly welcomed as true friends of the French people. The 1,844 interred include three Medal of Honor winners and those who died in the earliest American battles.
I asked for the honor of placing a flag at Burrows’ grave, Plot D Row 9 Grave 9, where almost all of his neighbors are fellow New Yorkers. The graves are lined up absolutely perfectly, creating pristine rows of beautiful white crosses and stars.
Upon placing the flag, I felt it fitting talk about Daniel Burrows' hometown, which he had last seen more than a century ago. I told about how the town had flourished, how the 1915 train station, which was still new in 1918, was now a local museum, and how Chester always remembers those who went off to fight for our freedom.
I am proud that a man like Burrows came from my town, and that he is still properly honored by those he helped to liberate and still remembered in his hometown. I am also very glad that the men interred at ABMC cemeteries are so well cared for, even a century after their deaths, and that their feats are not forgotten.
In order for us Americans to live in freedom and justice, sacrifices of countless individuals are necessary. The pin I wore to the cemetery was of the poppy flower that symbolizes all those who perished in the war, captioned with the phrase, “Lest We Forget.”
Other sons of Chester also lie in well-kept graves in France, where they are equally honored for all they have done.
It is much easier to remember those who survive, who return to the United States and tell the story to the next generation. But it is just as important to remember those who never made it home. While their bodies may have perished, their ideals live on in every one of us so that we may know the cost of all we hold sacred.
Related storiesSee these related stories at chroniclenewspaper.com:
"Chester's citizens in the Great War: The engineer"
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"Chester's citizens in the Great War: The batman"
"Chester's citizens in the Great War: The fighter"
"Chester's citizens in the Great War: The Yeomanette"