Memorable Event June 29, 1915 First Battle of the Isonzo First of Eleven Italian Offensives on the River Click on Image for More Information

Marker at Burial Vault of
Elsie Janis

This Month's Special Feature Light-Hearted Music of the Great War (Media Player Required)

• Good Morning Mr. Zip Zip Zip
  
  
• Goodbye-ee
  
  
• How Ya Gonna Keep Em Down on the Farm After They've Seen Paree?
  
  
• K - K - K - Katy
  
  
• Mademoiselle from Armentieres
  
  
• Oh How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning
  
  

Our Family's Gold Star Pilgrimage Part I: Journey to France Contributed by Kathy Compagno

Rosa Heidler Lorenz, the gold star mother in this story, is my great grandmother; the source is an excerpt from my own personal story about her life, based on documents carefully saved by her daughters Luella and Josephine. Her son Joseph fought with the 42nd Rainbow Division, was wounded at the River Ourcq, and died at a base hospital in France.

During the 1920's, the national Gold Star Mothers' Association lobbied for a federally sponsored pilgrimage to the cemeteries of Europe for mothers with sons buried overseas. On 2 March 1929, the U.S. Congress passed legislation authorizing funding for Gold Star Mothers and widows "to make a special pilgrimage to France . . . to visit the graves of husbands and sons killed in the World War. . . The trip will be free, the party being guests of the government."

General Pershing with a Group of Gold Star Mothers
Arlington National Cemetery

Rosa's official invitation was carefully saved amongst her treasures:

The Government of the United States extends an invitation to Mrs. Rosa Lorenz to make a pilgrimage to the Cemetery in Europe where the remains of her Son are now interred. Leaving New York on the Steamship America on May 7, 1930.

A Dayton Journal news story dated 12 January 1930 further described the Arrangements:

Dayton Gold Star Mothers To Visit Graves of Heroes in France; Others Plan to Go Next Year; Two Weeks to be Allowed in Europe, With Everything Furnished; Touching Scenes are Enacted[Headline]: Announced yesterday by Congressman Roy G. Fitzgerald, those who are going this year [include] Mrs. Rosa Lorenz, 121 East Fairview. . . The pilgrimage will be made shortly after May 1. . . the total number of widows and gold star mothers going this year from all over the nation will be 5,323. The total number entitled to make the trip during the time allotted, May 1, 1930 to October 31, 1933, is 11,440. . . All expenses will be paid by the government. Each one going will be provided with every possible comfort from their homes to France and return. It is estimated that the cost will average $840 per person. . . All mothers of American service men now buried in European cemeteries and widows of service men who have not remarried are entitled to make the trip. This is being done by the government as a token of recognition to those who gave their all and have not yet visited the graves of their loved ones. . . Memories of more than 11 years ago were recalled. . . One mother said, 'There is my boy in his uniform. He was so proud of it, and I too. That picture was taken just before he left. I never saw him again. Here is a picture of his grave. God bless him, I'll soon see where he is resting. I was afraid that I would pass on and never see his grave'. . . Necessary papers have been sent. . . includes special passports, accommodations, re-entry papers, etc. Each one making the trip will be allowed two weeks in France. Joseph Lorenz, member of the 150th Infantry, machine gun battalion, was wounded in September, 1918. He died on November 22. His grave will be visited by his mother.

Rosa must have been eager to go; she filed her papers promptly and was issued Special Pilgrimage Passport No. 4 (!), valid only for that trip. At that time, she was 4 feet 10 inches tall, with blonde hair and blue eyes. Her birthplace was listed as Neuhammer, Germany. Joseph was buried at Suresnes American Cemetery, located in a suburb only five miles from the center of Paris and easily accessible by train from the Gare St. Lazare. Her passport had a VISA SPECIAL, SANS FRAIS - COURTOISIE, given by the AMBASSADE DE FRANCE, WASHINGTON.

News articles the following May continued the story:

Rosa's Son Joseph Mrs. Rosa Lorenz, . . .will entrain at Union Station Monday noon. . . Mrs. Lorenz will not immediately return to Dayton from New York City after her arrival from overseas a month hence. . . Mrs. Lorenz has a daughter in New York City and she will stay with her several weeks. Josephine, who lives with her mother, will graduate in June from Julienne high school, and will join her mother in New York. (5 May 1930) Two mothers left Dayton [by train]. . . to visit the graves of their sons who marched away 12 years ago and never came back. Mrs. Rosa Lorenz and Mrs. Julia Lehwald, with gold star badges pinned on their breasts identifying them, said goodbye to relatives on the platform and were whisked away on the long pilgrimage. By the irony of fate, both the mothers are of German extraction. Their sons, killed in battle with the Germans in the fierce fighting of 1918, were buried in different cemeteries.

The accompanying photo shows both mothers wearing a medal with a red, white and blue ribbon, which was their name badge for the trip; they were told to 'Wear this Badge in a Conspicuous Place AT ALL TIMES While On The Pilgrimage." The top bar was engraved MRS. ROSA LORENZ, OHIO. The medal has a five-pointed star framed by the words PILGRIMAGE OF MOTHERS AND WIDOWS, flanked by two American flags under the image of the Great Seal of the United States of America. Rosa was also given a medallion to be worn with a neck ribbon during the journey; this medal pictured a ship crossing the ocean between the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower, with a gold star shining in the sky. Dated 1930, the obverse is engraved with the words:

GOLD STAR PILGRIMAGE TO THE BATTLEFIELDS OF THE WORLD WAR.

Rosa was also given an IDENTITY CARD, written in both English and French, Headquarters in Europe AMERICAN PILGRIMAGE GOLD STAR MOTHERS AND WIDOWS:

The bearer of this card, Mrs. ROSA LORENZ, is in France to visit the grave of her SON who lost his life in the World War. She is a member of the official Pilgrimage organized by the United States Government, called "GOLD STAR MOTHERS PILGRIMAGE". Her address in Paris is HOTEL D'IENA, AVENUE D'IENA. You are requested to give her aid or assistance if needed. In case of accident to the bearer of this card, please telephone to the number indicated above or conduct the bearer to the Commissariat de Police du Grand Palais. RICHARD T. ELLIS, Colonel United States Army, Officer in charge.

On Tuesday, 6 May, Rosa and her colleagues had quite a welcome:

New York City welcomed the 350 Gold Star Mothers from the Midwest who will leave on the liner America to visit the graves of their sons in France. . .Drawn up across City Hall Plaza stood companies of soldiers of the regular army, marines, sailors and National Guardsmen and details of Salvation Army lassies, Red Cross nurses, and many war veterans' and civic organizations. Seven motor buses swung into the plaza bearing the guests. The mothers marched up the City Hall steps and into the Aldermanic Chamber. . . A color guard stood at attention, Federal, State and city officials bowed their heads in tribute, and the mothers took their places, each holding a small American flag. Acting Mayor McKee then extended the official welcome of the city, "If America was great in the World War, it was great because of your boys. They fought and died heroic deaths, and in dying gave tangible manifestation of the idealism of a great nation. . . as long as a cross guards an American soldier's grave in Flanders or in France, there shall be a reminder of the heroism, unselfishness and high idealism of the American people. You go now to take your sad station beside one of those white crosses. . . [with] the prayers of a grateful nation."

Commemorative Stamp Issued 1948

On Wednesday, 7 May 1930, New York's Evening Journal published a picture of Rosa's ship leaving New York harbor, which had sailed 'promptly' at 11am from Hoboken, New Jersey (Rosa spent the previous night at the Pennsylvania Hotel in New York City, and was taken to the ship by bus at 8 am; 'we hope you will be ready'), with parting music played by bands of the Sixteenth Infantry and of the Hoboken Police Department. The United States Line's S.S. America had four masts and two funnels; it had been built as the S.S. Amerika in 1912 at Belfast, Ireland, for the German Hamburg America Line. She had several different configurations due to various refittings after fire, collision and even sinking once while loading coal at a pier in Hoboken, New Jersey. Amerika was seized by U. S. authorities in 1917 at Boston, renamed America, and used as an army troop transport. It is possible that some of the sons and husbands of these Gold Star mothers and wives had sailed to Europe on the same ship. It is known that some units of the Rainbow Division's 83rd Brigade, the 165th Infantry of New York, had sailed on this ship in October or November 1917. Joe's unit, the 150th Machine Gun Battalion, served with the 165th, so it is possible that Rosa's son had sailed on the same ship to France that was taking her to visit his grave over twelve years later. The ship's most recent reconditioning was in 1926, when she was rebuilt with passenger accommodation for 835 in cabin class and 516 in tourist and third class. Ironically, during World War II, she once again served as a troop transport between New York and Europe, with accommodation for 5,000 troops.

SALUTE GOLD STAR MOTHERS SAILING TO VISIT SONS' GRAVES. . .
HARBOR CRAFT GIVE SALUTE AND BON VOYAGE [Headlines]:

The S. S. America, hero ship of the U. S. merchant marine, as it steamed out of the harbor today bearing its load of 350 Gold Star mothers on their way 'over there' to visit their sons' graves, was greeted by whistles and sirens. At left, we see a city fireboat spraying a water barrage in token of the heroic women."

Tears Shed As Mothers Sail On Pilgrimage [Headline]:

America started her second A.E.F. [American Expeditionary Force] to France today, on the 13th anniversary of the day on which she sent her first soldiers to the trenches over there. . . Thirteen years ago today the camouflaged steamship Orunda slipped out of New York bearing the first Americans to France, a base hospital unit that had been recruited in Cincinnati, Ohio. Today more than a fourth of this first group of 6,000 mothers, who will be traveling to France throughout the summer, came from Ohio." While enroute, there was a formal ceremony to honor the 'Sea Dead'. Rosa and other mothers posed for photographs for the newspapers back home. One reporter commented: We see smiling faces on women relaxing in deck chairs; the warm coats and blankets suggest it was a chilly crossing. The salt air and the easy rolling of the U.S.S. America seemed to agree with Gold Star mothers on voyage to France. They smile while lounging on deck. . . Shuffleboard was one of the games. . . Champion of all was Mrs. Florence Nooten of Cleveland. . . The United States government pressed every advantage to make the Gold Star Mothers' pilgrimage to France as pleasant as possible. Everywhere a mother went, an America steward was at hand. On 7 May 1930, Rosa received a 'Ship to Shore, Shore to Ship, Ship to Ship' Radiogram 'Via RCA', Radiomarine Corporation of America, "OUR THOUGHTS ARE ALL OF YOU ON MOTHERS DAY; THE CHILDREN" Part II: The Visit will be presented in next month's Trip-Wire. Kathy Compagno is the sister-in-law of Great War Society President Sal Compagno.

---