Funeral of Herman L. Bond

On Sunday is Most Largely Attended

Services of the Kind Ever Held

in Benkelman

Hundreds of people gathered together in Benkelman last Sunday afternoon to pay their last tribute to the memory of Herman L. Bond, native son, patriot, and hero in the world’s greatest conflict who gave his life in a battlefield in far-away France on the night of September 10^th, 1918, that the principles for which America stood might prevail.

The body reached Benkelman on Train No. 3 Friday and resting in the metallic casket was held at the home of the mother Mrs. W. H. Bond until Sunday afternoon when the funeral was held from the home in charge of his comrades in battle and the boys of the American Legion. It was the first purely military funeral ever held in Benkelman and under direction of the American Legion boys was carried out in a most impressive manner and in a way that will linger in the memory of the hundreds of admiring friends who came from all directions and many miles to pay a loving and deserved tribute to him whose life had been so gallantly and willingly given to the defense and honor of his country.

Music was furnished by a specially organized band which had been formed for the occasion and in which the Arlington show band members loaned appreciated cooperation. A double choir rendered several beautiful selections and Miss Marie Gallagher aided much in the vocal program by the rendition of a beautiful selection.

The sermon was delivered by Rev. Richard Gibb whose text was "But they shall die like men and fall like one of the princes." And from this text Rev. Gibb delivered a masterly address, leading one’s vision over a line of deep thought and dwelling strong in the material and owrth while phases of life. The love of home, of life and country he portrayed as the noblest of the natural traits of man. Much as man does love life, still deeper than life itself lives the love of right and home.

In the heart of Herman L. Bond was found all of the finer traits of life. At home a peaceful, industrious, fair-minded young man and in the home a dutiful, loveable indulgent son. When the call of his country was heard, he answered that call, not questioning, not doubtful, not hesitating but whole-heartedly, ready and anxious to give his life if necessary for the things he loved – home and country. And when he was on foreign shores, despite the fact that he had but a few weeks actual training, despite the fact he had less experience both in point of years or in point of service than thousands of his fellow comrades, yet he did enjoy the confidence of his officers to the point where he was chosen among a squad of tried and trustful soldiers to do information and scout service two nights previous to one of the biggest drives in the history of the great war.

It was a precarious undertaking. It required that should these boys be discovered in the act of their mission death would be preferable to capture and that they should fight even unto the end. Comrades of the deceased tell of this duty being assigned to him and his prompt acceptance of the trust and honor thus bestowed upon him. He followed the order to the letter as his commander knew he would. But an exploding shell from the German lines left he and the comrades who made up the entire squad lifeless upon no man’s land to tell the sad but truthful story.

Then early the next morning when Archie L. Moores in whose keeping the lifeless body found its way, told the captain that the dead hero was one of his home boys, the captain, whose heart was deeply touched and saddened by the loss of a tried and true soldier, told Mr. Moores to take the body back to the burying ground in the rear and to see personally to its care and interment, adding that though this permission was against the rules, he would grant it even though it should mean court martial for him. It was a solemn order but it portrayed in words in which man could find no greater expression for the high standing that Herman L. Bond had won in the hearts and lives of his superiors.

This is but one incident recited of the life of the deceased by his comrades. There are many and all have but one tone – that of truthfulness, trust, heroism and honor in the life of him who is gone, whether at the training camp or on the battle front and though the mother has suffered the loss of her beloved and dutiful son, the brothers and sisters a loving brother and the nation a gallant soldier and a splendid citizen, still all as one may cherish his memory as a precious legacy, one who in life was found willing to aid the suffering, cheer the despondent, sustain the weak and lend his aid in throwing over the frailties of our race the mantle of Christian charity, willing to go and die that right and not might would prevail. Could he have given more?

At the conclusion of the services at the home, the remains were placed on an army wagon and midst a covering of heavy drapery of the national colors and beautiful and elaborate floral wreaths, the procession was formed for the march to the cemetery. Following closely in the line of march came the long string of uniformed comrades. The funeral wagon was hauled by six massive white horses following the band playing the strains of a funeral march. The K. of P. lodge of which the deceased was a member, attended in a body. The procession reached from the home to the burial grounds and many cars laden with people had reached the cemetery ahead of the procession.

Services at the cemetery were strictly along military – marching columns, firing squad, salute and bugle taps and echo. And then the remains of Herman L. Bond were lowered to their last resting place in the family lot, in the Benkelman cemetery following a humble and virtuous life in Benkelman where he was born and grown to manhood and a stormy and strenuous, thrilling and brilliant ending in Flanders fields where he won the right to live in the memory of the nations’ heroic dead and where he had dedicated his life blood to the cause of his country and to world freedom.

Printed in the Benkelman Post, July 8, 1921