Pvt. Philip Edwards |
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patriotic song "Over There" written by George M. Cohan and sung
by Billy
Murray and chorus, from the original Edison phonograph
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In One April in Boston, you read the moving farewell letter that 23-year-old Private Philip Edwards wrote to his parents on July 19, 1918. On the afternoon of July 19, Phil also wrote a second farewell message, this one he addressed to his sweetheart, 18-year-old Ella Wininger. The content of this letter is not known, but its existence is certain. Ella's sister, Doris Wininger Harkins, age 90, clearly remembers the letter. The ending of One April in Boston is inspired by this letter, Phil's feelings for Ella, and his love for children. | |
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Today, Phil would still recognize his hometown of Naugatuck, Connecticut, although many changes have taken place since 1917. The Congregational Church (where his service was held in 1921) still stands at the head of the green. Not far away, an American flag flies over the World War I Memorial where his name is inscribed along with those of 29 other soldiers from the town who died in that war. Although his home no longer stands, he would take pride in the National Guard Recruiting Center that is located nearby. The star stone, that he would surely recall, is a short distance away, just where he left it. In Naugatuck, during the July 4 weekend in 1998, I decided to locate Phil's marker at Grove Cemetery. This would be a challenge, as I did not know the location of the cemetery or the stone. I obtained directions at a local service station and soon drove through an iron gated entrance and into a cemetery surrounded by forest. For over half an hour I looked. I was the only one visiting the grounds on a very hot day and just about to give up my search when I decided to walk to the far end of the cemetery. Here I soon threw up my hands, realizing that I would have to come back and search again in the future. As I looked down and to my right, I spotted a small American flag waving in front of a large marker bearing the name "Edwards." It contained the words ... | |
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Pvt. Philip Edwards Co. H 102ND Regt. A.E.F.
Killed in Action July 21, 1918
Aged 23 Years. |
A few weeks later, on July 21, 1998, the 80th anniversary of Phil's death, I returned with a floral tribute and left a sheet of paper next to his marker. It contained the text of Phil's farewell letter, a photo of him and his parents in 1905, and one of a soldier in uniform who I felt was Phil. Nearly two years later, I had the good fortune to meet two wonderful women, Fran Jenkins and Doris Wininger Harkins. As relatives of Phil's best friend John Simmons and his sweetheart Ella Wininger, they helped me realize that the photo of the soldier I had left at the marker in 1998 was not Phil after all! Fran provided a photo of her father and the real Phil in uniform.
During this same period, correspondence with battlefield historian Gilles Lagin of Marigny en Orxois, France provided information regarding Phil's final days in France. Gilles gave me photos he had taken of the areas where Phil had fought, and a church where his name is carved. He also provided an update on a museum he is building that pays tribute to the soldiers of the American Expeditionary Force. The museum is now open to the public.
Th next page of this tribute provides more information on Phil's final days in France, the Belleau and Chateau-Thierry Musuem, and the Yankee Division Memorial Church. You can also view a photo of Phil in uniform from 1917, and hear his farewell letter.
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