A MEMORIAL PORTRAIT

CAPTAIN WASS, of the Dartmouth Honor Roll

The portrait of Capt. Lester S. Wass '09, painted by Mr. Eben F. Comins, which appeared in the Spring Exhibition of the members of the Boston Art Club, has a unique interest and appeal to Dartmouth men. Mr. Comins, who belongs to the Gloucester Art Colony, was asked to join the other Gloucester artists in doing something for the Gloucester Post of the American Legion and gladly offered to paint a portrait of Capt. Wass, who is Gloucester's hero, for whom the Gloucester Post is named, as well as one of the heroes on the Dartmouth Honor Roll.

The ways in which Mr. Comins was able to accomplish the portrait give it added interest. A photograph taken in 1908 and three snapshots, furnished by his sister, served as the basis for the likeness. The Captain's orderly, Mr. Bernard Blanchard, who wrote back from Europe of his Captain, "When Captain Wass got started something had to give", gathered up the military accoutrement. Major H. C. Daniels of the Marine Corps, who had been a fellow officer with Capt. Wass for years in the Chinese Rebellion, Philippines and Vera Cruz Campaigns, loaned his own uniform, which strangely Capt. Wass had at one time himself worn. The young man who posed for the figure was a marine who had served with Wass in Haiti. These also assisted the artist in reaching the development of character that the early photograph indicated and his achievements had matured. The background is from a photograph of a shell torn French house "Over There".

Captain Wass entered the United States Marine Corps as Second Lieutenant at the end of his sophomore year in college. He was commended for bravery and efficiency in handling a machine gun at Vera Cruz in 1914 and promoted to a First Lieutenancy. One of his fellow officers in France wrote after his death : "His bravery at Chateau-Thierry was the talk of the place. His absolute disregard of his own safety, his coolness and daring made several say he deserved the Medal of Honor, not merely the D.S.C. All through that last fight (Soissons), in which he was wounded, he displayed that same courage.... He died bravely; he was an example to us all". A sketch of his life appears in the MAGAZINE for December, 1918.

Mr. Comins' portrait seems to vizualize all this ; one feels that he is beholding the original, stopped for the moment as he was going through some French town intent on carrying out some important command. "An example to us all".

LESTER SHERBORN WASS '09 Killed in action at Belleau Wood