I enlisted in the U.S.A.A.S. at Fort Jay, Governors Isl. N.Y. on April 22nd 1918. Reported at said place on 23rd and got transportation and left on 12:30 Black Diamond for Allentown Pa. Arrived at 4 - rode to Headquarters of (Amb.) Camp Crane. Was placed in the Casual Det. Build 17.
Got uniform April 24th.
Went through one months drilling with the rookies, on May 25 was put into Sect. 566 Bat 12. My first trench digging experience was on the 26 of May. June 1st was my starting of hikes and Equipt. C. Insp. June 3rd while on a hike somewhere in Penna I was overcome by the heat and was taken to camp in an Amb. It resembled a hearse to me, the way I felt, on the 5th. Poison Ivy broke out on my face, I was some sight.
On June 12th 11:30 PM Our contingent left Camp Crane on the illustrious C.R.R. of N.J. for the POrt of N.Y. We got in the Jersey City Terminal at 5:30 AM. Ferried to Hoboken to the Giuseppe Verdi.
Boarded, at 8 AM. Laid in dock until 3:30 PM. All were ordered down in the holds and port holes were closed. With a loud shrill blast our tub left our dear U.S.A. for Italy. We crept down the Hudson and into the bay, without even another glance of our Statue of Liberty. This made some of us feel uneasy thinking it was our last sight of the emblem which we meant to do our utmost to preserve. We arrived at the Ambrose Light about 6 P.M. and anchored, and waited for a convoy at this time there was a big sub scare along our coast. At 7 P.M. we were picked up by 3 boats from our Navy. A Yacht, Torpedo Boat and Sub. chaser.
We started on a south western course accompanied by our three guardians. The following morning June 14th we were out of sight of everything but water and sky.
On the high seas the first few days out on the Atlantic was enjoyed by us all. The sky was bright both night and day, the sea was as calm as an ordinary river. But there had to be a change. We got up one morning at our usual time. Everything was dark, our ship was rolling and dipping at the same time. It sure was some sensation.
We had the life of Reilly on our tub. Our hours were from 6 AM to 9:30 PM. We got out of our two by four cots or bunks at 6 AM. Some mornings we answered roll call. This started after some of the boys got sick and there may have been some possibility of some of the boys feeding their bodies to the fishes instead of the contents of them.
Sick call at 6:30 AM.
Breakfast Mass at 7 AM.
Boat drill at 9:15 AM.
Setting up exercises 10 AM.
Instructions in Italian 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM.
Noon Mass at 12.
Medical examination at 2 PM
Supper Mass at 6 PM.
No lights on deck after 8 PM.
All below decks at 9:30 PM.
Silence at 10 PM.
Words cannot express our wonderful meals on board. A certain amount of men were consigned to every individual boat. We were consigned to our boat as we boarded.
When the life boat call was sounded, you had to stop everything; sling and fasten your life belt and get to the landing platform of the boats and stand at attention and answer roll call. All this was done in silence. We then proceeded to our hangouts on deck.
The setting up exercise was about the hardest this we done. It was very hard on our muscles.
Our Italian instructions were a continuous joke. We learned the curses first and later on a few valuable words.
In the afternoon all was left for us to do was read and count the ripples on the water.
After mess: read and smoke until 8 o'clock, when it started to get dark.
When we got into our cubby holes it was a case of laying awake listening to rumors of sub. being on our neighborhood and that we were to be torpedoes that night without fail about 11 PM. It go so bad that some of us slept with our clothes on especially while on the M. S. There were a few boys who slept on the floor at the foot of the stairs leading to the decks.
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