Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1917-12-26
SAILOR ply HOME
From, 1,<oNG CRUISE
Raymond Fitch W as Been in the
Navy Four Years q tved Home
Saturday on e to His
Parents.
HE HAS SEEN MUCH
OF WORLD IN TRAVELS
Received His Honorable Discharge
From the Navy Last October, Ill
Health Forcing Him to
Quit.

Raymond Fitch arrived in Decor
ah Saturday from Minneapolis on a
visit to his parents, Mr.. and Mrs. M.
B. Fitch. Raymond has been in the
United States navy since Oct. 6, 1914,
and last fall received his honorable
discharge, as his health was such that
he couldn't stand it any longer. He
is now working in the Minneapolis
Steel and Machinery Co. at Mime
apolis, big company making tools
and machinery for the government.
Raymond enlisted at Davenport in
1914 and has seen a lot of the world
since then. After he enlisted he went
to Des Moines and took the examin-
atom for machinist mate, was sworn
in as such and sent to Bremerton
Wash. to the Puget Sound Navy
Yards, where he went aboard the
Charleston, a first-class cruiser. He
then transferred to the Colorado,
now the Pueblo, an armored cruiser
of 1850 ton displacement He stay
ed on the Pueblo from October un-
til December, when he transferred to
the Chattanooga, a second class
cruiser, going south to Panama, ar
irving there early in 1915. He came
back to the north again on the New
Orleans to San Diego, Cal, in March
of 1915, and was then transferred to
the San Diego, a first-class arm ored
cruiser, sister ship of the Colorado.
Went with her to the Mare Island
Navy Yards, staying there until April
10, when he transferred to the ST
Louis, a first-class cruiser, stationed
in San Francisco harbor. Transferred
again on May 5 to the U. S. Army
transport Thomas for Manila and
the Philippine Islands. He Lift San
Francisco May 5, arriving in Homo
lulu May IL, remaining until the
18th. Guam was the next stop, arr'v-
ing May %, remaining two days,
reaching Manila June 4. On his ar
rival at Manila he transferred to
the receiving ship Mohican, one IT
the old sailing vessels, remaining on
that ship until June Ii, when he
transferred to the flagship Saratoga.
a ship of the Asiatia fleet Leaving
Manila on this ship he arrived in
Shanghai. China, June 2S, 1915. He
transferred July l to the Gunboat
Helena and remained on her until
July 6, when he transferred to the
". S. Auxiliary cruiser Aberenda.
This ship took them, leaving July z,
$50 miles up the YaIgtse Kiang river
to Hankow, arriving there July IA,
when he transferred to the U. S. s..
Elcano. (This ship was captured
from Spain during the Spanish
American war;. 1t has $40 tons dis
placement, is 1919 feet long, and
is the heaviest armed ship in proper
ton to her displacement in the world.
1t carries four inch heavy callibre
center fire guns in main battery, and
four FOUNDER rapid fire semi-au-
tomato guns, two cold automatic 80
80 calibre machine guns.
He left the Yankse April 8, 1916 for
coast patrol work. The first stop was
Foo Chow, second Annoy and Ku
Lang Su, going up and down the
coast to Canton. Left China April z,
when war was declared, going to
Hong Kong, a British port, and
painted the ship a slate color, or in
other words war color, and went TO
Manila in the Philippine Islands, ar
irving there April II, 1917. He went
on the hospital ship Relief then, sick
with malaria and swamp fever where
he remained 2 u months. 1t was then
recommended that he be sent to the
states on account of poor health. lie
transferred back to the Elcano June
%, waiting approval of application
10 be transferred to the United states.
On July was sent back to the
receiving ship Mohican AID from
there transferred to the transport
Thomas at Manila, coming to the
United States by way OF NagasaKa'
Japan. The ship was loaded with sol
diers, over 1000 being on board
They left Manila Aug. 10, aad ar
rived at San Francisco Sept 26, AZ
day trip as they were laid up 10
days for repairs. He received his hon
orabIe discharge in San Francisco
Oct. l. From there he went on the
Admiral Dewey 10 Seattle, where ne
visited four days, and then on to Fer
tIIe. Mimi, where he tremained
CONTINUED on last page.'