The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1917-10-14
UNDER STARS AND
STRIPES AGAIN;
WILL JOIN ARMY

Sheriff. C. Crockett twenty-six
years old, the FIRST Americas TO be
repatriated after Congress passed q
law ten days ago to allow United
States citizens to regain their citizen
ship after serving with the armies Of
the other allies. told The Times to-
day he will shortly 20 back 20 France
to strike again at the troops OF the
Kaiser. This time Crockett viii go
to war in the uniform Of Q United
States field expert with an engineers
force.
Crockett was the first American to
regain his lost citizenship. Last Fri
day he appeared before Chief Justice
Covington, of the District Supreme
Court, and took the oath of allegiance
to the United States.
When the war broke out in Europe
Crockett went abroad to night for the
allies. He - the SON OF English
parents, and Is Q native Of Mont
gomery, Ala After Germany's ruth
less invasion of Belgium the youth
left his home In Montgomery for New
Orleans. There he took mule ship
for England.
Enlists in Lsndon.
He landed In Liverpool three weeks
later. and proceeded at once to Lon
don. where he Immediately enlisted as
a cavalryman in Queen. Aleandra's
Hussars.
Before being accepted Is a volun-
teer IN the English army he was COM
PEELED to swear allegiance to the King
of England thereby FORGETTING his
American citizenship rights.
After undergoing several months
intensive training at mobilization
camp near Bristol he was transferred
to the infantry of the Gloucestershire
regiment when he volunteered for
overseas service in the Dardanelles
campaign. CO..
While being transported across the
Mediterranean sea, q transport OF the
same contingent, the King Edward
VII, was torpedoed by q German sub
marine without werning y and 1,sOO
English soldiers were drowned when
the craft went down. The transport
ON which Crockett and his comrades
had embarked narrowly escaped de
struction from the same source.
At DardaneIles.
The hottest period of the Darda-
neIles campaign was during the
months of July, August, and septem-
Der OF 1915, according 70 Crockett,
who during these months, stripped
TO the waIst, and with only thin linen |
underclothing protecting. him from
the fusillade Of bullets. saw hundreds
of his comrades moved down by the |
amade In Germany machine guns.
which spitted death from the defen-
sive positions of the impregnable
Turkish fortresses, which were
stormed time after time by lines of
Englishmen without success.
Finally on September 20. At MD
day, when the sun was the hottest,
and the Aghting as fierce. Crockett
with the surviving members of his
original company Joined in q concen-
trated attack with other depleted
units of the ,Gloucestershire regiment
In q final effort to surmount the bar
ricades Of the heather Turk.
Late that night. long after sun
down.. Crockett was picked up on the
battlefield. within the shadows OF the
Turkish citadels, riddled with shrap-
mel
Two Months In Hospital.
For two months he gazed into the
blue skies OF tropical southern Europe
from his cot on the veranda OF the
British military hospital located on
the beautiful island Of Malta
Convalescent, he returned to Lon
don, received an honorable discharge
for valorous service, and an offer OF
q commission should he re-enlist- But
desiring to visit his father. Stephen
Crockett. Montgomery, Ala, he re-
turned to America last December.
Discharged from the British army
Crockett was without q country, as
he did not take out the necessary pa
pers which would qualify him for
citizenship in the British Empire,
when he swore allegiance to the King
and forfeited his birthright OF Ameri-
can citizenship.
When President Wilson declared
war against autocracy, Crockett with
true Democratic spirit volunteered for
service in the American army. Re-
cruIting officers temporarily postpon-
ed accepting his application for en-
listment as they were unable to de-
termine his nationality.
Crocketts case was Investigated.
were offered. and finally
an appeal was made to Congress early