The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-12-20
''HARDHGHI, BUT LOOK
ACCOMPLISHED BY
THE y. s. NAVY
Young Man Writes His Expert
ence On Board BattIeship
New York

: A letter received from John G.
Clements, gun pointer on U. S. s.
New York, dated November, 81, 1918.
From Rosythe, Scotland, My Dear
Father and Mother. 1t was hard
ight-damn hard, but look what We
have done. Today is a day that will
never forget. We got underway at
a. m. and met part of the German
high sea fleet, which surrendered to
is. At, or about nine o'clock we met
hem, and general quarters were
sounded. We manned our battle sta
ion ready for action. If anything
was to be started, we were there on
he job, powder and all.
In your letter you asked me if l was
" $had been sick. Dad, have not
zen on the sick list. but my thinness
) due to foreign service. The first
iX months over here was hell. 1t was
8 hard as army life, and them some.
That's when that picture was taken.
oul IuO ldOI low WCiS hoI oo
bad, and you will receive later pic
ure from Grandma Clements.
l am coming back soon, and we are
lucky. 1t is fortunate that this ships
company is alive today, and I'll tell
you why: We left the states Novem-
Der %, 1917, and it was stormy
weather all the way across. On
Thanksgiving day it was the worst,
or our ship was in a sinking condi-
ion. The ship up forward was flooded
ind the officers and all helped to
Keep the ship up. We had no sleep.
We arrived here December Z, expect
ng We would have a good nights
sleep, but we were mistaken, for we
we're under four hours sailing orders,
which meant coal ship all night long.
Dad, for weeks and weeks all we did
vas coal ship at night, and travel
,ver the North sea. Sometimes we
could go out at sea, and stay but our
)attle stations all night long averag-
ng about two hours sleep day. If
we came to anchor at five or six
o'clock at night that meant coal ship
Ill night.
1t is rot our fault that the Ger
nan high sea feet did not come out.
More than once we went out with just
Dur few ships trying to bring them
put. The time the Vindicator sunk, we
were out and hored we would see &C
ion. We, secure in our turret at
welve o'clock at night, were in
'ormeG by our division officer that
We would be in action at four o'clock
the morning Our division all
lrned in on the deck ard slept, ex-
,epting those who stayed UP smok
ng and talking. At four o'clock gen.
,ral quarters sounded, but even then
We did not see action.
Our admiral here is a wonderful
nan, he and Admiral Beatty work to-
yether.
1 am enclosing cruising record of
our ship, but lot of things are left
out. We expect to have fleet re-
view over here and we probably
won't be home until the first of Janu-
ny.
Our crew on this ship is an awful
lighting crew.
Your fathers death was due to air
raids. IIe could not dress himself
quick enough. About fifth of a
block away a house was bombed, and
the shock was so great that your
father died a short time after. How
your mother stood it all l don't know.
When grandma told me about it l
would have got more than one Hun
for this, if they had only come out,
Sor once push that button the shots
are going to hit
= king Albert and King George have
Doth paid us visit. King George
aid us another yesterday.
November II l will never forget, for
the crew just raised the devil. We
blew the siren, rang the bells and
went on deck with pans, etc. Some
time
= We did not fire a shot over here,
but got them without firing. This
ship was on it's way one day for
Scappa Flow, for traget practice and
we had to come back to Rosythe dry
dock for repairs for our propeller
blades had become damaged in the
destroying of submarine which we
bit. If you doubt this l will send you
a press notice which is on the bulle-
tin board congratulating us for des-
troying that sub.
have been in a number of places
and | hope this letter will snow you
under.
Censorship has been abolished
Done away with, like the kaiser. War
: is won
The latest dope is Turkey for
Thanksgiving"
With my fondest love to mother
George and you, remain, Your son
John G. Clements.
kIohn Goodwin Clements is grand
- of Mrs. John Goodwin of this city
81 mother Leila Goodwin Clements
low deceased, was of Minneapolis
Mimi