The Greeneville daily sun. (Greeneville, Tenn.) 1918-1920, 1918-05-01
A SAILORS LETTER
Baltimore, Md, April 2. 1918.

ling to write you for quite while, but
just kept putting the matter off, but
will now try to give you a little of my
experience since joining the navy.
have never been assigned to ac-
tive service on board a ship yet. The
first six weeks after my enlistment
was spent in the Detention Camp, at
st. Helena trairing Station, near Nor
folk.
Now for the first month l didn't
like nav life one bit, but have since
found that the first few weeks are the
hardest.
The first free thing | received on
my arrival was vaccination, follow
ed at one week intervals with three
'shots" NEGOTIATIONS for typhoid. All
this time | was held in the detention
camp and not allowed to ever 60 to
other sections of the same camp,
much less go over the bay to Norfolk.
After passing through the medical
requirements, ] was permitted to go
out of camp to Norfolk for a few days
liberty, and ever since then / have
had regular days off-not whole days
to be sure, except sometimes Sun
day off-but half holidays in which to
visit the different places of interest.
Well, after six weeks stay at St..
Helena, was transferred to the Ma
val Operating Base, at Hampton
Roads, which is at the jamestown ex-
osition grounds. There is very
fine camp there-everything new
and of the most modern and sanitary
construction. And here want to
mention the good work that the Red
Cross and Y. M. G. A. are doing at
the camps. During the most severe
weather of the winter, the Red Cross
got active and gave each man at the
camp gray wooden sweater, which
no doubt proved a great blessing to
many in preventing colds and pneu-
monia.
was in the hospital for 20 days
and received the best of treatment by
the Red Gross nurses, assisted by hos
pital apprentices. / wish to say that
think the Red Cross should be do
mated to by every one that can help
at all. For think of the many thou
sands of our soldiers now in service
I'll depending to a certain extent on
them for the welfare of their health.
! The Y. M. G. A. is also a worthy
cause, and deserves the support of
every one. In camp, the VS., as they
are called, are about the only place to
go for amusements, and also to read
and write. They have fine Libraries,
so that the book-lover won't haze to do
without his favorite pastime.
Well, now little about my trip up
here to Baltimore. There was about
$50 men sent up here the. 25th Of
March to help in the Liberty Loan
drive that we are carrying on in this
city now. Our headquarters for work
are at the Fifth Regiment armory
here. Besides a wonderful exhibit
called "Over There" we have daily
prgram consisting of music and speak
ing by some of Americas most
prominent men, as well as noted men
from England, France, Italy, Aus
tralia and some of the other nations.
| will mention some of the speakers
that have been here:
Hon. VIM. H. Taft, Admiral Nc
Lean, of the U. S. Navy; the British
Navy's highest admiral, a French
general, Major-General Wood, of the
U. S. Army, Secretary of the Navy
Daniels and several others Of prom
inence; and best Of all, our beloved
President honored US with a speech a
few days ago.
1t sure has been a treat for us boys
to get to hear so many of our leading
men discuss the affairs of the ma
ton. Yes, / nearly forgot to mention
one thing, / was one of the squad of
eight sailors to salute the President
when he came on the stage, remain
ing within a few feet of him while he
was speaking. He certainly made a
fine speech. / suppose that you read
It at the time in some of the papers.
/ suppose our party will go back
to Hampton Roads next Monday, and
then / guess | will go aboard a trans
port within the next week some time.
There were also two soldiers at the