Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1918-01-19
Tells Of Interesting Cruise
And of Life in the NAVY

living on route No. s, near Quinaby
who has four sons in the navy, has re
ceived the following interesting lettel
from his son, Harry, who was the first
to enlist.
Receiving Ship, Washington, D. G
Dear Dad: You must be a little bit
surprised to hear from me now, aren' 7
I you? / waited long, for a surprise OF
the same nature, but without result
However that is neither here nor there
In the first place L want to know
what has been doing as far as the
Girod family has been concerned.
Tell me how you are making out al
home, also what Milton, Homer and
Jessie are doing.
have endeavored to think of the
questions you might ask me if you
could SO here follows their answer:
left Bremerton, Washington, in the
South Dakota last spring and after
short stops at Frisco and San Diego
we anchored off the coast of Gaute-
mala, Central America, where l saw
real heat, many honest to goodness
sharks, much palm trees, a live, hot
volcano, all this from the deck OF
our good ship.
We raised our mudhook, and steamed
south through the sunny (heavy on
the SUM blue Pacific, until we reached
Balboa, Panama, stop of few days,
when we proceeded through Uncle
Sans big ditch, stopped for another
few days at Colon, on the Atlantic side
after a seventeen day cruise we
reached Bahia, Brazil.
After two days at the latter port,
we again up+anchored and sailed south
to Rio de Janeiro; here we remained
quite while. There we passed the
Fourth of July; there l saw something
which had never happened before, an
English man-o-war firing a salute, in
honor of our Independence Day.
This was the English cruiser "Glas'
cow. =" They also took part in a parade
in the afternoon in which we had
about two -thousand men; there were
also some French sailors and Brazilian
soldiers. n
This parade was a nonstop affair OF
about twelve miles through the streets
of Rio, the day being not bit too
COOL IOT GOiulOIl'
l must say that we bore this far
more cheerfully than the Limies Gas
we nickname the English) who pulled
long faces, and wondered how much
longer 'sthis bloody parade will last",
to which we replied ''cheer up son,
YOU haven It over ten OF fifteen mides
to do now.'
From Rio we went to Montevideo, !
Uruguay; we remained at that place
several weeks and had fine time; the |
people treating us as if we were near
relatives of theirs.
Then we went up the La Platte riv-
n to Buonas Aires, which is the finest
,ity in South America; we had splen-
lid time there.
We patrolled and visited the coast
If South America until late in Sep
ember when we started north, our
irst stop was at the Island of st.
.ucia. British West Indies; we stayed
wo days then came up to Hampton
roads, Va; from there to New York,
which we reached just before Thanks
living day.
After a month there during which
ad an opportunity to see a little of
he greatest city on earth, | left the
Id ship which had been my home for
ne year and nine months, to come
crew Washington, d. c., for the pur-
ose of attending the Seaman Gunners
,hool, for six months. /;
Last October l was rated gunner's
late, third class. This job is not what
ou would naturally suppose by its
anne; / have nothing to do with either
,ading or firing guns, my job is to
Ike care of my guns, keep them clean :
nd bright, also in good condition, IN
lite Of salt water and much rough
andling by the crew
That is why / am at this school to
,ceive instruction in this branch be
IRE l leave here-In have to know
/ about every firearm from Colts
utomatie Pistol up to smokeless
,wder blacksmithing, carpentry and
,ep-sca di sing: so YOU can see that
me is not very likely TO hang heavy +
my hands from now until aext July, 5
/ consider myself very lucky to have s
e opportunity to attend this school, 5
pecially ON my first enlistment, be- !
re the war this was impossible. !
The majority Of the men here have
four wears or more of service in
e navy, once 1 graduate here that
IN be a great factor in my chance for !
ture advancement.
Also my record is still clear, and if
do say it myself l have high marks
r my entire time in the outfit.
When You consider that a man can
reported for smoking out Of hours,
caring a white hat when you should s
We blue; besides about a thousand
imes of like nature, YOU can see
at 1 have "toed the mark" pretty
III.
/ culy write the above to make sure
"a wo'ld notice it, I dc not cultivate
'v as vou can plainly see. 8
Now ,lea | deaaad thSt You write :
lromton. also the boys and Edna.
Win love and best wishes to all,
ur son. HARNY.
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