The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1918-06-21
American Expeditionary Force.


YOU an idea of my first years expert
eLlce in the army. as to-day brings
my first year to finish.
On May rs. 1917, was sent by
recruiting officer from Toledo. Ohio.
where l applied for enlistment, to
Columbus Barracks, Ohio. where 1
stood the rigid examination and was
sworn in on Sunday morning. May
81, 1917. at 11:46. My experiences
ia Columbus Bcrracks were few, but
all were new to me, and besides /
WIGS only there few days before be-
ing sent to Fort Sam Houston, Texas.
1t was sometime in June, the Sd
think, that VIC wero sent out of
Columbus Barracks, anyway after
passing thru Ohio, Indiana, Illinois.
Missouri. ArkansaG, within 100 yards
of Oklahoma, and Texas we arrived
at our destination juno s, Spont one
might in. casual camp in Fort Sam
Houston and was sent to this outfit
was then known as Provisional Field
Hospital, Company B.
During the month Of June had
my first experience in actual train
ing. such as drilling. hiking. tent
pitching, school horse exercises,
hurdle jumping on mules and horses,
.maneuvers, wall scaling. wig wag-
sging and fatigue work, all of which
1t takes to make good soldier.
The month of July was about the
same as June, only more maneuver-
ing. During these two months al
so, did few guards.
August finds us making hurried
preparations to leave old Texas, and
on Aug. we were on our way to
somewhere in sunny France.
Our journey from San Antonio.
Texas. to Brooklyn. N. Y, was in
deed four days of pleasure. We
passed thru Texas, Louisiana, Ala
-bama, Mississippi, Georgia, North
ard South Carolina, Virginia, Mary
land, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and
unto New York, where we arrived on
August 10. 1917. While in New
York State VIC were stationed at
Fort Hamilton, Just out of Brooklyn.
While there spent my time with
friend visiting his parents, friends
raIa In Of he
sights of New York, Coney Island
and Brooklyn.
On August 13 at $3.50 p. m. we
left New York Harbor on the good
chip S. S. Lapland. 1t was at p. |
m. that I waved goodbye to the
statue of liberty, but not forever.
On August 15 we arrived in Hall
fay, Nova Scotia. This place was
very pretty, that is from where we
were. We were out in the harbor
and couldn't get shore leave, SO see
ing Halifax, N. S., is one thing we
can hope for in our day dreams.
On the 22d of August with large
convoy of transports and one auxil-
larry cruiser we again vcnturcd upon
the high seas. Our trip across was
very pleasant ono, smooth sea and
lots of entertainments and life boat |
drills, until one morning everybody
got all excited We had either left
or lost our convoy, don't know which
until this day, and were heading for
land. We went into place, think
it was Willford Haven, Wales, any
way we were in q very pretty place,
situated in kind of a nook and we'll |
fortified from the looks of the forts
scattered around tho hills and at
she entrance of the hey. 1t was in
Ghis port in Wales that saw my first
sdirgible balloon, or war sausage as
they are often called Staying in
this port one day was enough to sat
@isfy all of NC that Wales was beau
tiful little place and worth visiting.
That moon lit night we loft Wales,
wos met by very dangerous 1.-TWO
-submarines) convoy of English and
American submarine chasers who
stayed with us until we arrived in
the safety zone near Liverpool, Eng
land.
On September we quit the good
old s. s. Lepland at Liverpool and
boarded train to cross England
On our journey across England we
were at one time within Is miles
of London. We passed thru Birm-
ingham and Oxford. At the latter
place was lucky enough to see the
old college. Our trip thru England
was very pleasant, beautiful scenery
to see and everything was so differ
ent from the States. The ladies at
several places where wo stopped
served hot coffee to us. At last we
arrived in Sol champion. where
saw nv first hoSDitaI train and shin