Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1919-07-18

|
slush and mud Of Morrison, Virgin
ia, where it started in at once on Il
program of construction, and was
introduced to Il brand new set of
picks and shovels.
At Morrison, the Officer person
mel was increased by the assign
ment Of First Lieutenant Eugene III.
| Nredenburgh and Second Licuten-
ant Joseph r.. Darrac, February
Goth and 9Th, respectively.
Lieutenant Vredcnburgh was
commissioned as graduate of the
Second Reserve Officers Training
Camp at Fort Mycr, Virginia. and
had served as Adjutant of the Camp
at Morrison. He was a graduate of
the Law School Of Princeton Uni
versity.
Lieutenant Darrac was commits
stoned November 10Th, 1917, after
having served seventeen years in
the Regular Infantry and Cavalry.
Second Lieutenant Arlington r..
Caughey was assigned to the Squad
ron February Dist and was relieved
March 1St, 1913.
March 4th, proved an Inaugural
ton Day for the Squadron, for on
that date, now memorable to every
man and officer on its rolls, the or
ganiZation marched aboard the
good ship "Madawaska", (previous-
ly the KONG Wilhelm III, of the
Hamburg-American Line) at New
port News, Virginia.
After slipping Northward to New
York Harbor, where she was joined
by the rest of the convoy, the Mad
awaska pointed her plunging bow
| toward France and proceeded to
prove the truth of her old nick
name: "The Bucking Billy" The
trip was cold and rough, but aside
from the usual amount Of sea-sick-
ness the health and condition of the
men was excellent.
On the fifteenth day of the zig
tagging voyage, general sigh of re-
lief was occasioned by the appear
ance of the destroyers fleet on the
horizon, for altho' this event mark
ed the entrance of the convoy into
the we'll defined limits of the Sub
marine Danger Zone" somehow the
protection of the swift, ever watch
full destroyers bred a feeling of safe
ty that let down the tension of
watching for the dreaded, peri
scope.
While going through the motions
of abandon Ship Drill" on the SIX
tecnth day out, Il cOmmotion among
the dcstroyers and the mountain of
wafer caused by the release of a
depth bomb gave the first indica-
lion that Sub had been sighted.
With the firing of second depth
charge every ship in the convoy
made tracks at full speed ahead, in
anydlrcction that left a clear pair
! of heels to the vicinity of the suS-
pcctcd Sub" Not one vessel lin
Scrcd to see whether or not any
tell-talc floating oil had been left as
| evidence of a perfectly good sub
marine being put out of commits
sion.
Having regaincd the Convoy For
taken aboard and the transports
sncaked through the rocky channel
! near Belle Isle, into the harbor of
| ST. Nazaire, which town could be
seen through heavy curtain of fog.
This was March 81, 1918.
France at last! The old Ocean
and the subs thing of the past!
And with what genuine interest
were the children, with their queer
picture book dresses and hoops,
greeted by these newly arrived
"YankS". But there was hardly
time for any thorough investigation
of things in this new Old World,
for at two in the afternoon, the
Squadron was marched to the So
called "Rest Camp" which was
found to be equipped with all mod
ern convenienceS, including plenty
of opportunity to breath fresh air,
the air was SO fresh that it Just
couldn't be kept our of the barracks.
And what barracks! When the
men had had one look at them they
started to "BAAA' and MOO" in
appreciation of their former occu-
pants.
One of The modern convcniences
was the shower bath or Balm
Douchc as the French term it--al-
tho some Of the men insisted that
Been Dutch" would have been a
more APT title. To bathc, all one
had to do was to strip, Chamber up
rickcty ladder with bucket of
water. dump il into the tank. return
to tcrra-firma via the same route
and rush under the sprinkler be-
fore the water had entirely run
away. If the player succeeded in
! accomplishing the feat without dy-
ing OF exposure or falling off the
ladder, and managed to get himself
wet, he was considered as having
won and was awarded The "Odor of
the Bath"
The Squadron Crested" for three