The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1919-01-08


Because the censor said l could and
because have plenty of time | am
going to sit right here until I've told
it all. You ought to know all that
happened up to the time we highball-
ed out of Hoboken and most Of the
rest, but anyhow
On the Afternoon of June 80 we
backed away from the old Hamburg
line docks and executed a left pivot
and passed the Statue of Liberty just
Kron Prinz Wilhelm (now the Won
and swiftest auxiliary cruisers on the
water today.
Some of the boys were seasick after
staying on the boat tied to the pier all
night, some sailors. The niggers
nearly all thought they were going to
die before we left the river. The old
until after dark and the next day was
out of sight of land and going south.
We must have gone almost as far
south as Florida and it was some hot,
too. More ships from Newport News
came out and finally we had about
20 including the convoy of destroyers
and cruisers. A IT, rs
Second day out we saw one of the
other transports Henderson by. name)
was on fire and about 5 p. m. they de-
cided to give US her load and put her
back into port. 1t was a pretty sight
too, and we finally worked our way
over to her side TALL ofsthe others go
ing on except two Of the destroyers),
and we slowed down until running just
enough to keep from drifting. The
destroyers took them off making sew
eral trips and inasmuch as / was on
guard could see just how it was
done. 1t took several hours to do it
and when they finished the job the
destroyers went back with the Hen
derson and we came over in six more
days alone. The very next day we
sighted sub" but although the cap
taine took US back we don't know
whether the depth bombs got it or
not. Passed only one more boat,
tramp steamer, until one day out at
a. m, we saw three Sub" chasers
coming out and they were flying, too.
They turned about and one in front
and one on either side went en- with us
and not two hours later. a torpedo
crossed our bow not 100 yards away.
The destroyer get the bird that fired
that one with bombs so they claim
and the next morning at daylight we
had our first glimpse of France. Two
| hydroplanes flew over and had good
on land (Brest, France), about 10 a.
m, having to be taken off the Won
Steuben in lighters. They have i'm
proved the harbor there so much now
though that all ships can tie up to the
piers and it is the biggest base port
IN France.
it was the custom to hold an "open to
all" crap game on the top deck and it
was a common sight to see so or rs
bucks on the floor at once. OF course,
/ was only an innocent bystander, not
having any cash anyhow, and / had a
big laugh when the chief master-at-
arms made big drive from some
where, took all the money and beat it.
They couldn't say anything because he
could have put them all in the brig"
fer gambling on ship. They had out
posts placed after that.
Well, the 51st regiment of Engin-
/ GERS is still in Tours and not likely
to leave it very soon either. They
have just issued us long leather coats
without sleeves and it looks as though
we were in for the winter. They
are certainly putting the casuals
through here to base ports. The "
S. A. must have millions of dollars
worth of railway equipment just or
this pike alone and there is nothing in
the whole of Europe to compare with
their hospital trains.
Bob was lucky to get IN the Rain
bow division and see so much active
service, and is lucky to have come
through without a scratch. He was
actually in the fight zone nearly a
year, you know, and Homer told me
how one night Bob's gang was out re.
pairing barb wire in mo Mans Land
and ran out of material and thai
three minutes after they had left
that part Of it the Boehes put down. q
barrage that swept everything clear
I'll say luck.
Have lot more to tell you when
get home in the spring. If the Statue
Of Liberty ever sees Norbert agar
after / get there she il going to have
to do . about face"
IL So, 80. ~. Norbert D. McCue. /,