New-York tribune., 1919-05-31
Six Transports Laden With
Fighters, Nurses, War
Workers and Young Wives
Arrive From French Ports
Long Lost Family United
Pittsburgh Delegation Elk.
tends Greeting to Rem.
nants of Tooth Infantry

cen OF the A. r.. +. One of these, the
debated Holland Ame rican liner Rot
zterdam, with 2,2S1 soldiers, came into
Quarantine last night and went to an
anchorage. She will dock this morning
at Pier 7, Hoboken.
The Ryndam, of the same line, which
had been transporting American troops
from France to Newport News, came
in early with 3,047 officers and men,
thirty-three army nurses, some twenty
war workers and twelve young women
who had welded soldiers abroad.
Among the important military units
was the 349th Infantry, of the 8sth
Division. in command of Major Amin
Raymond, of Omaha
Private Jerome Carron, who fought
with the Belgian and American armies,
came over with his wife and two
young daughters, who were lost to him
ufor nearly five years. Carron is Bel
gian, who fought for his country at
the beginning of the war in 1914 He
was severely wounded and lay in hos
-pital nearly four months. On recovery
he went again into the trenches in
Flanders, but fell during a German
offensive and later was discharged be-
cause his superior officers thought he
was not strong enough to fight.
Fails to Find Family
Meanwhile. he sought his wife and
two daughters, who were in Brussels.
Unable to find them he worked on
British cattle boaes operating between
American and British ports. Carron
finally gave up the sea and joined the
310th' U. S. Field Artillery, again going
to France as soldier. While the regi-
ment was resting near St. Nazaire, Car
ron learned his wife and daughters,
who had ben living in France, had
returned to Brussels. He obtained
leave to renew the search for them.
A month ago they joined him at st.
Nazaire and he got permission to
bring them to this country Carron
said two brothers were killed in action
and another is still prisoner in Ger
many. His father died of grief.
Another traveller on the Ryndam
was Private George Koenig, of The
Rronx, who served with the 23d Reg
ular Infantry. His forefathers hail
from Germany, but it did not prevent
him from bringing home a young
trefch wife. whose name before mar
Iiage was Mile. Augustine Marchand.
Miss Louise Gavard of this city, who
has been telephone operator for the
United States Signal Corps for thr-
teen months in France, returned on the
Ryndam. She is of French parents
and, having knowledge of French, left
her place with an insurance corpora
tion and studied to become a switch
board operator.
Mobile in With 5,114
The Mobile from Brest brought over
9,t14 officers and men, and a romance
that began sixteen months ago and
practically ended when the vessel was
on its way from Quarantine to Ho-
boken.
The name of the woman was with
'neld by the soldier lover, but his name
came to light when he asked one of
the personnel officers at Hoboken if
fellow could get married quickly. The
prospective benedict was DR.. B. A..
Lester, of Norfolk. Va.
"Surest thing you know" said the
personnel officer. "You can get mar
ried awfully quick and awfully easy
over here in Hoboken, but it's mighty
hard to get unhitched. Well see what
We can do. There ought to be a
chaplain around here"
DR.. Testers future bride is Saliva
ton Army girl whom he met on a
transport bound for France sixteen
months ago. They were lost, in the
mazes Of the war, but met again by
chance on the Mobile. 1t is understood
the "doughnut lassie" consented to be-
come Mrs. Lester as the transport was
passing the Statue of Liberty.
Pittsburghers Given Welcome.
Among the casual officers on the
Mobile was Brigadier General LLOYD
NJ Brett. of the 160th Infantry Bri
gade, which suffered $500 casualties.
The troops were chiefly from Pennsyl-
Tania, and many were from Pittsburgh
Mayor T.. Y. Babcock, the City Council
and delegation of $50 men and women,
parents of the returning fighters, went
down the bay to greet them
The Saxonia, from Brest, carried
l,273 troops. including the 142d Infan-
try, made up Of National Guardsmen
OF Texas and Oklahoma
Private Lester N Kerr, OF Oklahoma
who embarked at Brest with con.
valescent company, was reported as
officially dead when the vessel docked
lie failed to answer rollcall on the
third day out of port, and every sub
Sequent relicall. Some of the soldiers
with whom he talked said that he spent
much time looking over the side of the
ship and remarked frequently that he
was afraid of the sea and ALWAYS
feared ne would drop overheard.
The Great Northern carried 2.s8c
troops, made up chiefly of the 1f1th
Engineerss on their way TO Texas and
Oklahoma. Among the casual officers
was Brigadier General Arthur Johnson
Of the 5lst Infantry.
\ The Santa Clara, from Bordeapx
brought 1851 officers and men and ,
record for the longest. craps game o.
the Atlantic. The troops on boar,
were chiefly discharged men ladcr
WITH back pay. and the game, which
began at Bordeaux and ended at Ho
boken. created many manners ava .