The Mena weekly star., 1920-01-01
POLK COUNTY FOLKS 5 lnG lETl lONi I

we, Mir. and Mrs. Clifton Cranfords
 Balboa. Canal Zone. formerly of Hat field. Arkansas, forward the following and trust 1t wfll reach our friends thrM The Star s.s
 Thesold saying, that they all returH to Polk county holds good ipg many cases, and sometimes I am glad that if Is necessary to cross the Gulf and Caribbean in order to return to the
 states when Mrs Cranford begins ret calling home and Polk county scenes, and recollections of her school days. l suppose we all find pleasure in such memories, and she asks: Who could
 keep from being just little home
 sick when one recalls hunting, fishing,
 school days. teaching, and real home life, such as milking Old Blackie, churning. gathering pineknots, etc" l have been away five years. and even tho 1 have made several visits home
 during that time, l still feel that at
 least another visit with home and home people would suit me just fine.
 Just brief of my travels during my
 five years absence from home will
 perhaps be appreciated. I left Hat,
 field, 1914, and went to Oklahoma City, from there to Dallas, at which
 place I began my Naval career. Since then I have beet on a number of fine ships and have visited many coast cities in my own country and other countries.s Il learned wireless tele4 graphy on the Minnesota, and in Sep4 tember was frahsferred to the destroy. CT Jacob. Jones, as third Class Radio Operator. The Jones was at that time new and beautiful ship, large, speedy and full of pep, with a crew of
 we'll trained men At that time we were assigned detached duty, and con sequently did a lot of speeding around At the outbreak of war, the Jones had just returned from Cuba to Norfolk and. the Atlantic Fleet had already safely sheltered itself behind the sub marine nets at Yorktown We were assigned despatch duty, carrying mail to and from Norfolk and the fleet at Yorktown. This duty was performed only one week when we received or ders to proceed to Boston, Mass, and make necessary preparation for over seas service. Only one week was necessary, and on May [, 1916, we set sail for Queenstown Ireland arriving there eleven days later The Jones with many other of her destroyer sis ters were engaged in active submarine warfare for a little more than seven months. and in December the Jones was torpedoed and sunk by German submarine. and lost about two thirds of the crew ] am one of the lucky few who escaped the disaster. 4 British cruiser, after searching eighteen hours. picked up those sur viving the disaster, and the icy waters of the night, and took us to Queens town. While waiting transportatiol back to the states, 1 visited Scotland Wales, and England Upon my return to Queenstown. I was informed that was to be sent to Seattle, Washing ton That suited me Arrived in New York February, 1917, and was offered fifteen days leave. which 1 accepted and came home. That was my first return home since leaving, which was about three years and three months Upon expiration of that leave, I re- turned to New York, and thence to Seattle. In Seattle l was given duty with the District Communication Superintendent. of the North West Division, who recommended that l be given an examination for chief cleo trician. passed and was advanced to chief electrician. In late summer shortly after my advancement to chief. the Navy Department transfer red me to the Electrical School, San Francisco, where ] taught regulations and wireless telegraphy until one month prior to expiration my enlist ment. At my own request l was tran ferred from the electrical school, .o the l. s. s. West Coast, which was sailing thru the Canal and up to Nor folk, enroute to France Upon arrival at Norfolk was discharged, went to Washington, re-enlisted for duty n the Canal Zone proceeded direct home and on January l6, 1919, Miss Gene Henderson consented to marry me. The following day we set sail on our matrimonial cruise, first stopping in Pittshurg, thence t0 St Louis, Chicago, and final destination New York During the following six weeks We visited several of the large eastern cities. making New York our headquarters We separated temper arily for my transfer to the Canal Zone. and she came home Due te some miss-routing in mail my transfer to Panama was delayed and l was to make three trips to France, on the II. s. s. Connecticut Finally everything was strengthened out and I received orders to proceed to New Orleans for transfer to Pana- ma, In New Orleans l obtained fur tough and came home for the Fourth Of July. My stay was short, and soon l was underway for Panama Not long after my arrival in the Canal Zone preparations were made for Mrs. Cranfo-d to start on her first salt wat CT cruise.
 Previous to this trip she remarked that she felt qualified to travel any from New Orleans to Colon, Panama. in different tone. She said that the first six or seven hours at sea she felt fine, but was embarrassed when told her that she didn't leave the Mis- sissippi until about eight hours out from New Orleans. and that she could still hear the birds sing during that time. She admits that she had six meals each day during her trip, up and 3 down Anyway, she arrived safely, and we are now located in beautiful home overlooking the Paci- fic. at the west entrance of the canal
 Perhaps description of the Canal, Canal Zone and the Republic of Pana- ma, will be of interest The Canal it. self is about forty miles in length, f4. n. l