New Britain herald., 1927-04-30
ROUND THE WORLD
 WITH SAILOR BOY
DOrddman Has Been Every
 where and Seen Everything

Ten years In the service Of Uncle Sam is long time in any mans life. but to Torpedoman First Glass Raymond P. Dordelman, United States Navy recruiting officer for New Britain and vicinity, the time has slipped by rapidly until. upon taking stock today Of his service. he finds that he has but six years more 10 serve until he will be eligible for a pension and half pay for life.
 Torpedoman Dordelman has nine months more to serve on recruiting duty before he will be required un- der the terms Of his enlistment to put to sea again at his old sta ton on torpedo boat destroyer.
 He was born and raised in Sag Harbor. l.. l.. where his mother and two brothers still live and it is was there in the turbulent times Of 1917 that the young son decided that he must answer the nations call to arms. In April, 1927, imme- diately after President Woodrow Wilson declared war on Germany, Dordelman, choosing the life of a sailor, enlisted in the navy. The story Of his ten years of service is one that is filled with romantic pic lures of travel in far off countries where life was always tinged with excitement, work and fun.
 Dordelman was accepted as an apprentice seaman and was assign ed to the Newport Training Station at Newport. R. l. He spent four months there and was then trans ferred to Portsmouth, N. H. After two months of intensive training, he was assigned to the [. s. S. Leban- on, one of the fleet of mine layers and mine sweepers in the navy.
 Block Up Long Island sound
 For months Dordelman worked as a member of the crew. First nets were laid in Long Island Sound. These were made Of heavy steel cables and formed an impregnable wall beneath the surface of the Wa ter as protection against possible attacks by submarines. Cement pillars were sunk to act as anchor age for the nets.
 The Lebanon has had an historic career as a part Of Uncle Sam s navy. She was the first steam oper- ated barge to be used by the Read ing Coal Co. and was taken over as a collier by the government during the Spanish American war. The vessels was later used as an am intuition carrier to supply the Unit ed States fleet with its ammunition before 1t took it's historic journey across the Atlantic ocean to join the British fleet Tn bottlng up the Ger man navy for the duration of the war.
 Trip after trip was made by the Lebanon. First to Boston for a car go of explosives and shrapnel. and then to the fleet where the food for the hungry guns was slowed away on the dogs of the sea" Then to the Iona islands up the Hudson river where another cargo was taken aboard The Iona islands lie just below the Bear Mountain bridge in the Hudson river and the govern taent ammunition dumps there, have been viewed by thousands of tour lsts who make the trip ocer the storm King highway. After the fleet had sailed on it's mission, the Lebanon was ordered back to its work of laying mines along the At lantic seaboard 10 guarantee the country against an enemy attack.
 Up Anchor For Europe
 In the fall of 1917, the lebanon received orders 10 proceed with a fleet of sister mine layers, to Europe, fNere to engage in the same work it had been carrying on in this country. The Lebanon carried crew of 45 officers and men and vas equipped with four 6-pounders for defense against enemy craft With danger lurking in every turn of the propel- Ter. the Lebanon proceeded on it's way and reached the other side safe ly and there the crew. with Dordel- man member of it, labored ar duously during the remainder of the
 
 ing engines Of destruction in chart d places. Later, in 1925, Dordel man was to have the experience of having the ship on which he was serving ram one of these floating mines i'll Riga Bay, off the coast of Russia with much damage resulting
 Dordelruan returned home in the .s.tt To-. l. been signed He was transferred to the Seaman Gunners' school at New port. l., l., 10 take intensive train ing in the working of the mechan- ism of torpedoes. With the rating of torpedoman, second class. Dordel- man was sent 10 Philadelphia 10 help condition the U. &. destroyer Brooks, No. 232. When ready, Dor delman was stationed at one of the tubes directing the path which the torpedo would take on it's journey of death through the waves.
 In June, 1920, Dordcman left Philadelphia on the destroyer for what later proved to be cruise in European waters lasting g months The ship headed first for Lisbon, Portugal, and from there steamed up to Plymouth. England. There the crew took part in the final pageant cornmemorating the anniversary of the departure of the Pilgrims for this country.
 From there. the ship was ordered to proc.e | through the kiel canal 70 kicl harbor and there await the r. $. $. f'redericks returning 10 the United States with the Olympic ath- l.te5 "ho had taken pert in the games at Antwerp, Belgium.
 Pa sage through the canal was a a' ort cut 10 the Baltic Sea and the Brooks vas the third United States eIip 70 pass through following the egnirg Of the 3rtnistice which end- od The war. Peace. however. had Lot been declared and 1t was in the