Chapter 1

May 18, 1918

Having been in intensive training for eight months, we (the 105th Engineers) receive orders to proceed to the port of embarkation. From the cheering that followed the reading of these orders, it did not seem as if any of the boys regretted going, but were glad of the opportunity offered them to go "over there" and do their share in bringing to a successful close the great war that ever was fought. Orders were quickly given by the first sergeant, who had received his instructions from the lieutenant commanding for every man to roll his pack and blanket roll. This done, sergeants and corporals were detailed, with a score or more of privates each to do the necessary work remaining to be done. One detail was put to carrying the iron cots into the mess hall; another to carrying the stoves from the tents to the supply sergeant, who checked and turned them over to the quartermaster; while other details swept the tents and company street and policed in and around the mess hall and around the officers' quarters. Trucks began hauling our barrack bags and the company equipment and other supplies to the train a few minutes to 10 a. m. Part of the regiment began marching to the train about the same time. The first sergeant forms the company at 11:30 a. m. in the company street and then the final inspection is made, the C. O. inspecting only toilet articles and smelling in each canteen. We are then, after a few minutes' delay, marching to the train, a mile and a half away. Company E, with Company D and another engineer company, leave Camp Sevier at 1 p. m. We reach Charlotte, N. C., the home town of the original company, at 5 p. m. The train stops a few hundred yards from the station and hundreds of people rush to it to greet us, while hundreds more wait at the station, thinking we would stop there a few minutes; but after a few minutes the train moves on, and the people at the station were disappointed. There were scores of Red Cross girls, armed with baskets of sandwiches, fruits, candies, and other good eatables, but we were unable to get any of this, as the train did not make a stop at the station. Leaving Charlotte, we pass through Concord, Salisbury, and Greensboro, N. C. before night, stopping only at Salisbury for a few minutes. Large crowds are gathered at each place to greet us as we pass through. Before leaving Sevier three of us fellows were detailed as door guards, with orders to let no one get off the train or stand on the platform of the coaches. As we are passing through Greensboro I am relieved for four hours and I go to bed.

May 19, 1918

Morning finds us in Virginia. I am awakened by the noise of a cheering crowd that has come to the streets near the station to greet us. We pass through several towns, some small and some of a pretty good size, and at each one a large crowd is present to give us a greeting and send-off, waving handkerchiefs, hats, flags and cheering with all their might. As we speed through the country, farmers going to and from church give us a cheer, waving their large hats at us. The regimental chaplain conducts a religious service in the coach I am in at 10 a. m. He makes a short talk and passes on to the next. We reach the city of Washington, D. C., at 12:30 p. m., where we unload and take a short hike, being served with sandwiches and coffee after our return, by Red Cross girls, whose canteen is close by. We stay between 30 to 40 minutes here and then continue our trip, passing through Baltimore, MD., without a stop. Reaching Philadelphia, Penn., we make a stop of 15 minutes. The Red Cross girls are on the job, distributing sandwiches, cakes, fruits, candies, and the late editions of newspapers and magazine among us. Jersey City, N. J., is reached at 7 p. m., and after an hour or more of discussion it is decided that we will spend the night on the train. The statue of liberty can be seen from our windows. It is past 11 p. m. before all is quiet on the train so that a fellow can sleep.

May 20, 1918

We are awakened at an early hour, and after eating a hastily prepared breakfast, we begin unloading our personal and company equipment from the train and loading it on a river steamer, the "Lakewood." This finished we are carried across the Hudson into Brooklyn, where we hurriedly load our equipment on a waiting train and leave for Camp Mills, approximately 25 miles away. We reach this camp at 1 p. m., thus taking us two days and two nights to make the trip from Camp Sevier. We rest a few minutes and the hike to that part of the camp that has been assigned to our regiment. We are quartered in tents, one squad, eight men, being assigned to a tent.

May 21, 1918

The company drills two hours in the morning for exercise, near a large aviation field. In the afternoon corporals check the equipment of each man in his squad and turn their check over to the platoon sergeant, who consolidates them and gives them to the company supply sergeant. When each piece of equipment is checked the corporal looks it over to see whether it is serviceable or unserviceable. At 5 p. m. six of us fellows are put on guard, guarding men who are under arrest for minor offenses. Two of us are on at the time, guarding the tent the prisoners are in two hours and sleeping four.

May 22, 1918

We remain on guard until 5 p. m., and are then relived by another guard. The C. O. gives me the pass "from 5 p. m., May 22, 1918, to 7:30 a. m. [sic - should be "p.m."] May 23, 1918, with permission to visit New York city." I waste no time in getting ready to go and in a short while I am waiting at a nearby station for the evening train for New York. At this station I meet two other fellows from the company and we agree to go to the city together. Sundown finds us in the "big burg" wondering where to go first. We finally decide to go to a movie. The great campaign to raise the millions of dollars asked for by the Red Cross is in full swing, and after the movie I leave the other two fellows and stroll along the streets, stopping here and there to hear some Red Cross girl or some man make a short talk for the aid of the drive, trying to convince the people of the great necessity of giving to the Red Cross the sum asked for in order that the good work at home and "over there" might not cease. Scores of wounded allied soldiers assist in this campaign by making talks and taking collections. Open air moving pictures show some of the work the Red Cross has and is doing at home and abroad. I speak a few words with several of the girls who have volunteered to assist the regular Red Cross girls in the drive. "Help the Red Cross," is their slogan. I go down to the Woolworth building but no one is allowed to go up to the top, as I wanted to, at night. Learning this I go to the Imperial hotel nearby and get a room and am soon asleep.

May 23, 1918

I get up early and go to a nearby restaurant and get breakfast, and then go back to the Woolworth building, hoping I could get to go up early, but am informed by a janitor that no one is allowed without a business reason, to go up in the elevator until 10 a. m. I take a street car and ride for over two miles and get off and walk back to the tall building. There is a woman conductor on the car I take and a soldier tries to flirt with her but there's nothing doing! I find the first elevator is just going up so I purchase a ticket, paying 55 cents for it, and wait for the second. While waiting three Red Cross girls introduce themselves to me and I pass the time chatting with them. Ten-thirty-five a. m. finds me on the top of the building. When I take my first glance downward I imagine the building was rocking, but I soon got over my queer feelings and begin to enjoy looking over the city. After coming down I talk several minutes with the three Red Cross girls and then go to the Royal cafe and get lunch. At 2 p. m. I go to the Lyric theater and see "Pershing and His Crusaders." It was a good interesting picture and every one in the theater seemed to have enjoyed it. A lady whom I get in conversation with in the theater invites me to her home, but as my pass is already up, I tell her I cannot go. I stroll about the streets after the show awhile, and then satisfying myself that I had had enough of New York for one time, I return to camp, reporting to the first sergeant at 6 p. m., having been A. W. O. L. nearly 11 hours.

May 24, 1918

Early in the morning we have a company inspection of equipment by our officers. All worn and unserviceable equipment is turned in to the company supply sergeant, who issues new equipment in its place. The C. O. is very anxious that each man has a complete equipment. I am one of the guards that goes on at noon, walking post number two of the third relief. Rumors begin flying about thick and fast that we are to load on a boat immediately and start for "over there." All kinds of rumors can be heard but nothing can be heard officially. We know that we are to leave soon, but can't tell when.

May 25, 1918

I am on guard all night, actually walking post only four hours. We are relieved at 11:45 a. m. by another company. The company completes turning in unserviceable equipment in the morning. Late in the afternoon trucks carry our barrack bags to the train where they are loaded by a detail of men from the company. We are expecting orders to leave camp any minute and go to the boat. All the fellows are in high spirits and are anxious to begin the trip for "over there." At 4 p. m., we receive orders to roll packs and blanket rolls, which means we are soon to begin our trip to France. We are told by the C. O. to sleep with clothes on as we are expected to leave camp any minute.

May 26, 1918

About 2:30 a. m., 10 or 12 of us fellows are sent with a sergeant to carry the officers' equipment to the train. We pass a long line of marching fellows who are just arriving in camp, on our way to the depot. A few minutes after this equipment has been loaded the company arrives and loads on the train. The train leaves at 4 a. m. and reaches New York just as the sun is rising. Here we load our equipment on a river steamer and are carried to Hoboken, N. J. Here quickly unloading our personal equipment we file in long lines and begin loading on the British transport "Melita." I am assigned to section N, room 903. Three other fellows occupy bunks in this section and room, one being my corporal, and the other two members of the same squad. We are in port all day waiting for the steel cranes to load our equipment on board. The crew of the transport are besieged with questioners, who want do know when the ship sails, when does it reach the other side, and scores of such questions. Each one of the crew has a different answer to give. There are nearly 3,000 men on board and every one of them anxious to sail!