This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Lamphear, Lamphere Classification: Biography Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/AQB.2ACI/216 Message Board Post: Plattsmouth Journal, Thursday, March 20, 1919 TELL OF TRIP TO CUBA ON U.S.S. ALABAMA GEORGE LAMPHERE [sic] WRITES INTERESTING LETTER TO HIS MOTHER HERE. HAD FINE TARGET PRACTICE Five Gun Turrets on Board – Says Very Warm in Cuba – Pens Best Regards to All. Mrs. George Lamphere, Sr., is in receipt of a letter from her son, George, who is a member of the U.S.N. and has just lately made a trip from New York to Cuba. The letter follows: U.S.S. Alabama, March 5 Dearest Mother and All: Just a few lines to let you know I am still alive. But its damned hot. The water here is 86 degrees and the heat in the sun from 110 to 115 degrees. Talk about the sunny south; these South seas are “L.” Well, we’ve been out with the New York and Texas to fire. We towed targets for them. It was great sport and I am sending you a printed detail of our trip to Quantanano [sic] Bay from the Roads. We left Quantanano Bay Saturday night at 7:30 enroute for the south coast of Cuba. We were until 2 o’clock Sunday afternoon reaching where the fleet was anchored. But the firing was fine. The ships had five gun turrets, three aft and two forward and all five went on Salvo. We could see them flying through the air and strike the target, which was five hundred yards astern of us. Some of them would fall a bit short of the mark and hit the water, glancing into space again. The projectile could thus be followed until it sloped and the ships of the fleet certainly can shoot. The New York fired Monday and the Texas Tuesday. Monday when we anchored we lost our anchor and Tuesday we looked for it. The water is so clear than one can see bottom at 12 fathoms. But the anchor could not be found. A diver went down where some of the officers though they saw it, but it wasn’t located and it was too rough this morning to dive or even for an open boat to venture out, so we are left with but one anchor and suppose some time will be sent to find it. We leave for Hampton Roads on Monday. There are nothing there but Spicks, “Natives.” Well, we are having movies tonight, so will close, with love for all. Write soon. From, you son. GEORGE LAMPHERE Five letters written by his brother, Henry Lamphear, can be found at the NEGenWeb Cass County site at: http://www.rootsweb.com/~necass/index.html#selection