Plattsmouth Journal, Thursday, June 28, 1917 LETTER FROM ONE OF OUR NAVY BOYS Joseph Smetana [sic], one of our patriotic young men of this city, who enlisted in the United States navy at the break of the war with Germany, and who is now stationed at the Great Lakes, Illinois, training stations, writes to the Journal a very interesting letter describing the routine of training to which the young sailors of the nation are put before being sent out to service. In part, he says: �Some of the boys in Plattsmouth that would like to join the navy would probably like to know what we have to do from 5 o�clock in the morning until 9 at night, so I will write a few lines to tell of some of the work. On rainy days we have very little to do at this station. While here I have met only one boy from home, that being young Hartman, but would be glad to see them all. �Camp Paul Jones is the name of our camp and it is about one mile from the main training station. There are about thirty streets here and some 8,000 in training for the service. They are a fine bunch and come from all sections of the country and are assigned to different companies. We arise at 5 o�clock a.m., swab and sweep the deck, as they call it; roll the sides of our tents up; lift up the floor to dry out; go take a bath and come back to go to mess or breakfast for Uncle Sam feeds his old jackies well. When we come back to breakfast the bugle sounds sick call, and those who are ailing can go to the doctor. We then shine our shoes and brush our clothes, for we have to be clean as a whistle; we then go to muster and after muster to drill for about two and a half hours. After we drill we come back, sit down awhile and in about two hours go to doctor�s inspection. From there we march to dinner and we sure don�t forget to fill up. Today we had steak, spuds, gravy, cooked turnips, beans, watermelon, bread and peach jam and coffee. That isn�t a bad dinner, is it? After dinner we drill for awhile, come back, wash our clothes or do what we please. About 5 o�clock we go to mass and afterwards play ball or read or got to the Y.M.C.A., which they have here. Sometimes in the afternoon we watch ball games and boxing matches. About 8:30 we have muster and at 9 o�clock, when the big gun is sounded, the lights go out and everybody has to hit the hay, then taps and we dream of home or your girls. You certainly get to like it and the longer we stay the better it gets to be.� Plattsmouth Journal, August 9, 1918 TELLS OF TRIP WITH CONVOY JOSEPH SMITANA [sic], TELLS OF TRIP ACROSS THE OCEAN, GIVING DETAILS OF TRIP. SUBMARINES TACKLE HIS SHIP With the Engine Disabled in War Zone, There is Grave Apprehension of Danger. >From Tuesday�s Daily. The following diary furnished by Joseph Smitana, son of Alois Smitana, of this city tells of his trip, in a letter written to his sister, Blanche Smitana. �On August 9th, we left New York Harbor, with Convoy, on the 10th, 11th, 12th, and 13th, we had fair weather, and everything went fine, nothing out of the ordinary. On the 14th and 15th we had heavy seas, with considerable wind, and the waves rolling. On Monday evening, the 16th, at 8145 we had a skirmish with a submarine, and when General Quarters was sounded the next morning at 1:50, we found we had lost a portion of the starboard propeller, one of the torpedoes missed the buoy only ten feet while a portion of the propeller was carried away on the stern. They boys were at their guns all day Tuesday but the submarine did not show up again. Thursday 19th, we passed one British liner and one tramp steamer. Friday, Aug. 20, a heavy fog set in at about 2:30 in the morning and [illegible] through. A convoy of a [illegible] missing one by about forty feet head on, and warning signals, with whistle and siren, giving a hard right turn. At 5 a.m. sighted an iceburg [sic], about a mile in length. At 11 that night had a breakdown on our port engine, disabling us for six hours in the war zone. In the meantime we received a message by wireless to look out for a submarine, by the destroyer Phillips. About twelve hours later we heard flying off the stern. The following morning the Phillips came up with us and convoyed a day, then left us for the yards. We did not get to have a face wash for nearly a week, then we received ten buckets of water for a division. In this we washed and then washed our clothes. Saturday 21st, we were with the Phillips in the morning, in the afternoon a storm came up and we bailed water out of the J.O. Quarter for an hour. Sunday 22, we had no water to wash our faces or our clothes. The following day Monday 23rd, we received 10 buckets of water in the afternoon with four men washing in one bucket. On Tuesday 24th, we met two Argentine battle ships, and about 11:00 a.m. a destroyer headed our way and fell in with us, and took us near the beach waters, where we picked up a pilot, then we headed up the Delaware and made for the Philadelphia Navy Yards about four o�clock in the afternoon. Then it was sure war work, first mooring the ship to the dock, and the starboard watch getting ready for Liberty.� This is the experience of a trip, to mid ocean and return, as the convoys do not go across. Joseph Smitana is on the U.S.S. South Carolina, and is captain of the gun crew. __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Tax Center - File online, calculators, forms, and more http://tax.yahoo.com