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Enlisted in January 1918 and was sent to the Philadelphia Navy Yard for transportation overseas.
In July 1918 was finally shipped out on the W.S.S. Henderson. Enclosed a typewritten copy of his letter on board ship describing the fire, etc.
Later in July he arrived “somewhere” in Italy. (A copy of this letter enclosed. It was one of the few clear enough to copy). In September he arrived at the sub chaser base #25 in Corfu, Greece and assigned to sub chaser #244. They were engaged in patrolling the Otranto (sp?) Strait between the Adriatic and the Mediterranean Seas. Apparently there was a naval engagement of some sort, but no details. He did say sub chasers had destroyed more submarines than did the destroyers and his detachment lead the list.
Arrived in Malta, on the way to Gibraltar, on Christmas Day 1918. (after the war ended) In February, he was at Gibraltar which he described as an “impressive fortress”.
He had the option of staying in the navy until they arrived home in about 6 months or being discharged at Gibraltar and paying his own way home. He elected on the Gibraltar discharge and was discharged on March 4, 1919.
He made contact with some American soldiers who were returning to the U.S. on an Army Troop Ship. They took him on board as a stowaway and the fellows loaned him an
