TRANSCRIBED FROM THE LONOKE DEMOCRAT NOVEMBER 7, 1918 P. 6
October 21, 1918
Dear Sister and Brother:
I will try to answer your letter just received. This leaves me o. k. and hope it will find you the same. We just got back last night, had some dreary trip, we made it fine going a cross, and until we get about half way a cross coming back, we got in a storm, was in it three days so you know about how we enjoyed ourselves. We couldn’t eat, sleep or rest in any place, we had to stand close by a stantion most of the time. You know when the ship is rolling 45 degrees the deck isn’t very level. If it had rolled 55 degrees we would have turned bottom side up, but they finally decided to turn the ship around with the stern to the wind, and when they turned she rolled 46 degrees and did not come back for a minute, sure was some scared bunch, but as soon as we got turned around we run out the storm in about twelve hours, and also run out of coal so we had to go by the Azores Island and coal ship. Stayed there for two days and nights, so we were on the way back 23 days. Well, I hope if we go across again this winter we take a load both ways so we can ride through a storm.
I am setting on one box and writing on another one, and have a very sorry light, so I will close. Write me all the ews. With love to all.
Fred Lingo
U. S. S. Glacier
NOTES:
TRANSCRIBED BY MIKE POLSTON