TRANSCRIBED FROM THE DAILY ARKANSAS GAZETTE MARCH 11, 1919 P. 2
On a gray afternoon 18 months ago I watched through a porthole from the Carpathia as the statue of Liberty disappeared in the mist. The Carpathia is on the bottom of the ocean, two of my stateroom mates are dead and the other sent home last summer with half a dozen machine gun bullets in him.
We sailed from Brest on February 11, and this afternoon put into Hampton Roads. We are anchored about two miles from Fortress Monroe. Tomorrow morning we will dock at Newport News and go to some camp near there. I don’t know what will happen after that, but expect to be mustered out soon.
I have been adjutant of the First Battalion since I came back from my vacation at Nice, and as commanding officer of the troops on board. I have been adjutant of the troops. That meant a little extra work, but none of us had much to do, and we have had a very pleasant two weeks. The naval officers extended us every courtesy; we had good ebow; we had a band concert every day and movies every night; also warm weather, as we followed the gulf stream most of the way. It is good to be near the “Etates Unis” again.
NOTES: Lt. Guy Braden Irby was writing to parents while on board the USS Virginia. He was a graduate of the officers training camp at Fort Roots, Arkansas and sailed for France September 10, 1917. He was a member of the Coast Artillery Corps. He was born on November 2, 1895 at Drakes Creek, Madison County, Arkansas and died on June 4, 1977 in Little Rock. He is buried in Roselawn Memorial Park, Little Rock. He was described as being of medium height and build with brown eyes and black hair.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT
On a gray afternoon 18 months ago I watched through a porthole from the Carpathia as the statue of Liberty disappeared in the mist. The Carpathia is on the bottom of the ocean, two of my stateroom mates are dead and the other sent home last summer with half a dozen machine gun bullets in him.
We sailed from Brest on February 11, and this afternoon put into Hampton Roads. We are anchored about two miles from Fortress Monroe. Tomorrow morning we will dock at Newport News and go to some camp near there. I don’t know what will happen after that, but expect to be mustered out soon.
I have been adjutant of the First Battalion since I came back from my vacation at Nice, and as commanding officer of the troops on board. I have been adjutant of the troops. That meant a little extra work, but none of us had much to do, and we have had a very pleasant two weeks. The naval officers extended us every courtesy; we had good ebow; we had a band concert every day and movies every night; also warm weather, as we followed the gulf stream most of the way. It is good to be near the “Etates Unis” again.
NOTES: Lt. Guy Braden Irby was writing to parents while on board the USS Virginia. He was a graduate of the officers training camp at Fort Roots, Arkansas and sailed for France September 10, 1917. He was a member of the Coast Artillery Corps. He was born on November 2, 1895 at Drakes Creek, Madison County, Arkansas and died on June 4, 1977 in Little Rock. He is buried in Roselawn Memorial Park, Little Rock. He was described as being of medium height and build with brown eyes and black hair.
TRANSCRIBED BY CAROLYN YANCEY KENT