TRANSCRIBED FROM THE BATESVILLE DAILY GUARD NOVEMBER 3, 1917 P. 2
Brooklyn. N. Y., Oct. 24, 1917.
Editor Guard
With your permission I will through the Guard write to my friends at home, and give them an idea of the life of a sailor in Uncle Sam’s navy, especially of an apprentice.
I have been reading with much interest the letters from the boys of Company F and am glad they are al getting along so nicely. I have just finished reading a letter you published from my friend, Guy F. Pease, of his trip on a transport convoy. Nice letter, too. I had the pleasure of being with Mr. Pease a few weeks ago while his ship was in port here and we had quite a nice tice together in New York buying goods.
I am attending the U. S. navy electrical school in the Brooklyn navy yards where all naval electricians must take the course and make their ratings, second or third class electricians. before they are allowed to go aboard a battleship or any other ship to which they may be assigned. We have the best equipped school and instructors to be had. The instructors themselves are second and third cruise chief electricians. Our course consists of both practical and theory work, and if a man completes the course he is a competent electrician.
Still, when we go aboard ship we are only third class, and must make second and first class under the chief electrician or electrical gunner abord the ship. We have an enrollment now of about 1,500 and when I enlisted in June we had 1,800 or 2,000 including general electricians and radio men, but the radio men have been transferred to Harvard University at Boston. It will take me till about January or February to complete my course. The class is composed of young men from practically every state in the union, Arkansas having 18 or 20 in this school and a few in the West Coast school at Mare Island, Calif,.
In the morning we form in companies and march to breakfast, then we are marched to school. And you ought to see us eat. That’s one thing we get plenty of, something to eat.
We have drill with arms two hours each afternoon and Saturday mornings and then we have battalion drill and captain’s inspection.
Our uniform is white trousers and jumpers, white hat and leggings.
It is quite a sight to see us go through the different drills.
The people of New York are mighty nice to the sailors, as they do all they can to entertain us. They have turned their clubs over to us. One is on Fifth Avenue, one on Madison Avenue, and there are several others I can’t recall now.
We were in the big liberty loan parade today in New York city.
We are quartered in new barracks just outside the navy yard. The barracks are steam heated and a company to each apartment. Everything is run strictly to regulations, or the same as if we were on ship. We go bed at “taps” and rise at “reveille.” We then turn to and scrub decks and fall in for muster.
Practically every man here has the honor of owning a $50 or $100 liberty bond. I did my bit by purchasing two $50 bonds.
I hope sincerely the people there responded to the call, not only for their good, but for “we boys,” who not only are going to risk our lives, but are giving up our money for the bonds in the hopes of winning this war and making the world free and safe for democracy.
We will be given furloughs Christmas for about ten days and I may come home to see the folks.
Albert F. Wiggins,
3rd Co., Elec, Class, Navy Yord. N. Y.
NOTES: Wiggins was born on December 29, 1894 and died on January 18, 1971. He is buried in the Cotton Plant Memorial Cemetery in Cotton Plant, Arkansas. His military headstone identifies him as an Arkansas Electrician 2nd Class in the US Navy during WWI.
TRANSCRIBED BY PAYTON DHOOGE
Brooklyn. N. Y., Oct. 24, 1917.
Editor Guard
With your permission I will through the Guard write to my friends at home, and give them an idea of the life of a sailor in Uncle Sam’s navy, especially of an apprentice.
I have been reading with much interest the letters from the boys of Company F and am glad they are al getting along so nicely. I have just finished reading a letter you published from my friend, Guy F. Pease, of his trip on a transport convoy. Nice letter, too. I had the pleasure of being with Mr. Pease a few weeks ago while his ship was in port here and we had quite a nice tice together in New York buying goods.
I am attending the U. S. navy electrical school in the Brooklyn navy yards where all naval electricians must take the course and make their ratings, second or third class electricians. before they are allowed to go aboard a battleship or any other ship to which they may be assigned. We have the best equipped school and instructors to be had. The instructors themselves are second and third cruise chief electricians. Our course consists of both practical and theory work, and if a man completes the course he is a competent electrician.
Still, when we go aboard ship we are only third class, and must make second and first class under the chief electrician or electrical gunner abord the ship. We have an enrollment now of about 1,500 and when I enlisted in June we had 1,800 or 2,000 including general electricians and radio men, but the radio men have been transferred to Harvard University at Boston. It will take me till about January or February to complete my course. The class is composed of young men from practically every state in the union, Arkansas having 18 or 20 in this school and a few in the West Coast school at Mare Island, Calif,.
In the morning we form in companies and march to breakfast, then we are marched to school. And you ought to see us eat. That’s one thing we get plenty of, something to eat.
We have drill with arms two hours each afternoon and Saturday mornings and then we have battalion drill and captain’s inspection.
Our uniform is white trousers and jumpers, white hat and leggings.
It is quite a sight to see us go through the different drills.
The people of New York are mighty nice to the sailors, as they do all they can to entertain us. They have turned their clubs over to us. One is on Fifth Avenue, one on Madison Avenue, and there are several others I can’t recall now.
We were in the big liberty loan parade today in New York city.
We are quartered in new barracks just outside the navy yard. The barracks are steam heated and a company to each apartment. Everything is run strictly to regulations, or the same as if we were on ship. We go bed at “taps” and rise at “reveille.” We then turn to and scrub decks and fall in for muster.
Practically every man here has the honor of owning a $50 or $100 liberty bond. I did my bit by purchasing two $50 bonds.
I hope sincerely the people there responded to the call, not only for their good, but for “we boys,” who not only are going to risk our lives, but are giving up our money for the bonds in the hopes of winning this war and making the world free and safe for democracy.
We will be given furloughs Christmas for about ten days and I may come home to see the folks.
Albert F. Wiggins,
3rd Co., Elec, Class, Navy Yord. N. Y.
NOTES: Wiggins was born on December 29, 1894 and died on January 18, 1971. He is buried in the Cotton Plant Memorial Cemetery in Cotton Plant, Arkansas. His military headstone identifies him as an Arkansas Electrician 2nd Class in the US Navy during WWI.
TRANSCRIBED BY PAYTON DHOOGE