On December 2nd we began to take on wounded soldiers that had been in hospitals in England and were waiting transportation to the States. We left Liverpool on December 4th, at 11 A. M., for Brest, France. We arrived in Brest the next morning at 11 A. M. and immediately started to coal ship and take on troops. This required three days and on December 8th at 2 P. M. we left France with our first load of home-going troops; they certainly were a happy lot of men. On the way over we encountered occasional rough weather, but this did not prevent us from speeding up and we arrived at Sandy Hook on December 15th where we anchored for the night owing to a dense fog.
As we made our way up the channel the next morning a great reception was given the troops on board. Our coming had been flashed by wireless and was heralded by all the newspapers. Numerous boats came out to meet us and bells and sirens rent the air. It was a typical New York welcome—big and hearty.
There were tears of gladness in the eyes of many of the soldiers on that frosty morning. It was the first time that they had seen their own land in many months and this coupled with the deep feeling and spirit manifested by the people for the returned heroes, touched all hearts. Just one year from the date that we started our first trip overseas, we had brought back some of the first returning troops of the war. We tied up to our pier at 8 A. M. and the next day a leave party of half the ship’s company left for a ten-day leave over Christmas.
Christmas Aboard the Leviathan—1918
J. M.
Four days after our arrival in New York the crew was paid and it was suggested that we have a Christmas party on board ship for as many orphans as could be taken care of. The idea met with unanimous approval and as each man was paid he donated as much as he could afford. The amount collected was sufficient to take care of 1,200 homeless children. Notices were sent to different orphan asylums and on Christmas morning the happy children came aboard for a good day’s fun.
The children were shown over the ship and a number who went on exploring tours of their own came to grief, tumbling out of stacks and ventilators and as black as the ace of spades. But that did not matter, it was all in their day’s fun and when dinner time came and the bugler sounded mess call they did not have to be informed what the call meant. They knew it was for dinner, why bless me, hadn’t they smelt the odor of roast turkey all over the ship. The dinner consisted of turkey, candied sweet potatoes, asparagus, celery, peas, cake, apples, oranges and bananas, milk, cocoa, and ice cream of three different kinds. All of this was prepared in the ships galley by the ship’s cooks and bakers and was a great compliment to their efficiency. But they enjoyed preparing it, you bet they did. After the children had eaten everything in sight and pocketed what was left, the mess hall was cleared of tables and benches and all the children gathered around the giant Christmas tree to receive a present. There was a Santa Claus, some say it was one of our chief petty officers, but most of us, the children most of all, believe he was the original St. Nick himself, for he certainly was generous with his presents. There was more than enough to go around—many of the children received two presents.
Children’s Christmas Party