I enjoyed yo ur recent article on SS United States and what a m arvel she was in her heyday. In the early 1950s, my father-inlaw and his fami ly were returning to the US from an assignment in Paris, and they traveled across the Atlantic on the United States. I remember the old man telling me that there were only two pieces of wood on the United States, the butcher block in the kitchen and the grand piano in the salon lounge(!) and that she rode as if she was gliding on glass. I was married in June of 1956, and that fall I received my orders directing me to leave Moody AFB, GA, and report to a small base near Manchester, England. Having been given the option of travelling to the UK by air or by surface transportation, we opted for the ocean crossing by ship. Our means of travel was on one of those WWII Victory ships, which had been refurbished with quarters for about forty fami lies and a contingent of about 200 enlisted. Since our departure was scheduled for the weekend after Thanksgiving, there were no troops aboard, but instead Christmas mail and automobiles filled the hold. We met several other newlywed service-
men and their brides; our days were filled a photograph of SS Vestris on page 23. My with amateur bridge, book reviews, and grandfather, Edward Marvin, was a pasgetting acquainted with the other couples. senger and survivor of the disas ter, who We got underway from New York on a Sat- was lost at sea for almost a week befo re he urday. The United States was also docked was rescued. My m other's recollection was in New York, preparing to sail on Monday that most of the women and children were for Cherbourg. On Wednesday evening, lost at sea and that only the lifeboats that while we were all below deck enjoying the were launched later were rescued . Is there evening m eal, the captain got on the horn a web site where I can obtain the passe nto announce that the United States was fast ger manifest and read more about this? approaching on the starboard side. A mad LARRY WIESSMANN scramble ensued as everyone tried to get Johns Island, South Carolina topside to see this marvel. At first, all we could see were her running lights-she From the editor: The Statue of Liberty-Ellis was lit up li ke a Christmas tree-fast ap- Island Foundation, Inc., provides images of proaching, about two or three miles away passenger manifests, easily searchable by pasfrom our rusty tub. We had to look really senger or ship name at www.ellisisland.org. fast, for she passed us like a motorcycle They post passenger manifests for SS Vestris might on the turnpike! My wife and her from the years 1912-1924, but not the one parents have since passed away, but I think from her last voyage in 1928. Readers, any yo ur article would have stirred a lot of suggestions? m emories for all of us. JoHN B. HARVEY, LT. COL. USAF (RET.) Pirates in Context Fort Worth, Texas You deserve credit and thanks for the article on piracy by Daniel Sekulich and for SS Vestris Passenger Manifest the comm ents in Deck Log in Sea History I recently picked up an issue of Sea His- 127 (S ummer 2009). As you point out, altory (# 122) and was very surprised to see tho ugh piracy has lots of history, it is also
Celebrate our maritime heritage this holiday season with NMHS greeting cards Based on paintings by distinguished marine artists Paul Garnett and John Stobart, the se holiday cards capture the romance of a bygone era- and help support the work of NMHS . Greeting reads " Wishing you fair winds for the holid ays and calm seas for the New Year." Also avai lable as blank note cards . NE \ V! C Oi - inspired by Herman Melvil le's Moby D ick. It is a snow covered Christmas Eve in New Bedford wh ere sai lors are spe ndin g th e holid ays w ith th e ir famil ies and loved ones.
Box of 10 : $ 14 .9 5, or $ 13.46 for NMHS members. Add $4 s/h for one box and $2 for each additional box. Please indicate your cho ice of card and specify greeting or blank cards. Additional cards are ava ilab le in limited quant iti es on our web site www.seahistory.org.
C D2- 0n a summ er eve nin g in 188 4, th e ta ll Dow n Eas te r Ecl ipse has ju s t doc ke d in So uth S tr ee t after
To order, call 1-800-221-NMHS (6647), ext. 0, or visit our web site at www.seahistory.org.
e ncounte rin g a ra in s quall o n th e way.
6
SEA HISTORY 128, AUTUMN 2009