Soldier silhouettes on our frontStidger, William L. (William Le Roy)
History
Soldier silhouettes on our front
Stidger, William L. (William Le Roy)
World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives; World War, 1914-1918 -- War work -- Young Men's Christian Associations
Everybody was on deck. It was Sunday afternoon. Suddenly off to the
east several spots appeared on the horizon. What were they, friendly
craft or enemy ships?
Nobody knew, not even the captain. There was a wave of uneasiness over
the boat.
Speculation was rife.
Then we saw the signal boy go aft, and in a moment the tricolor of
France was fluttering in the winds, and we knew that the approaching
craft were friendly. Then through powerful glasses we could make them
out to be long, low-lying, lithe, swift destroyers coming out to meet
us. They were a welcome sight. Like "hounds of the sea" they came,
long and lean. Headed straight for us, they came like the winds. Then
suddenly a slight mist began to fall, but not enough to obscure either
the destroyers or the sun. Through this mist the sun burned its way,
and almost as if a miracle had been performed by some master artist, a
beautiful rainbow arched the sky to the east, and under the arch of
this rainbow fleetly sailed those approaching destroyers.
It was a beautiful sight, a Silhouette of the Sea never to be forgotten
while memory lasts. The French flag fluttered, the band started to
play the "Marseillaise," and a ship-load of happy people sang it.
A sense of peace settled down over us all. The rainbow, covenant of
old, promise of the eternal God to his people, seemed to have new
significance that memorable day.
Another Silhouette of the Sea! Troops are expected in at a certain
port of entry. The camp has been emptied of ten thousand men. That
means but one thing, that new troops are expected. The great
dirigibles sailed out a few hours ago. The sea-planes followed.
Thousands of American men and women lined the docks waiting, peering
with anxious eyes out toward the "point." Here at this point a great
cape jutted out into the ocean, and around this cape we were accustomed
to catch sight of the convoys first.
A sense of great expectancy was upon us. We had heard rumors of
submarines off the shore for several days. Then suddenly we heard a
terrific cannonading, and we knew that the transports and the convoys
were in a battle with the U-boats that had lain in wait for them. An
anxious hour passed. The sun was setting and the west was a great rose
blanket.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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