FREDERICK'S U.S.S. MONTICELLO STORIES
Once in a while my grandfather would talk about the trip over to Europe on the U.S.S. Monticello. The things he spoke about the most were the conditions of the living quarters and the fears of the men during the trip. Several times a day the navy would carry out routine drills while the infantry men would sit and watch. On certain drills, the navy men would scramble to positions at various spots in the room or ship, including a man at every door. One day, one of the infantryman's curiosity got the better of him and he asked a sailor why he stood by the door when one particular drill was sounded. He regretted asking when the sailor told him that if a torpedo went off under their part of the ship, it was his duty to seal off the room with all of them inside of it. None of the men rested very well after this "breaking news".
The other concerning situation to the men on board the ship was the sound that the hull made as it would go through rough waves. My grandfather spoke of the sound that the rivets in the ship's hull made as the ship flexed between the waves. As the waves swelled high at the ends of the ship, the sound of, "pop, pop, pop, pop, pop" could be heard as the steel flexed against the rivets. Then, as the waves would lower at the ends and raise under the center of the ship, "pop, pop, pop, pop, pop" would go the hull as it flexed the opposite direction. He always said that it sounded like the ship was going to break in two, but thankfully it didn't.
The other concerning situation to the men on board the ship was the sound that the hull made as it would go through rough waves. My grandfather spoke of the sound that the rivets in the ship's hull made as the ship flexed between the waves. As the waves swelled high at the ends of the ship, the sound of, "pop, pop, pop, pop, pop" could be heard as the steel flexed against the rivets. Then, as the waves would lower at the ends and raise under the center of the ship, "pop, pop, pop, pop, pop" would go the hull as it flexed the opposite direction. He always said that it sounded like the ship was going to break in two, but thankfully it didn't.