"Rice and Fish" Philippine souvenir
from Jack to Sophie Christmas l929 #864 p 29
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Sophie treasured this
christmas l929 souvenir from jack barrett on detroyer TRUXTUN in Philippines
as long as she lived. It was displayed on dining room wall West Roxbury l947
to l987. Materials illustrate the text: " Dear lady of my fondest dreams
Come join me in the Philippines Where I will build a house for you Of SAWALI,
NIPA and BAMBOO With windows made of pearly SHELL. In SINAMY I'll dress you
well. And you shall have your every wish The while we dine on RICE and FISH"
Sophie then traveled to china 1930 on famous big navy transport HENDERSON
[John Barrett note This letter December 27, 1929 expresses Sophie's
appreciation of Jack's Christmas message from the Philippines-"Dear lady of
my fondest dreams - Come join me in the Philippines Where I will build a
house for you Of SAWALI NIPA, and BAMBOO With Windows made of pearly SHELL -
In SINAMY I'll dress you well, And you shall have your every wish - The
while we dine on rice and fish.". Their June 1929 marriage was kept secret
from most of Sophie's acqaintances in New York, including Macy's friends,
where Sophie remained Director of Personnel Research until August 1930..
Emanuel Lyons much older than Jack and Sophie had been a friend since summer
1923 when Sophie worked at United Hebrew Charities. He published books "1001
Business Ideas" and "2222 Business Ideas." For years he invited the social
workers to his western New Jersey farm, where Sophie appeared in three
February 1926 photos with heavy snow. Joe Brill, a Fordham Law School
classmate of Jack Barrett,. remained in New York City law practice up to the
1970s, and occasionally through Anne and Ivan McCormack the Barretts would
hear news of him and other acquaintances, including Anne's family, the
Taylors, the Nelson family from Charleston, South Carolina, various social
workers,, and Jmmy Jemail, the "Inquiring Reporter" of the New York Daily
News, later editor.]"IV-286 To. Lt. J.B. Barrett USS TRUXTUN US Asiatic
Fleet c/o postmaster Seattle from SMB R.H.Macy + Co. 34th St. + Broadway New
York City December 27 1929 Barrett dear, Mr last letter to you was sent just
a week ago today. Since that time there hasn't been a dull moment. Want to
be bored with an account of the events? You will recall that I was planning
to go to dinner with the dentist last Friday evening. Imagine my surprise
when he told me his mother, father, and sister were waiting at home for us
and that I was to be their guest for dinner. Gosh, but I was scared to be
looked over by the family, but I pretended it was a every-day ooccurence
with me. He lives up on Madison Avenue and Ninety-sixth Street. The dinner
was delicious, we all got along famously, and I have an idea 'mamma'
approved, because as I was leaving, she said,'Come to Christmas dinner, my
dear.' I thanked her in my most charming manner and pleaded 'not guilty'. =
The next day dawned like every other, but it was to be different. I was
scheduled to go to a big party in Flushing- an annual party which I had
turned down because you were you. To look all dressed up I decided to go
home at noon, - and there I found a box from you with two adorable rings and
some earrings. Promptly the rings were put on - they fit nicely - a wee bit
large - and I love them. I can't wear them all the time because they are
fragile, and the little decorative flowers fall off. You were nice to adorn
me at this season of the year. I wear both rings on the fourth finger of my
right hand. = The party was something or other - not very successful. Agnes
Drummond and I stayed overnight. Sunday noon the family drove us into town,
and we went to Agnes's apartment for tea. = Sunday evening after much
persuasion on Martha's part I agreed to join her and Dottie on a date with
three Spaniards. One of the men had a Auburn car. One of the men is an
artist named Camilo Egas who has a studio on Charles Street. For some
unknown reason his eyes rested on me, and he has been pursuing me ever
since.Foreign men don't interest me, and when he phoned last night, I told
him I was sick. He got my phone number through Martha. = Your Christmas card
was received on Tuesday. It is without doubt the most beautiful card I have
ever seen - and I say that in all sincerity. When Mrs. Smith rang the bell
Christmas eve to deliver the card telling of the attractions of the
Philippines in the form of fish, rice, and coarse clothes, my Chritmas
happiness was complete. The card is just too clever and too funny. I love it
and may even frane it someday. = Santa Claus was more than generous: From
Mr. Lyons there came a subscription to 'The Nation', a bottle of perfume, +
a beautiful compact. From Mabel there came two pairs of silk stockings -
from Edna Walton there came handkerchiefs - from Anne there came Yardley Old
English Soap From Willie Kennedy there came 'SRM' stationery - from Martha
there came genuine amethyst earrings. = Mr. Lyons and I started out five
o'clock Christmas morning. We took the train to Landsdowne, [New Jersey]
where we started our five mile hike to the farm house-- it was work and fun
to go through all the ice and snow. After a fine Christmas dinner we hiked
the five miles back. = Helen Miller called up just after I got home
Christmas night. We plan to take dinner and a walk together this Sunday. =
Joe Brill called me up last night. He told me he received a card from you
and that he sent you one. After much conversation about nothing at all, he
asked me to take lunch with him today. I turned him down on the basis of
being 'busy.' I couldn't be rude to him because he may be sincere, but
perhaps he may become discouraged with repeated refusals. Harold Nelson
spends a lot of time at the apartment. - Sophie." 1179 . CHAPTER "Duty on
the Destroyer TRUXTUN in the Asiatic Station summer 1929-May,1930" He did
however complete the school year & his law examinations before he left New
York City at three o'clock in the afternoon of Friday June 2l,l929 for
Chicago & San Francisco to sail on ammunition ship USS NITRO for Manila. He
was a working passenger & stood watches- not on leave-on that ammunition
ship.He had married me just one hour before he boarded the train to ensure
my getting government passage to the Orient.At Manila the heat & humidity
were trying,especially as his next ship the destroyer TRUXTUN was out at
sea,& he had to live on the POPE & another destroyer, where only the thought
of a mango for breakfast could get him out of bed.But the TRUXTUN did
return,& he enjoyed being with its captain- an old shipmate-Lieutenant
Commander Carey.Jack soon went ashore with Carey to make arrangements for
Carey's impending marriage to a girl who was coming out to Manila.But Carey
got sick & had to go to the hospital at Canacao while Jack took the ship as
temporary commanding officer.Jack had to take the ship back to Manila so
Carey could get his gear off.He had to go back to the mainland to be treated
for tuberculosis,& he was retired.On August 2, l967 Jack Barrett wrote a
letter to the "Prospective Commanding Officer" of a new TRUXTUN (ship names
are recycled) (c/o Supervisor of Shipbuilding,Camden, New Jersey)- "A note
in a recent Naval Institute (professional magazine) stated you wished to
locate personnel attached to earlier TRUXTUNS.In the summer of l929,after
arriving at Cavite & reporting by dispatch to Com.Desron 15,I was ordered to
wait for & report on board the TRUXTUN as Executive Officer & Navigator upon
her arrival from China for overhaul at Cavite.I was on EDSALL & POPE until
TRUXTUN arrived, then reported on board TRUXTUN. Lieutenant Commander
Charles B.C. Carey was then commanding officer.I became "exec."Ralph Earle
was gunnery officer.Other officers were S.P. Martin Communications, S.Y.
McKown engineer,Selman S. Bowling, L.F. Keyes. When overhaul was completed I
took the ship to Olongapo for a week for standardization & small arms
practice,as Carey had to go to Canacao (Naval) Hospital to clear up a
respiratory condition. We were recalled to get Carey's gear off in time for
him to sail to the United States a few days later because of his physical
condition. It was a sad business. I had accompanied him earlier in
connection with arrangements for his wedding (his fiancee was to come out to
Manila- & we had high hopes of real success with the TRUXTUN,having been
shipmates on the shakedown cruise of the MARBLEHEAD in l925 (newest &
fastest ship in the Navy at that time) & on sister ships during the
Australian cruise in l925.He was a grand person & very able.I became
temporary commanding officer for Cruise of Division 43 to southern islands,
Zamboanga,Jolo, Cebu-for Navy Day-then back to Manila to prepare for duty on
the Yangtze.Thomas J. Keliher joined as commanding officer on our return to
Manila,& I resumed my job as "exec."We were at Nanking,China for some weeks
(February-March,l930); then at Tsingtao & around to Chefoo and Tangku.There
I was detached & sent to the TULSA at Tientsin. I still have films of
photographs of the TRUXTUN at Zamboanga taken from broad off thew starboard
bow- one in Full Dress & the other plain. I believe C.B.C. Carey is in the
New York area.I think Ralph Earle is a Rear Admiral, retired.If I can be
helpful,please call on me.Sincerely yours,John B. Barrett,Commander USN
Retired." Several of Sophie's letters to Jack from 1929 have survived: "To.
Lieutenant John B. Barrett U.S Asiatic Fleet c/o 15th Naval District, Cavite,
P.I. July 8, l929 Barrett dear, It is just nine o'clock of a very warm
evening. We are alone in the living room- Anne reading the "Life of George
Washington" by Washington Irving.Ivan banging away on the typewriter
composing one of his many literary efforts and I am leaning on the faithful
bridge table writing the man who "went down to the sea in ships" Sailors are
bad- they woo and win fair maidens - only to depart.Here is a bit of drama
for you to enjoy with me. Last Monday evening I dropped in to see Agnes
Drummond who is now living across the street over the Cherry Lane
Theater.She had several guests there, and during the course of the
conversation she inquired about you. Upon learning that you were on your way
to China,she sympathized with me most graciously and told the guests what a
good person you are and what a nice social manner you possess.Then she
exclaimed, "Sophie why didn't you marry Barrett!" (Barrett and I were
married June 21, l929, but it was kept secret from Macy's Store and friends
in New York.) Spent Saturday which is now a holiday taking a long walk with
Willie Kennedy.Sunday was spent over in Brooklyn with Helen Miller and her
two brothers. Helen has asked me to spend next weekend with her in
Phoenicia- a man she knows may drive us up there Friday night, and her
brother, who has just bought a new Buick roadster- would drive us back on
Sunday.In any case Helen plans to make the trip, and I think I'll join
her.Haven't had much time to play with Helen lately, so perhaps we can make
up for it this weekend. I recently received a lovely note from Jeanette
(newlywed wife of Dr. Pete Meranski) in which she asked me to thank you for
your real contribution to the pleasure of the evening which she and Pete
spent with us at Longchamps. (June 20, l929).Haven't done much on my new job
- except to buy a dress suitable to my new dignity.Wish you could see it,
Navy blue, not too dark sleeveless and having cute bows in the front.We
aren't allowed to wear sleeveless frocks, but I have a jacket of the same
material - ensemble - and it's really cooler than a one piece dress. The job
is largely a contact one, and clothes can make such a whale of a
difference.The delicious candied fruits helped to bridge the gap in your
communications.I know it's impossible to hear from you, but it seems so odd
to be completely out of touch after our close companionship of almost a
year. I'm sufficiently childish to resent the break but sufficiently grown
up not to let myself be unhappy about it.More soon. In the meantime, with
deep love - Sophie" (This stationery was engraved by Nathan Solomon of
Hartford Connecticut (a l9l9 Hartford Public high School Classmate). " "I
wrote to Jack November l0,l929: "Last week I read in the papers that the
TRUXTUN had been ordered to Shanghai to report to the Chief of the Asiatic
Fleet for further orders.I'm scared pink there may be major disturbances in
the vicinity of Hankow.Your responsibilities quite overwhelm me-& I can
understand why your notes to me are so short.--Sophie." On January
24,l97l,Rear Admiral Dundas Preble Tucker wrote to Sophie from La Jolla
California:"In reply to your recently received letter regarding the
TRUXTUN's trip up the Yangtze River in the spring of l930...In February l930
I reported to Commander Yangtze Patrol aboard his flagship,the LUZON as Flag
Lieutenant to Admiral T.T. Craven.At that time all the larger cities on the
Yangtze were in the hands of government forces under Chaing-kai-Shek,but
Communist forces under various leaders,including Mao (tse-Tung) controlled
large areas inland,particularly to the north.They made raids on the river
towns & held them until driven out by government troops or foreign gunboats
protecting their nationals. The Reds were quite active in l930,& the LUZON
was under shore fire at least seven times that I know of between Hankow &
Ichang,where they held long stretches of riverbank.In general the gunboats
controlled the river from Hankow to Chungking,& the destroyers were called
in to handle the lower river from Hankow to Shanghai.Since the destroyers'
service under Commander Yangtze patrol was only temporary,I had occasion to
board them very seldom...."On October l9,l929, the "Mindanao Herald" of
Zamboanga, Philippine Islands published this story:"Officers & Bluejackets
of Destroyer Divisions 39 & 43 Renew Old Acquaintances in Zamboanga: -Until
the end of October the people of Zamboanga will again have the pleasure of
entertaining quite a large contingent of Uncle Sam's fighting ships in Far
Eastern waters.Nearly the entire fleet has returned from the China coast to
the Philippines for the winter & will carry out maneuvers here.The 43rd
Division comprising the PEARY,STEWART,POPE.& TRUXTUN arrived in port October
l6 & will remain until October 24.On October 24 all of the ships of the two
divisions of ten destroyers will fill the harbor.Numerous entertainments are
being arranged for the officers of the Squadron.This evening there will be a
dance at the Overseas Club in honor of the officers of the 43rd Division.The
bluejackets are an intelligent,orderly bunch of young fellows & seem to be
enjoying their shore leave very much." Jack enjoyed this cruise to the
southern Philippines.On March 23,l97l Dr.Charles Stelle wrote from Kansas:"I
remember John (Barrett) very well.He was an excellent officer & well liked
by his shipmates. I remember the TULSA...with tall masts.I was detached in
November,l930 while on duty up the Yangtze river & returned to the U.S. via
Europe to New York.My wife was also living in Waikiki in December l94l but
returned to the mainland several weeks later.I was Medical officer on BOISE
cruising at that time in Philiippine waters.Best of luck." At Christmas l929
Jack sent me a greeting from Manila, [SEE PHOTO ON WEBSITE page 29 photo
#864 year 1929] "Dear lady of my fondest dreams, Come join me in the
Philippines, Where I will build a house for you Of sawali, nipa & bamboo
With windows made of pearly shell. In sinamay I'll dress you well. And you
shall have your every wish The while we dine on rice & fish." To the paper
were attached samples of Sawali, Nipa, Bamboo, Shell, Sinamay, Rice & a
small fish." (Note-This greeting greatly lifted Sophie's spirits, which had
been down because of the lack of mail, as the following November l9 letter
recorded:)" Tuesday 9:30 AM November 19,l929 Barrett dear- Yesterday your
letter describing Carey's sad plight was received. Although I am genuinely
distressed to learn of his condition,I cannot help feeling that if anyone
had to have the opportunity to take his place,I am glad it was you, even if
it lasted only a short time. As the weeks pass,and as the only impressions I
receive of you are hasty notes making no reference to the letters I have
written or to anything that really concerns us, the gap between us assumes
alarming proportions.The only reason I do not withdraw entirely is the
thought that perhaps you have not received my letters.At the end of your
note you say,"Keep well and healthy." Under the present circumstances of
worrying about your seeming change of mind and heart - to "keep well and
healthy" is a very large order.It is your privilege to be independent- to
write when, how and what you please.The result, however, is disastrous
because in self-defense I am forcing myself to forget,-to love less deeply
because the pain of your seeming neglect is too sharp for me to carry
indefinitely.This is in no sense a plea for more letters or more
consideration. Love and consideration must be freely and spontaneously
given. It is merely a statement of fact- if you feel you have made a
mistake- for heaven's sake tell me. It is the uncertainty and the luke-warmness
which hurt- In any and every case you are grand even though you have made me
unhappy - Sophie." Sophie wrote more cherrfully December 27, 1929,
"[Notebook Four pp 286-7] To Lt. J.B. Barrett USS TRUXTUN U.S. Asiatic Fleet
c/o Postmaster,Seattle- From SMB -R.H. Macy & Co. 34th Street and Broadway,
New York City December 27 Barrett dear, My last letter to you was sent just
a week ago today.Since that time there hasn't been a dull moment.Want to be
bored with an account of the events? You will recall that I was planning to
go to dinner with the dentist last Friday evening [December 20]. Imagine my
surprise when he told me his mother, father, and sister were waiting at home
for us and that I was to be their guest at dinner. Gosh, but I was scared to
be looked over by the family, but I pretended it was an everyday occurence
with me. He lives up on Madison Avenue and 96th Street. The dinner was
delicious - we all got along famously, and I have an idea "mamma"
approved,because as I was leaving, she said, 'Come to Christmas dinner, my
dear.' I thanked her in my most charming manner and pleaded, 'Not guilty.'
The next day dawned like any other, -but it was to be different.I was
scheduled to go to a big party in Flushing- an annual party which I turned
down last year because 'you were you'.To look all dressed up I decided to go
home [from work] at noon- and there I found a box from you with two adorable
rings and some earrings.Promptly the rings were put on- they fit nicely (a
wee bit large),and I love them.I can't wear them all the time because they
are fragile, and the little decorative flowers fall off. You were nice to
adorn me at this season of the year.I wear both rings on the four finger of
my right hand.Agnes Drummond and I stayed overnight. Sunday noon the family
drove us into town, and we went to Agnes's apartment for tea.Sunday evening
after much persuasion on Martha's part I agreed to join her and Dottie on a
date with three Spaniards.One of the men had an Auburn car. One of them is
an artist named Camilo Egas, who has a studio on Charles Street. For some
unknown reason his eyes rested on me, and he has been pursuing me since.
Foreign men don't interest me, and when he phoned last night, I told him I
was sick.He got my phone number through Martha.Your Christmas card was
received on Tuesday [December 24]. It is without doubt the most beautiful
card I have ever seen- and I say that in all sincerity. When Mr. Smith rang
the bell Christmas Eve to deliver the card telling of the attractions of the
Philippines in the form of fish, rice, and coarse clothes, my Christmas
happiness was complete [see 1929 message on website].The card is just too
clever and too funny. I love it and may even frame it someday. Santa Claus
was more than generous: From Mr. Lyons came a subscription to 'The Nation',
a bottle of perfume, and a beautiful compact; from Mabel there came two
pairs of silk stockings; from Edna Walton there came Handkerchiefs; from
Anne there came 'Yardley's Old English Soap'; from Willie Kennedy there came
SRM stationery; from Martha there came genuine amethyst earrings. Mr. Lyons
and I started out five o'clock Christmas morning. We took the train to
Landsdowne [western New Jersey] where we started our five mile hike to the
farm house - it was work and fun to go through all the ice and snow.After a
fine Christmas dinner we hiked the five miles back. Miller called me up just
after I got home Christmas night. We plan to take dinner together and a walk
next Sunday. Joe Brill [Jack's Fordham Law School classmate who later worked
with Roy Cohn] called me up last night. He told me he received a card from
you and that he sent you one. After much conversation about nothing at all
he asked me to take lunch with him today. I turned him down on the basis of
being 'busy'.I don't trust or believe him. I couldn't be rude to him,
because he may be sincere, but perhaps he will become discouraged with
repeated refusals.Harold Nelson spends a lot of time at the
apartment.---Sophie" Foregoing is first portion of TRUXTUN chapter.In
preparation is sequence as Sophie worked at Macy's,Jack met Harriet Cogswell
of Mount Holyoke and her fiance Paul Meyer when TRUXTUN was at Nanking China
far up Yangtze River Feb-March 1930, and then after Jack was transferred to
gunboat TULSA in North China,Sophie prepared for fourteen week voyage on
HENDERSON to Tientsin via Panama,Yosemite, Hawaii & Philippines.[Note by
John Barrett-The TRUXTUN was in Nanking area far up the Yangtze river most
of February and March 1930. The TRUXTUN officers -a group of five or six
including Lieutenant Jack Barrett- were guests at the American consulate in
Nanking, and consular official Paul Meyer visited for tea aboard the TULSA
with his girl friend Harriet Cogswell, of the Mount Holyoke class of 1922.
Harriet had been active as head of Young Women's Christian Organization and
1922 Queen of the May at college May Day festival.She then taught for a
number of years at this missionary high school at Nanking, Gin-Ling college.
She eventually married Paul Meyer, and her niece gave extensive family
photos and letters to College History collection of Williston Library at
Mount Holyoke College. There are twelve large boxes of photos from about
1924 to the late 1930s of Chinese people and places, first Nanking, later
Peking, where Meyer was stationed in diplomatic service. She mentions the
TRUXTUN visit in letters to her sister, who was working at Macy's in 1930
and knew Sophie Barrett, who was Macy's Director of Personnel Research.
Harriet made an amusing comment that the uniforms and manners of British
Naval officers were more impressive than the American ones. Jack Barrett
informed Sophie of his contact with her college friend.]One of the TRUXTUN's
officers with Jack in Philippines and Yangtze 1929-1930 was Selman S.
Bowling. Jack retained a copy of the memoirs of "The Log of Bob Bartlett"
the Bowdoin-affiliated Arctic explorer, in which Bowling had inscribed his
name. In 1944 Bowling commanded about forty-five Motor Patrol Boats which
made the first contacts with Japanese forces in the decisive Battle of
Surigao Strait the night of October 24-25, 1944. These forces were under
Admirals Barbey and Kincaid and Clifton Sprague in the United States Seventh
Fleet.In "Leyte Gulf" volume Twelve of Samuel E. Morison's history of United
States Naval Operations in World War II there is a narrative pp. 26-28 of
Bowling's involvement in emergency air-sea rescue planns earlier at Morotai,
East Indies.Then they made an eleven-hundred mile run from Mios Wendh to
Leyte Gulf via Kossol Roads accompanied by tenders WATCHAPREAGUE,OYSTER BAY,
and WILLOUGHBY.They operated from Liloan Harbor on west side of Panaon Bay
"sheltered from all winds but accessible" and San Pedro Bay."After dark they
were ordered by Admiral Sprague to patrol Surigao Strait intensively.
Morison reports "under the battle conditions their reporting of the major
enemy forces was good," and enemy fire at them alerted Admiral Oldendorf's
forces, leading to a decisive victory over one of the few effective
remaining Japanese Naval forces. Thirty motor patrol boats came under fire
out of thirty-nine participating. Ten were hit but only one"expended" [lost].Three
sailors were killed and twenty wounded. Bowling was then a Commander and had
considerable experience with Philippines waters from TRUXTUN days. On April
28, 1970 Vice Admiral Ralph Earle junior of Durham, North Carolina,wrote, "I
will give some of my recollections of my TRUXTUN days when your father was
the Executive Officer and temporary Commanding Officer when Commander Carey
was retired from the Navy because of tuberculosis. Thomas J. Keliher took
over command from your father. He commanded the battleship ALABAMA during
World War II and then was Admiral Nimitz's Operations Officer.He was
promoted to Commodore and commanded a Service Force squadron in the Asiatic
area after the war.He died about ten years ago.The cruise to the southern
Philippines (commanded by Jack) was interesting, and your father took a keen
interest in the people, flora, and fauna.Nothing much happened.I was two
years in the TRUXTUN so there were many comings and goings, and my memory as
to who was on board and when is rather faulty as I kept no diary.The TRUXTUN
and I believe another United States destroyer were ordered to Nanking, China
(February 1930 while Jack was aboard)to stand by to protect American lives
if events made this necessary.The run up the Yangtze was extremely
interesting, especially to people who had not been on the river
before.Chinese river pilots were necessary as the river channel was always
changing, and there were few navigational aids.We were under way only in
daylight.Also present were a British cruiser, destroyer, and river boats, as
well as several Japanese destroyers and maybe a cruiser.Chaing-kai-shek was
about to make his advance from Nanking across the Yangtze on to the north to
Peking and subdue the various war lords.The ships anchored off the city of
Nanking, and the days and weeks passed very slowly as there was little
visiting on shore. [There was] no trouble. Chaing was successful, and along
in the spring or early summer [May, 1930] the destroyers were relieved and
went to the Chefoo area for training and a visit to the Chingwantao area
where liberty parties took the train for a visit to Peking.Your father left
us at this time to report to the TULSA, a gunboat [at Tientsin].There were
six cruisers built in the MARBLEHEAD class, and I don't consider the six
inch gun class of cruisers very effective.They were quite uncomfortable for
the enlisted personnel in particular. The Navy Department could send you a
ship's history of the MARBLEHEAD. As I said in my first letter, I remember
your father very pleasantly and his interesting conversation.The TRUXTUN
anchored off Zamboanga,[western] Mindanao and off the island of
Jolo.Panabutan is a blank to me.There is not much in this letter, but
perhaps it will answer a few of your questions.Mr best wishes to you and
your mother- Vice Admiral Ralph Earle junior USN Retired." + From the
Medical Officer of Destroyer Division 43 - 23 December 1929 To Senior
Medical Officer Camp John Hay Baguio [Northern Luzon, Philippines] "This is
to certify that Lieutenant J.B. Barrett has not been exposed to any
communicable disease and has not been exposed to meningitis [during]
fourteen days prior to his departure from Manila." Jack got four days leave
of absence 21 December 1929 and went to Camp Hay, Baguio. On the seventh of
May 1930 at Tsingtao, China Jack requested six days leave, giving the
address "Marine Detachment, American Legation, Peking, China." Leave was
granted. On the TRUXTUN he was Executive Officer and Navigator. On May 2,
1930 he received orders from the Commander in Chief of the Asiatic Fleet at
Shanghai: "Change of Duty: Upon reporting of your relief Lieutenant Lewis R.
?McDoerell-McDonell-McDonald? on or about May 15, 1930 and when directed by
your Commanding Officer, you will regard yourself detached from USS TRUXTUN
and will proceed by rail from Chingwantao China to Tientsin China and report
to the Commanding Officer USS TULSA for duty on that vessel as relief of
Lieutenant William F. FitzGerald USN." He arrived on board TULSA at Tientsin
China 20 May 1930. Walter Decker was Commanding Officer. On the TULSA Jack
was Gunnery Officer, First Lieutenant, and senior Watch Officer. He was
acting Executive Officer prior to the arrival of Lieutenant Commander
Leonard Doughty. |