Friday August 22, 1930

Not a good weather day today – it was raining and storming all day, causing the boat to “rock” even more.

Josephine’s note home was brief (1):

raining and storming all day - the boat rocked more. They gave us our medals and certificates at 2:30 and had movies at 8:30 and dancing afterward - went to Mass this morning at 7 o’clock

Josephine went to Mass at 7 o’clock, followed by breakfast. The normal routine that she had been following on previous days may have been curtailed by the rainy, stormy weather. However, some of it could have taken place in the glass-enclosed promenade deck. I assume the mid-morning and mid-afternoon snacks continued, despite the weather. But maybe some normal activities were curtailed.

But despite the bad weather, something special did happen today.

In the afternoon, beginning at 2:30, a special medal ceremony was held. Captain A. B. Randall had the pilgrims assemble in the social hall, where he greeted them, telling them that he deemed it a favor to carry them to France. Then Captain Randall presented each of the pilgrims with a Gold Star Medal (2+3) in the name of Paul Chapman, president of the United States Lines.

The Captain personally decorated the two mothers who had lost two sons in the war: Mrs. Catherine Cassells from Connecticut and Mrs. Catherine “Bird” Seymour from Kansas.

The Captain could not decorate all 200+ mothers/widows so Captain Arnold J. Funk and one of his aides decorated the rest. Captain Funk was the army officer who escorted the pilgrims.

Once on the ship, an officer of the Regular Army immediately assumed the duty of looking out for the welfare of the pilgrims during the entire voyage. The officer for Party R was Captain Arnold J. Funk. It was the task of the Army officer on board ship to see that the pilgrims got acquainted and had something to think about besides seasickness and the sadness of the journey.

Captain Funk would sail with the group on the return voyage to New York.

Note: Captain Funk went on to win the Army Distinguished Service Medal, twice awarded for actions during World War II: for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services to the Government of the United States in a duty of great responsibility during World War II (at the time he was Brigadier General Arnold J. Funk). General Funk was a World War II prisoner of war of the Japanese.

The words used in the presentation of the medal were: “Mrs. Blanchard, it is an honor to present you with this medal.”

The medal was designed by Tiffany. The front of the medal had a gold star above a ship sailing between the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower, as well as the year of the pilgrimage (3). The following inscription was on the back of the medal: “Gold Star Pilgrimage to the Battlefields of the World War” (2). Some Internet descriptions of the gold star on the medal report it as being 24-carat gold.

A certificate was presented along with the medal: “IN MEMORY OF THE SUPREME SACRIFICE WE HAVE THE HONOR TO PRESENT TO YOU THIS GOLD STAR MEDALLION SYMBOLIZING YOUR PILGRIMAGE TO THE BATTLEFIELDS OF THE WORLD WAR.” (4)

The medal hung from a narrow red, white, and blue ribbon to be worn around the neck. Each medal was numbered. Josephine received medal number 3359. The pictures included are of Josephine’s certificate and her actual medal, in the care of Margaret Blanchard Rouyea.

Josephine wrote home on August 19 that she had met Mrs. Allison Boner and Mrs. Laura Neight, both Gold Star Mothers from Louisiana. They discovered after they met on the ship that they had rooms at the same hotel while in New York. I imagine she made a special connection with Mrs. Boner because both Buddy and Mrs. Boner’s son Henry had served in Company M, 26th division.

Josephine talks in that August 19 note of the many nice widows and mothers she had met. As the voyage progressed, she probably met more and more:

Did she ask Mrs. Tillie Overstreet about the duties her son performed as a wagoner (one who brought supplies to the troops and tended to the animals)?

Did Mrs. Amanda Norris from Louisiana explain how her son came to enter the service from Oklahoma or Mrs. G V Soniat, also from Louisiana, how her son came to enter the service from Kansas?

Did she meet Mrs. Blanche Horn from Missouri, who liked to collect and save almost everything she received from the trip?

Did she enjoy the descriptive phrases that Mrs. Mary Everson of Missouri and Mrs Fannie Fine, also of Missouri, used when talking about their various experiences on the ship?

And what about Mrs. Elizabeth Coonhaan from Pennsylvania – did Mrs. Coonhaan tell the story behind her husband using an alias – John S. (alias) Cunningham?

Did Josephine make the acquaintance of Mrs. Blanche Busch who was traveling with her mother-in-law, Mrs. Lucinda Busch,both from West Virginia, to visit the grave site of their beloved husband and son, Roscoe Busch?

Did she witness the growing friendship between 64-year old Mrs. Nellie Cockrell of Tennessee, a Gold Star Mother, and the young widow, 35-year old Mrs. Flora Vilott from Kansas? Both their loved ones are buried in the Meuse-Argonne Cemetery as is Buddy.

Note: Concerning the 11 Louisiana women on board (including Josephine), the burial places of their sons/husbands are as follows:

Aisne-Marne Cemetery: Sons of Mrs. Boner and Mrs. Norris.
St. Mihiel Cemetery: Husband of Mrs. Duhon; sons of Mrs. Fox and Mrs. Hobgood.
Suresnes Cemetery: Husband of Mrs. Eubanks; son of Mrs. Soniat.
Meuse-Argonne Cemetery: Sons of Josephine, Mrs. Michael, Mrs. Neight, and Mrs. Overstreet.




Source: written by Carolyn Ourso