Friday September 12, 1930

About two days into the voyage, the passengers had to take part in a life boat drill. (By today’s rules, this drill must take place within 24 hours of sailing or even before sailing).

One passenger described this drill as standing in line according to their deck and cabin number and being told what lifeboat to go to in the event of an emergency and instructions on how to wear a life belt. The passengers got a thrill watching the crew’s different signals and their practice in lowering the life boats.

By this time, Josephine could find her way around the SS America. Josephine's Journey wonders if Josephine agreed with Mrs. Octavia Hobgood of Baton Rouge, who thought the SS George Washington was “much more beautiful than the SS America.”

On board the SS America in Cabin Class was the Attorney General of the United States, William D. Mitchell and his wife and children. The Attorney General and his family crossed on the America so that he could have a personal encounter with the Gold Star mothers and widows.

Also sailing with the ladies on the SS America was Captain Arnold Funk, who had sailed with them on the SS George Washington as the Regular Army officer whose duty it was to look out for the welfare of the pilgrims during the entire voyage; he would perform that same duty on the voyage back to America on the SS America. Members of Party R’s escort team in Paris, Captain H. L. Ernest, and Captain Stark, were also on board the SS America.

Mrs. Fannie Fine of Missouri found some of the passengers on the return voyage to be “snobbish.” Some of those passengers referred to the Gold Star mothers and widows as “charity passengers.” The pilgrims wore badges that plainly read “Guest of the U.S.A.” One of the younger passengers was overheard saying, “The government better buy these mothers some clothes before they start the contingent over next summer” (the pilgrimages began in 1930 and ended in 1933). One of the financially better off Gold Star mothers called this young lady to task for her comment.

Hopefully, none of this snobbishness got to Josephine and she continued to enjoy all that the SS America had to offer.

An interesting note: The United States Government liked to number people, places, things. So they numbered the pilgrims also. Josephine’s number was #3195 (the only other pilgrim number I know is Mrs. Blanche Horn of Missouri; she was #3143). This number might mean that Josephine was the 3,195th pilgrim to set sail to Europe on a Gold Star Mother and Widow Pilgrimage in 1930.

Between the years 1930 and 1933, a total of 6,654 mothers and widows took Gold Star Mother and Widows Pilgrimages to France. Over half of the total, 3,653 mothers and widows, sailed during the first year, 1930. In 1931, another 1,766 mothers and widows sailed; in 1932, 566 mothers and widows sailed; and in 1933, 669 mothers and widows sailed.




Source: written by Carolyn Ourso