1. Did some painting in the afternoon, and shortly before supper coal lighters came alongside and immediately after supper we got our first taste of real work in the Navy. Coaling ship is an awful dirty job and one that is always dreaded by the whole ships company. It is dirty and disagreeable even for those who do not have to coal. Coaling continued for several hours.

2. Finished coaling ship, and then while the crew was cleaning the ship I wioth a few other men went to the beach for a load of sand in a motor sailer. About supper time we set sail for Philadelphia. At last I thought that I was a real sailor.

3. Stood my first gun watch, which was from 12 to 4.a.m. After this we continued to stand fours on an four hours off for the remainder of the journey. Weather was fairly good with an occasional shower of rain.

4. Watch and watch. No excitement at all.

5. Peacefully sailing. My liking for the sea increases.

6. Steamed up the Dellaware River, and into the Philadelphia Navy Yard. We tied up alongside the dock, and were near several large ships, one of which was the U.S.S. Kansas, which was being overhauled for war service. Saw my first submarine. Four subs of the "L" type were tied up near us, just off our starboard beam.

7. Work of getting the ship in condition for European service was commenced. Worked in boats, and painted.

8. We began taking stores aboard and I went into the Navy yard in a working party. At this time I always preferred a working party to remaining aboard. During our stay in the yard we always worked hard and took aboard an awful amount of stores and supplies.

9. Scraped sand lockers on after deck houses.

10. Helped paint the smoke stack. Sure is some job. Here is hopes that I never have to do it again.

11. Continued painting on various parts of the ship.

12. Ditto. A sailor is never thru painting. When there is nothing else to do and a man could rest, there is always painting to be done. Put it on. Scrape it off. Then put on some more.

13. Various work about the ship. U.S.S. Ammen came in, and I helped dry dock her.

14. U.S.S. Dixie went into dry dock, and I got my first good look at a German ship. There were two of them there. The "Prinz Eithel Frederick" and "Kron Prinz Wilhelm". When I first saw them they were still painted as when they were in Transocean Service, with all superstructure brown. Fine ships they are. The American government soon overhauled them and put them in the transport service.

15. We scraped the bottom of the Dixie. The worst job that I have thus far met.