-
Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated by Bosnian Serb. Archduke Ferdinand and his wife were taking a ride in Sarajevo, Bosnia, when a nationalist shot them both in their car. They both died, causing a chain reaction of different countries declaring their side of the war, and splitting Europe in two. Thus starts World War 1. -
No more than a year after World War 1 started, a German U-boat fired torpedoes at the RMS Lusitania. The Lusitania was a British ocean liner coming from New York and going to Liverpool, England. The attack killed over 1,100 civilians, of which included 120 Americans. This changed America's views and opened their eyes that they are clearly being affected by the war, and pushed America towards war. -
He joined the Navy when he was 16, and he lied about his age so he could get in before the age of 18. He chose to join early because he was following the other young men at the time, and he was patriotic. He was then sent to basic training in the Great Banks Training Station in Illinois. There, he was taught how to row boats, how to splice big ropes. -
Allies win the Second Battle of the Marne. German troops launched an attack on the French at the Marne. But the French set up false trenches to lure the Germans forward. Then, when the Germans pushed farther and found the real trenches, they were overrun by French and American troops. -
After his basic training, he was sent to the New Hampshire battleship. Living on the ship, you slept in hammocks, and every time you woke up, you folded them and put them out of the way. The table was in the ceiling to save space. You take it down to eat and then tuck it back once you're done. One of his jobs on the ship was to holystone the deck. Holystoning is when you almost sand the wood off the deck using sand and a brick, which is pushed with a wooden pole, and then cleaned off with water. -
The battle for Mons is won by the Allies. Germany has been in a full retreat with several skirmishes and battles occurring before this one. Canadian troops finish them off at Mons with minimal casualties. Germany finally surrenders, bringing the war to a stop. -
Germany agrees to end the war, and several country leaders join together in the Palace of Versailles in France. The Treaty of Versailles was signed, closing World War 1. The whole process took 6 months for the Treaty to be signed and agreements made over the war. Although the war was finished, the treaty placed almost all the blame on Germany, causing heavy harm to Germany's economy. -
On the ship, he was tasked with the gun crew, and on occasions, he was supposed to look for German submarines coming out of the water and shoot them if they did. During the war, he helped stop German submarines from blocking the English Channel. One time, the crew managed to capture a German submarine, and they brought it into the Philadelphia Navy shipyard. It was on display for people to see and was tested on. -
After the war, he worked on farm land until he decided to go back into the Navy. He was sent to Hampton Roads, Virginia. He learned how to play string instruments and the saxophone. He was sent onto the USS Seattle flagship as a musician for Admiral Koontz’s private orchestra. He played the cello in his quarters at meal time and on other occasions. He traveled to several different locations on this ship, including Australia, New Zealand, and Hawaii. He was then honorably discharged. -
Not long after the Navy, he joined the Fire Department and worked at Engine 16. At Engine 16, he served the White House and the embassy. One time during his years as a fireman, he and another fireman helped save a man from a fire, which was referenced in the news. He later married, retired, and had two kids. He retired in 1955.