CLORE, Lex B.

Mr. and Mrs. Johnson Clore and son, Lex were here from Crawfordsville Wednesday. Lex has just received his commission as Ensign in the Navy and expects to go on sea duty at once. "From the Camp"

Source: Crawfordsville Daily Journal Saturday, Dec 7, 1918 (nice large picture but it would not come out with my camera - handsome young man)

Mr. and Mrs. Johnson Clore have received the following letter from their son, Ensign Lex Clore. THe young man has recently received his naval commission and is now on the USS Gold Shell, operating in European waters. -- At Sea, Nov 14 - Dear Mamma: As I havne't anything to do for awhile I will sit down and write you a letter so that when I get to France I can mail it. However it will be a month before you will get the letter. From the news, we got the last couple of days it looks as if the war was just about over. THe French cruiser who has been with us semaphoned over to us the day before yesterday that they had received a wireless message from the Eiffel Tower stating that Germany had signed the armistice and then our daily newspaper told us that the kaiser had abdicated. All ships of the navy have a morning news, paper on board every morning as long as they are within wireless communication of the land. It isn't a real newspaper but every night the news of the day before is sent out by wireless and is typewritten out into sort of a newsheet which is ready for us at breakfast. I am enjoying the trip and the work very much. The first four days out from land we had a northeast gale all the time and the weather was very rough and stormy. A lot of the sailors got sea sick but it did not bother me a bit. I am hard at work every day. Up until today I have been acting as junior officer of the deck, assisting the regular officer of the deck. But today I was made a senior watch officer and am now standing my regular watch as officer of the deck. I am on duty 8 hours a day from 12 to 4 o'clock in the afternoon and from midnight until 4 o'clock in the morning. During those times I stand my watch on the navigating bridge of the ship and have full charge and control of the navigating of the ship. It is one of the most responsible positions on board. During the time that I am on watch I am responsible for the maneuvering and control of the ship, for the different courses steered for the distance run, the speed of the ship, all signals sent and received and in fact for everything that goes on that has to do with the navigating of the ship. I like the work very much and am well pleased with it. I will write you again before we reach France. Good-Bye, Ensign Lex B. Clore