07/29/2006 - The Troops Return
“Well," began Gordon unsteadily, "I got back from France in February, went home to Harrisburg for a month, and then came down to New York to get a job” (page 65).
As I stated in an earlier post I wanted to find out exactly when in February that Sterrett returned from France. Excessive, yes but I am only trying to duplicate Fitzgerald in detail however poorly my attempt may be. Sterrett doesn’t spend any time discussing his service in the military. Fitzgerald leaves the reader in the dark, however judging from his behavior in May Day I think it is safe to assume that he is suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. It feels as if he was never himself again after returning home from the war.
“Gordon rose and, picking up one of the shirts, gave it a minute examination. It was of very heavy silk, yellow, with a pale blue stripe --and there were nearly a dozen of them. He stared involuntarily at his own shirt-cuffs --they were ragged and linty at the edges and soiled to a faint gray. Dropping the silk shirt, he held his coat-sleeves down and worked the frayed shirt-cuffs up till they were out of sight. Then he went to the mirror and looked at himself with listless, unhappy interest. His tie, of former glory, was faded and thumb-creased --it served no longer to hide the jagged buttonholes of his collar. He thought, quite without amusement, that only three years before he had received a scattering vote in the senior elections at college for being the best-dressed man in his class” (page 63).
According to articles from the New York Times, Sterrett came home on one of eight transports, the first three arriving home from France on February 3rd 1919 (New York Times). Of those three ships, the Agamemnon returned with 2914 troops from the 51st regiment of the Coastal Artillery, 38 officers and 311 men from Base Hospital two, 627 sick and wounded, 43 naval officers, and fifty wounded Marines of the 5th and 6th Regiments. The two other transports returning were Samarinda and
Absecon carrying 278 officers and 23 casualties respectively (New York Times).
The next group of troops to return home from France probably arrived home on February 19th, 1919 however an exact date isn’t given in the article (dated February 20th, 1919.) Arriving on the French liner Touraine from Havre, the soldiers were part of the first detachment of the 27th Division. In addition to not giving a date of the troops return, the article never cites exactly how many came home, only saying that in addition to the soldiers there were 19 officers aboard the Touraine (New York Times).
The last group of soldiers to return home from France did so on February 22nd on two transports and one U.S. cruiser (New York Times). The U.S. cruiser Pueblo returned 1526 troops statewide most of them coming from the 161st and 162nd Infantry and several more from New York casual companies. Of the transports that sailed from France, the Orizaba brought back 2992, the Henderson 1272, and the Manchuria returned 4447 troops. The Manchuria consisted of 1697 soldiers from the 70th Coast Artillery, 1654 from the 71st Coast Artillery, 89 from the New Jersey Casual Company, and 779 from the St. Nazaire Company (New York Times).
Nothing jumps out indicating that any one of these ships was the specific vessel that Sterrett returned on. Since we never know what branch Sterrett was in or even if he was an officer we cannot, in good faith ignore any of these numbers. We never know what branch of the service Sterrett served in, however the numbers from the articles are any indication he had a good chance of being in the Army.
“They were dressed in the uniform of the United States Army, and on the shoulder of each was the insignia of a drafted division from New Jersey, landed three days before” (page 74).
Key and Rose returned to New York on April 28th, 1919. Unlike Sterrett, there past isn’t shr
ouded in complete mystery and since Fitzgerald gives the specific date of their return they can have only come back on one ship. The ship that returned stateside on the 28th of April was the America. On board was 4,500 hundred enlisted and officers from the 77th division (New York Times).
Fitzgerald, F. Scott. “May Day”. Tales of the Jazz Age. First Pine Street Books: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 2003.
“35 Soldiers Hurt In Atlantic Storm.” New York Times. 4 Feb. 1919:3.
“Vanguard Of 27th Reaches New York With Tale Of Valor.” New York Times. 20 Feb.1919:1.
“Storms Buffeted Troops On 4 Ships.” New York Times. 23 Feb. 1919:5.
“Expects Full 77th In Time For Parade.” New York Times. 28 Apr. 1919:4.
USS Agamemnon
USS America
As I stated in an earlier post I wanted to find out exactly when in February that Sterrett returned from France. Excessive, yes but I am only trying to duplicate Fitzgerald in detail however poorly my attempt may be. Sterrett doesn’t spend any time discussing his service in the military. Fitzgerald leaves the reader in the dark, however judging from his behavior in May Day I think it is safe to assume that he is suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. It feels as if he was never himself again after returning home from the war.
“Gordon rose and, picking up one of the shirts, gave it a minute examination. It was of very heavy silk, yellow, with a pale blue stripe --and there were nearly a dozen of them. He stared involuntarily at his own shirt-cuffs --they were ragged and linty at the edges and soiled to a faint gray. Dropping the silk shirt, he held his coat-sleeves down and worked the frayed shirt-cuffs up till they were out of sight. Then he went to the mirror and looked at himself with listless, unhappy interest. His tie, of former glory, was faded and thumb-creased --it served no longer to hide the jagged buttonholes of his collar. He thought, quite without amusement, that only three years before he had received a scattering vote in the senior elections at college for being the best-dressed man in his class” (page 63).
According to articles from the New York Times, Sterrett came home on one of eight transports, the first three arriving home from France on February 3rd 1919 (New York Times). Of those three ships, the Agamemnon returned with 2914 troops from the 51st regiment of the Coastal Artillery, 38 officers and 311 men from Base Hospital two, 627 sick and wounded, 43 naval officers, and fifty wounded Marines of the 5th and 6th Regiments. The two other transports returning were Samarinda and
Absecon carrying 278 officers and 23 casualties respectively (New York Times).The next group of troops to return home from France probably arrived home on February 19th, 1919 however an exact date isn’t given in the article (dated February 20th, 1919.) Arriving on the French liner Touraine from Havre, the soldiers were part of the first detachment of the 27th Division. In addition to not giving a date of the troops return, the article never cites exactly how many came home, only saying that in addition to the soldiers there were 19 officers aboard the Touraine (New York Times).
The last group of soldiers to return home from France did so on February 22nd on two transports and one U.S. cruiser (New York Times). The U.S. cruiser Pueblo returned 1526 troops statewide most of them coming from the 161st and 162nd Infantry and several more from New York casual companies. Of the transports that sailed from France, the Orizaba brought back 2992, the Henderson 1272, and the Manchuria returned 4447 troops. The Manchuria consisted of 1697 soldiers from the 70th Coast Artillery, 1654 from the 71st Coast Artillery, 89 from the New Jersey Casual Company, and 779 from the St. Nazaire Company (New York Times).
Nothing jumps out indicating that any one of these ships was the specific vessel that Sterrett returned on. Since we never know what branch Sterrett was in or even if he was an officer we cannot, in good faith ignore any of these numbers. We never know what branch of the service Sterrett served in, however the numbers from the articles are any indication he had a good chance of being in the Army.
“They were dressed in the uniform of the United States Army, and on the shoulder of each was the insignia of a drafted division from New Jersey, landed three days before” (page 74).
Key and Rose returned to New York on April 28th, 1919. Unlike Sterrett, there past isn’t shr
ouded in complete mystery and since Fitzgerald gives the specific date of their return they can have only come back on one ship. The ship that returned stateside on the 28th of April was the America. On board was 4,500 hundred enlisted and officers from the 77th division (New York Times).Fitzgerald, F. Scott. “May Day”. Tales of the Jazz Age. First Pine Street Books: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 2003.
“35 Soldiers Hurt In Atlantic Storm.” New York Times. 4 Feb. 1919:3.
“Vanguard Of 27th Reaches New York With Tale Of Valor.” New York Times. 20 Feb.1919:1.
“Storms Buffeted Troops On 4 Ships.” New York Times. 23 Feb. 1919:5.
“Expects Full 77th In Time For Parade.” New York Times. 28 Apr. 1919:4.
USS Agamemnon
USS America
posted by May Day at 11:01 AM
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