Forty two days into his New Orleans adventure Johnny was once again called into the Port Director's office. The Director handed Johnny a Union B Book and a job order. "You've got your Seamen's Card, Vance. You've got a job as a Wiper in the engine room of the John B. Warden. They're in port now and they're gonna sail in a couple of hours. So get upstairs, get your bags packed, and get your ass down there!" Johnny was ecstatic. "Thank you, Sir!" He walked out of the room and yelled at the other kids "I'm sailing out of the Port of New Orleans in two hours!" He ran upstairs.
Johnny walked up the gangway of the ship and asked for the Chief Engineer. The old engineer showed Johnny to his stateroom so he could store his gear. Then he took him back up ship to the door of the engine room. "Go on down and introduce yourself. They'll tell you what to do." the Engineer said as he walked away. Johnny felt the ship move. They were on their way down the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico. The Wiper's job turned out to be flunky work. The Firemen and Oiler's were his superiors. "Sweep that stuff up over there, kid! Wipe that crap up kid! Mop that floor, kid! Wipe that shaft off, kid!" The job paid $2.32 an hour, time and a half over eight. Johnny worked a lot of overtime.
Cars had been loaded in New Orleans. But not enough to fill the hold. Their first stop was the Port of Mobile, where they loaded more cars. Then they were under way again. They sailed down around the coast of Florida where, in the middle of the night, they ran into a storm and high seas. Johnny woke up puking his guts out from seasickness. The storm was gone by morning and they sailed up to Charleston, South Carolina to load more cars. With the ship now fully loaded they took off across the Atlantic Ocean. Nine days later they docked in Rotterdam, Holland to off-load cars. Then on to Bremerhaven, Germany to off-load the rest.
to be continued....
