The Whining Past inaugural entry details Capt. Hill’s embarkation from New York on June 9, 1918, and the 10-day journey to Brest, France. On board the captured German transport vessel, the SS Kaiser Wilhelm II (Agamemnon), Capt. Hill and the men of the 365th Infantry Regiment are in the dark as to where in Europe they are headed, but are rightly frightened of the infamous U-Boats scouring the North Atlantic. Well into the journey, word reaches that the  Kaiser himself has put out a bounty for the sinking of the Agamemnon…

Excerpt: “We received orders to move to our port of debarkation, and as the news spread around our barracks like wild fire it created wild excitement. Every one, even to the private soldier in the ranks seemed glad that at last, the orders for overseas service had been received and we were to experience all of those wonderful things we had read about for so long. The day was spent with wild scenes of packing and preparing for the move…”

Read the rest here.