| 38 Jack used mainly a German Voightlander purchased San Francisco June l929 en route to Philippines and a Kodak Speed Graphic purchased for $250 in Honolulu 1944 with tripod, flash and yellow and infrared filters.speed thousandth-second"Willie Steele" Story told to Sophie by Jack Barrett When Jack was Gunnery Officer on ther USS TULSA in Tientsin in 1930, he enjoyed going to the Tientsin Club after work about five in the afternoon, before my arrival November 1930. The Club was for men only - a chance to relax and get acquainted with men of many nationalities with good conversation. At the Tientsin Club he met businessman Faison Jordon, Mr. Reymolds of Ford Motors, and "Willie" Steele, head of The Tientsin Pukow Railway line. According to Jack ,Willie was a tremendous Scotsman with a tremendous appetite for good food, good liquor, and good conversation. When Jack said to him, "Willie, are you a Highlander or a Lowlander?" Willie struck Jack hard on the back in friendly fashion and replied, "Ach, mon, that's all past and done!" Sophie Meranski Barrett at Tientsin County Club photo by Tientsin Police Chief Isemonger CHINAchapter TULSA CHAPTER INTRODUCTION BY JOHN BARRETT-- Sophie Barrett's chapter "Living in the Orient" begins with her arrival November 13, 1930. Jack Barrett had been in North China since May, 1930. He arrived on destroyer TRUXTUN, was detached about May 15, and spent six days leave at Marine Barracks, American Legation, Peking, where he discussed gunnery with his 1910 ITASCA Revenue Cutter School shipmate William Rupertus. Then Jack was Gunnery Officer,First Lieutenant, Senior Watch Officer and temporarily Executive Officer of the gunboat TULSA based at Tientsin. At first Walter Decker was Captain, succeeded by Commander Paul Rice. The Rice family became very close friends of the Barrett family over many years in China, Panama, Hawaii, and after the war, and they may be introduced by several letters. Paul Rice lived to age 95 1886-1981 and his wife Gertrude to age 102 + 1/2 born Juneau, Alaska, December 3, 1893 to July 25, 1996. Her father was a silver miner named Hammond, and her mother's father named Coleman was one of the first 1847 settlers of St. Paul, Oregon in the Willamette Valley. He had eleven children. Gertrude had three older sisters, one of whom married Navy Admiral Cross. The Hammond family came to the San Francisco Bay area 1906 or 1907 shortly after the great earthquake and fire. In 1917 Gertrude married Naval Academy 1909 graduate Paul Rice, and their daughter Nathalie, born June 1919 was eleven years old when Sophie arrived in Tientsin. Nathalie was trained in social work and said Sophie played a part in interesting her in the field. The friendship of the Rice family was extremely beneficial for Sophie as a young Navy wife in a strange land, and Paul Rice's encouragement helped Jack Barrett achieve promotion to Lieutenant Commander and another fifteen highly productive years in his Navy career. These letters will introduce Gertrude and Paul Rice: Mrs. Paul H. Rice (Gertrude) 523 South Hudson Avenue, Pasadena, California 91106 22 July l970 Dear Sophie, We would be glad to write to Bill Paca if you would send his address. You've never written if he is married. I thought he did marry many years ago. The things he wrote about Jack must have pleased you. It seems that somehow they should be woven into your book. I'm sure that Paul always looks to his command of the TULSA as one of his most happy commands. Strangely enough he had a command in every grade, beginning with Ensign. He had a great regard for the officers that served with him on "the TULSA," and there always seemed to be such a good relationship. I always thought the China duty the best thing the Navy had to offer, but of course we've never been in Europe. Nath has three children, two boys and a girl. Chris is 24, John is 20, and Erica 18. Nathalie is Mrs. J. V Hawley (Mrs. Vernon Hawley 333 Marion Avenue, Mill Valley California 94941." PAUL RICE letter On February l0,l970 a letter came from Paul Rice Captain USN who was with us on the TULSA in Tientsin l930-3l, visited Panama in l935 & lived in Waikiki l94l when the war struck until February l942."Dear John, As you surmise,Sexton was a classmate of mine, class of l909 at the Naval Academy. Captain Samuel Wilder King was a classmate- knew him very well.He relieved me of command of the USS SAMAR at Hankow,China in June,l9l5. We had no Chaplain on the TULSA. As I remember the anchorage at the entrance of the Hai Ho River was called Tangku. The TULSA used oil-not coal.I spent about three years on the Yangtze- had command of the SAMAR & navigated it to Ichang one thousand miles up the river.Navigation on the river was similar to that on the Mississippi,I suppose.During the summer floods good sized ships could navigate to Hankow.Of course Gertrude & I would be glad to try to identify pictures.Mrs. Rice says she & Nathalie met your uncle Bill in New York City in l942 (but did not meet your aunt Virginia)).Please give our regards to your mother.Sincerely, Paul H. Rice." Sophie added a note: "Jack & I sailed from Tangku to Japan on the Chowan Maru.Tangku is where the Japanese soldiers crossed their swords on my chest when I started to the wrong dock where a Japanese Army troop ship was next to the passenger ship dock |
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