Montgomery County, Iowa
Military

Company M Drill

On September 18, 1917, Oliver Reiley (father of contributor Bill Reiley) and parts of the Rainbow Division were taken to Hoboken, New Jersey and put aboard a confiscated German freighter, renamed the President Grant. It had been prepared as a troop ship by placing bunks in the cargo holds. It was estimated that about 20% of her crew had prior sea duty. The troops were fed only twice a day to space problems and water sometimes had to be purchased.

Much of their spare time was spent in lifeboat drills. A few days out they had a Measles outbreak and this along with the other obvious problems forced them to turn back arriving back in New York on September 28th.

~ contributed by Bill Reiley (son of Oliver Reiley)

Source: Red Oak Sun