This time of the year, as I sit on the porch feeling thankful for the overhead fan keeping me at least somewhat cooler than ambient, I think about the men serving on the chasers in the summer of 1918, in the Adriatic Sea and at the port in Corfu, Greece.

Lt. Dole reports that at times the deck was so hot that you would burn your hand if you were below decks and put your hand on the ceiling. Sailors brought their mattresses up onto the deck and tried to get some sleep, and one has to imagine that the cook was miserable, running a coal stove in the tiny galley to prepare coffee and meals.

On the positive side, being moored in a cove just north of Corfu had its advantages. The swimming was excellent. Today the spot where "American Bay" was located is dominated by a resort hotel and beach umbrellas.

Enjoy the summer!

--Todd Woofenden, editor