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218 23 Highballs on the High seas Where the welfare and comfort of the Gold star mothers and widows were concerned, the army overlooked nothing to ensure the success of its high-profile public-relations venture. For the military escorts, the moments before sailing were fraught with detail. on the morning of departure, officers were responsible for inspecting all equipment, from coffins to deck chairs and from blankets and cushions to table settings and cabin assignments.1 The paperwork was enormously time consuming and included passenger lists, baggage lists, passports, train assignments, customs and debarkation cards, and reports of innumerable variety. As the women climbed the gangplank, an identity badge pinned to their coat and a gold medal swaying from their neck, they could not have helped but notice all that had been organized on their behalf. in preparation for the pilgrimages, Colonel richard t. ellis, the officer in charge, sought and received permission to rearrange French custom to suit the military and its American visitors. Throughout the journey , administrative inconveniences and standard French bureaucratic procedures were eliminated. Namely, allowances were made for American physicians to care for the pilgrims (foreigners were normally forbidden to practice in the country); between Cherbourg and Paris, special trains with additional dining cars were arranged for the group; all national museums and places of artistic interest granted access at reduced entrance fees; approval was obtained for cars to park in places usually prohibited; vehicles transporting the women were allowed to travel through the Bois de Boulogne (a privilege never previously agreed to); and invalides station (normally reserved for state occasions) was made available for the pilgrims’ train. similar favors were also arranged with hotels to offer an “American breakfast” instead of the traditional light Continental fare. French bus companies were asked to provide “luxury” vehicles with the latest safety devices and blankets for the pilgrims. And since it was reported that Highballs on the High Seas 219 insufficient toilet facilities could be located near the cemeteries, fashionable “rest houses” were constructed on the grounds. According to Colonel ellis, these houses were akin to those “one would expect to find in an attractive country-club,” yet they were completed in just ninety days.2 The order of departure by states was determined by First Lady Hoover, who drew lots to prioritize the invitation list early in 1930.3 By May, women from all across the United states began arriving by train for embarkation in New York. some were so poor that they lacked even the funds with which to purchase the needed clothing and additional accessories .4 others, such as Mrs. Louise Ziegler, were in poor health and had never traveled far from home before. Fearing that she could not make the pilgrimage alone, Ziegler requested and received permission for her daughter, Grace, to accompany her. in order to pay her own expenses, Grace agreed to write a series of articles for the local paper based on their adventure. Her lively descriptions capture their experiences throughout the pilgrimage, including their train journey from Durand, illinois, in a parlor car to Chicago, where she noted that “Mamma got her first taste of real service.” They grinned to each other as the porter hung their coats for them and put a cushion under their feet. Grace recalled, “i told her she [Louise] would have to get used to service, but i didn’t realize then how much truth i spoke.” once they arrived in Chicago, a red-cap attendant and two train officials were waiting and guided them to their New York– bound train.5 once the women were settled into their accommodation, usually the Hotel Pennsylvania, they were greeted by civic officials at a City Hall reception . The following day, they joined other passengers aboard luxury liners, but the mothers continued to receive every honor. By midmorning, bouillon was served on deck, and in the afternoon tea and sandwiches were available, in addition to a full lunch and lavish evening meals. Like other women not used to such luxury, Grace and her mother enjoyed the hot and cold “soft water” in their cabin, along with the ice water, electric heater and fan, and comfortable beds. “The floor was covered with a thick carpet and the walls were painted ivory,” they remembered. There was a swimming pool with the sea “flowing in and out of the pool,” which Louise Ziegler recalled was “very beautiful.” They were especially taken by the “modernistic talkies” shown every night and the...

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