Cattleboat Trip of Kenneth Heatwole, 1946
My father, Elmer J. Heatwole, was a supervisor of seagoing cowboys and made
multiple trips to Europe and eventually to China in 1948. In late June 1946 after I
graduated from Goshen College while looking for summer work and placing applications
at several factories in my home town of Waynesboro, VA, I decided to hitch hike to
Newport News VA to visit my father who at this time had a port job with UNNRA loading
the cattle ships. After arriving on Saturday, June 30, visiting with Dad, Newport News
friends, and waiting “cowboys” on the weekend, I decided to apply for a cowboy trip.
Next day my seaman’s papers were granted and I phoned my mother to send me some
work clothes! On July 2 I boarded the Lahaina Victory and this college student became
a farmboy sailor tossing hay for horses (our ship was horses, not cattle). The ship
pulled out in the “stream” away from the dock the next day but the cowboys stayed
ashore as there were no messboys available.
Finally on July 11 we sailed. As the tug was pulling us out, a mare in my hold
gave birth to a colt named “Pier X” because he was born as we left pier X in Newport
News. His life was short as he was stepped on by a horse the 2nd night and died as
the ship tossed and turned (The mare died 6 days later). For 2 days I suffered from
seasickness but managed to keep up my strength and do my work with the help of
crackers, lemons and liquids and some assistance of other cowboys.
On the morning of the 4th day (July 15) we had a lot of excitement when a fire
broke out in the galley while making breakfast. It was a serious fire and the ship’s crew
feared it would reach the fuel tanks. A storm arising on the portside of the stern moved
forward and directly onto the ship giving us a downpour right at the time of the fire which
helped the men cool the other rooms. As soon as the fire was out it quit raining. The
mate said, ‘I’m no religious man but that was a miracle. God saved us!’ I wrote in my
diary, “God is so great and good - I have to think of Him often as I look at the great sea.
He’s marvelous,” We ate cold cuts that day which was somewhat disappointing to me
as I had recovered from seasickness, was working hard and hungry but when I saw the
melted metal faucets in the galley I was thankful for any food.
I knew of two other Mennonite boys on this trip, Dale Hartzler and Paul Yoder.
They were as surprised to see me as I was to see them. We were assigned to the same
hold (#2) near the bow of the ship. We took care of 119 horses. As a pre-med and
seminary student pitching hay and shoveling horse manure wasn’t exactly my cup of
tea, but as a Mennonite small farm boy I had more experience than many of the other
cowboys who were college students from colleges scattered over the U.S. Some were
Bible or seminary students from various denominations and gave messages in our
Sunday church services. We had “bull sessions” on origen of man, deity of Christ,
nonresistance, etc. with all gradations of liberal to conservative theology.
This voyage was my first experience in a foreign country. The thrill of seeing the
English coastline, the horrors and devastation of war in Poland by the two day trip to
Warsaw while the ship was in port, were impressed on my mind, never to be forgotten.
My diary account follows.
Kenneth M. Heatwole
September, 2009