Cruiser Olympia and the Difficult Journey Home By Peter Seibert, Executive Director and CEO, Independence Seaport Museum
PHOTO COURTESY NAVAL HISTORY AND HERITAGE COMMAND
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ust steps from the Memorial Amphitheater at topside in a relatively secure location just below the aft Arlington National Cemetery lies American signal bridge and radio house. Capt. H. L. Wyman, USN, Unknown Soldiers from various conflicts. The first of Olympia’s Commanding Officer, ordered Capt. Graves B. these Unknown Soldiers, buried with the highest Erskine, Commander of Olympia’s Marine Detachment, military honors, was the American Unknown Soldier from and his Honor Guard to watch the Unknown Soldier World War I. around the clock. Sailors and Marines lashed the transport These soldiers’ remains symbolize the nation’s indebtcase down as securely as possible to keep it safe on the edness to all U.S. service members who died in combat. journey. Congress authorized the establishment of the Tomb of the While sailing westbound, Olympia encountered the Unknown Soldier in 1921 as a memorial for the thousands remnants of “Hurricane #5” and “Hurricane #6,” also of American families known as the Tampa who lost loved ones Bay hurricane of in World War I and 1921. Both storms whose remains were crossed Florida never identified. within a week of Though American each other and participation in the continued tracking war was shorter than into the North the other Allied Atlantic in Olympia’s powers, the cost in direction. These casualties was severe. combined storms There were 116,708 subjected those on recorded American the journey to 20- to deaths, 3,350 of 30-foot waves for them missing or nearly two-thirds unidentified. of the Atlantic The year 2021 crossing. marks the centennial Cross-waves anniversary of the sporadically American World colliding with the War I Unknown ship’s sides were Soldier’s transporthe biggest threat The Unknown Soldier being brought aboard Olympia at Le Harve, France on tation home from to Olympia because October 25, 1921. France. Some people they could easily know the story of how he was selected and buried at capsize her or cause the loss of the Unknown Soldier. Arlington. But most are not aware of his perilous journey Frederick A. Landry of the Marine Guard reported the aboard Olympia as she made her way across the Atlantic ship rolled 39 degrees at one point, a mere 10 degrees away Ocean. from being lost. He noted even the ship’s cook specuOlympia (CL 15) left Le Havre, France, on October lated how close Olympia would come to capsizing on the 25, 1921. The ship’s crew included a Marine detachment next roll. The Marines guarding the transport case lashed detailed to guard the Unknown Soldier during his journey. themselves to the ship to keep from being swept overboard. Sailors placed the casket containing the Unknown Soldier’s As Erskine later recalled: remains within a larger transport container to protect it We lashed the fellow down with everything that we over the transit. The crew could not, however, move the could tie on him. Many times the waves would go up the case below deck without disturbing the remains inside bridge . . . and in the wardroom, we had at least four inches because of size restrictions imposed by Olympia’s doorways and hatches. This meant the remains had to be stowed Continued on page 6 Pull Together • Fall 2021
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