Personal Narrative 3D Object Manuscript/Mixed Material Photo, Print, Drawing Lucius Byron Nash Collection

Lucius Nash aboard the USS Roanoke [1918]

Veterans History Project Service Summary:

War or Conflict: World War, 1914-1918
Branch of Service: Navy
Unit of Service: USS Salem (CL 3); USS Roanoke
Location of Service: Scotland; Atlantic Ocean
Highest Rank: Lieutenant Junior Grade
Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/48229

"The laying of this barrage has been the biggest thing the Navy has done, and the only offensive operation." (Letter to Parents, 11/19/1918)

A Lieutenant Junior Grade in the Navy, Lucius Byron Nash served aboard the USS Roanoke, a minelayer responsible for distributing mines across the North Sea to deter German U-boats from attacking the Atlantic shipping lanes. As he describes in his letters home, it was often a dirty, grueling job, demanding twelve-hour shifts spent on deck in the pouring rain. Luckily, he was able to break the monotony by taking shore leave in London and Scotland. His correspondence, along with the accompanying photographs of the Roanoke loaded with mines, offers a peek into the role of the Navy in World War I, an often-verlooked aspect of the war.