Clarence Monroe Stuver

German Submarines near The Azores, Portugal

During World War I, 14,132 Missourians served in the navy. One of those sailors, Clarence Monroe Stuver, enlisted at Kansas City on October 8, 1917. At 24 years old, Stuver was sent to the Naval Training Station in Great Lakes, Illinois. Trained as a Fireman, he served on the U.S.S. Kearsarge and the U.S.S. Santa Luisa.

In the spring of 1918 from Boston, Stuver wrote about his experiences in letters to his family. On March 27, he reported about the outbreak of disease on a receiving ship. “These germs are one of the smallest kind of germs and the weakest their is that is any other kind of germ will whip them out, tonsilitis or any thing like that always gets rid of them. They are not dangerous to the person that has them for they lie dormant in the throat and they cannot be carried thru the air only when one person gets the direct breath of another. Their is only a very small per cent of the carriers that are not immune from the real disease. The place when they are found in the throat is under that little flapper that covers the opening of the nostrils into the throat.”

Letter from Stuver to Mamma, Papa, & all
dated March 27, 1918

In another letter dated May 12, he described being detailed to guard prisoners, “I guess I hadnt ought to kick for I have an easy place. my job is guarding the prisoners in the "Brig." jail it is called on the outside world. of course their is no work to that just keep eyes and ears open, and of course carry a percussion in case you need it.”

Coaling, U.S.S. Chattagnooga near The Azores, Portugal

The Stuver Collection also includes a letter from his brother, Thomas Henry Stuver, who joined the navy on April 24, 1918. Like Clarence, Thomas went to training at Great Lakes, Illinois, where he became an electrician and radioman. While waiting to begin his training, he described a church service on May 5, “We all went to church this a.m. There was about 3000 of them and the Detention Band of 40 pieces. The Chaplain preached and he sure is a good talker. The service was held in a ravine - in other words a natural Ampitheater. Was first a large ditch with seats made in the banks on either side and the band and platform was in the bottom. Was a fine place overfor an outdoor meeting. Sunday school was held in the outdoor Y.M.C.A.” 

A few postcards complete the Stuver Collection which is held by the National World War I Museum in Kansas City and has been digitized by Missouri Over There staff.

Sources:

Soldiers’ Records: War of 1812---World War I, http://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/soldiers/, accessed October 2, 2014.

Stuver, Clarence M. Collection, 1917-1918. 2012.93. National World War I Museum, Kansas City, Missouri.