coastie Posted August 5, 2007 Share #1 Posted August 5, 2007 This picture has been in the family for a 100 years, this was taken sometime between 1905-07. My Great Great Uncle David Grabil was a crew member of the USS Mayflower (PY-1) somewhere around that time. The reason I have been looking for it is that I had it in my possession, sent it to my parents for safe keeping where it subsequently mas mis-placed. Over the next 20 years I've look around for this picture with no luck. While I was home on my last day I went up in the attic one more time and started going through stuff again. This time I saw a box that didn't look familiar and looked through it. This box had more family pictures including the one of the CCC group picture. At the bottom was this one. I am so relieved because I think this one is of a historical significance since it is the a crew picture of the presidental yacht. Now if I can only get the names of the crew it would be fabulous. Now have you noticed the "drama" going on in the picture? Notice the glaring look the Petty Officer is giving someone? I suspect it's the big dude with the handle bar moustache, it looks like he just made a rude comment like "Well, *&$# Get on with it " Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Baker Posted August 5, 2007 Share #2 Posted August 5, 2007 Great photo Chief. It was pretty cool seeing it in person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee Ragan Posted August 6, 2007 Share #3 Posted August 6, 2007 What I find interesting is all the different rolls & creases in those Dixie Cup sailor caps. I agree, the old 1st Class looks like he wants to open a big can-o-whup-rump on somebody! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coastie Posted August 7, 2007 Author Share #4 Posted August 7, 2007 What I find interesting is all the different rolls & creases in those Dixie Cup sailor caps.I agree, the old 1st Class looks like he wants to open a big can-o-whup-rump on somebody! Kind of makes you wonder why the Marine is standing in the background (Don't let these swabbies get to close to the President!) Brings up some questions: I know the Navy had quite a few Patrol Boats in service but did they also carry a Marine detachment? Or was it only because this is the President's yacht? Were the Marines on board only when the President was on board? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassiopia Posted November 20, 2008 Share #5 Posted November 20, 2008 Hi! My grandfather also served on the Mayflower during the time of the photo, during the terms of Teddy Roosevelt and also William Howard Taft. My grandfather joined the Navy in 1905 and somehow was assigned to the presidential yacht. He said (in later years) that he didn't know how he won the special duty being what he called "still a boot sailor" but he didn't complain...of course he has been gone for decades now. He's not in the photo, btw - I checked of course <g> Speaking of the photo, what good quality!! Thanks for sharing. I had somehow come across this post looking for info on the Mayflower and wanted to chime in that my grandfather probably served with your great-great uncle also! Best Wishes, Cass Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coastie Posted November 21, 2008 Author Share #6 Posted November 21, 2008 Hi! My grandfather also served on the Mayflower during the time of the photo, during the terms of Teddy Roosevelt and also William Howard Taft. My grandfather joined the Navy in 1905 and somehow was assigned to the presidential yacht. He said (in later years) that he didn't know how he won the special duty being what he called "still a boot sailor" but he didn't complain...of course he has been gone for decades now. He's not in the photo, btw - I checked of course <g> Speaking of the photo, what good quality!! Thanks for sharing. I had somehow come across this post looking for info on the Mayflower and wanted to chime in that my grandfather probably served with your great-great uncle also! Best Wishes, Cass Cass this is cool, haven't run across anyone else that had family on board. I'm not sure of when David Grabill was on the Mayflower, but may have been between 1905 - 07 afterwards he was transferred to the Tennesee during the Jamestwown Celebration and maybe some other ship later. Evidence from old post cards from exotic locations (Sydney, Monrovia, Lima Peru) suggests he was. I just recently found his death certificate online and he died of tuberculosis which he probably got in the Navy. Bot his youngest sister died of it too, I'll have to compare dates one may have got it from the other. About the picture: I was so relieved that I did find it and it had been preserved so well. Soom I'm going to have it professionly framed with proper paer/glass and such. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassiopia Posted November 25, 2008 Share #7 Posted November 25, 2008 Coastie, From the info I have (which I think is accurate in this case) my grandfather was on the Mayflower from sometime in 1905 and served on it for four years. Then he was transferred to the USS Castine. He was on the Castine in San Domingo (which I think is present day Haiti?) during the hurricane that severely damaged the Memphis and killed many crewmen. That was in 1915 I think. (Not that that has anything to do with the Mayflower, sorry just rambling - lol) It's kind of interesting that while on the Mayflower, he began a great, lifelong, admiration for Pres. Teddy Roosevelt and on the other hand was not a fan of Pres. Taft, who he said was distant and seldom recognized the crew (as opposed to Roosevelt who according to my granddad "would just as soon stop and talk to a seaman as he would an officer." ) I'm betting your gr-great uncle probably liked Pres. Roosevelt too...it sounds like he was a popular commander-in-chief. I'm glad you are going to get that photo professionally framed and all to preserve - it really is so good, very clear. Nice to talk to you :-) Cass PS: do you happen to know how many crew were on the Mayflower during those years? Just curious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cassiopia Posted November 25, 2008 Share #8 Posted November 25, 2008 Oh and PPS: My granddad was in his mid-90's when he passed away and very sharp, so that's how I knew him - it's amazing to me now that I actually knew and talked with someone that was born in the 1800's!!!! Cass Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coastie Posted November 26, 2008 Author Share #9 Posted November 26, 2008 Oh and PPS: My granddad was in his mid-90's when he passed away and very sharp, so that's how I knew him - it's amazing to me now that I actually knew and talked with someone that was born in the 1800's!!!!Cass That's is great. I didn't know about "Uncle David" until after everyone in the family who may have known about him were gone. It wasn't until after my grandmother had died and found a qazillion pictures of people and things I had no clue about. My dad knew very little as well, just his mom and grandmother. The other thing I was too young and self centered to be concerned about anything other than myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coastie Posted November 26, 2008 Author Share #10 Posted November 26, 2008 Coastie, From the info I have (which I think is accurate in this case) my grandfather was on the Mayflower from sometime in 1905 and served on it for four years. Then he was transferred to the USS Castine. He was on the Castine in San Domingo (which I think is present day Haiti?) during the hurricane that severely damaged the Memphis and killed many crewmen. That was in 1915 I think. (Not that that has anything to do with the Mayflower, sorry just rambling - lol) Cass PS: do you happen to know how many crew were on the Mayflower during those years? Just curious. Curious about the Memphis it was formerly the USS Tennesee (which my uncle was also on). I haven't found a lot about the inner workings of the Mayflower, everything about it just talks about what President was on it, nothing about crewor life aboard. Theres got to be more pictures around in some archive that's considered to mundane because there wasn't a high panjandrum in the picture. On a side note: My sister-in-law's father was commanding officer of the Sequoia another Presidential yacht during Nixon era (I think). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FightenIrish35 Posted November 26, 2008 Share #11 Posted November 26, 2008 wow what an awesome piece of your family history..thanks for showing it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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