January 7, 1912: After being at sea for just over a month, the U.S. Army Transport Ship Logan arrives at Manila in the Philippine Islands. Private David Nemetzky, along with numbers of other military personnel assigned to the Hospital Corps, Infantry, and other Army regiments, are aboard. In five days, The Logan will set sail to the port at Chinwangtao, China, where these soldiers will be assigned to Tientsin, China to begin their assigned foreign tour of service. For Private Nemetzky, this transfer has been a long time coming. Following five years and nine months of his previous military service (from January of 1904 to September of 1909), he took some time to go back to New York to be with family and pursue a shirt manufacturing business venture with his brother.
On March 30, 1911, he re-enlisted in the Army, and was assigned directly to the Hospital Corps. After spending much of 1911 at Fort Wadsworth on Staten Island, New York (he also spent part of 1909 assigned there as a member of the Hospital Corps as well), transfer to foreign service was an exciting change. His orders came through in November, and on December 5, 1911, the Logan set sail from San Francisco, California, bound for the Philippine Islands.
Upon arrival in Manila, the men disembarked and reported to their stations, where they would be attached for a few days before continuing their voyage to China. For Private Nemetzky and the other Hospital Corps personnel, they would report to the Division Hospital in Manila. As a temporary detachment, there wasn't much to do, except take in the new foreign flavor of Manila. On the 11th of January, orders were given for the soldiers who were to depart to report back to the Logan and board. They all did so that evening at 6:30, but knowing the ship wouldn't sail until the next day, many stowed their gear and headed back to town to get one last entertaining evening before heading out to their assignment.
As there appeared to be no direct orders to remain on the ship following boarding, (in addition to there being no assigned duty to tend to), Private Nemetzky did the same. He conferred with one of the sentries at the gang plank, who stated that to his knowledge, there was no order to remain on the ship and that he could leave. He, along with many others from his detachment, went to downtown Manila to enjoy themselves for one last night before heading to China. He stayed the night at the Division Hospital and returned around eight the next morning and heard that the ship wouldn't leave until five o'clock that afternoon. He continued to check back during the morning and in the afternoon...until it was too late.
The ship embarked at 2:30 that afternoon. He arrived back at the dock at nearly three o'clock to find that the ship had already left. He met a dock employee and offered to pay him $25 to get a launch or tug boat to catch up with the Logan so that he could catch the ship. Unfortunately, the ship was too far out by that time. Had he arrived at the dock 10 or 15 minutes earlier, he could have done so, as there was another soldier who had missed the ship and was lucky enough to hire a small launch to get him aboard. As it was, Private Nemetzky was left behind, his gear on its way to China without him.
To be fair, there was no clear communication as to when the ship would depart. The times of departure of the Logan were changed, and even the newspapers that published the times of arrival and departure gave conflicting statements. Despite his own best efforts to be early to the launch, he missed the boat due to a lack of clear communication and relying on hearsay of those whom he was acquainted with, as well as believing that since he didn't see anyone he knew on the ship when he checked back during the morning of January 12th, he assumed that others he knew were still back in town enjoying themselves.
He wasn't alone in this predicament. There were several soldiers assigned to the 15th Infantry who had also missed the ship. No doubt they would also face charges of going AWOL, as he would soon face as well. As he had missed the boat, and had nowhere else to go, he reported back to the Division Hospital. He explained that he had tried to hire a launch boat to catch up with the transport, but was unable to do so. He later learned that the Logan was scheduled to leave at 12 noon, and that if he had stayed aboard when he first arrived on the morning of the 12th, he would have sailed to China with the rest of his detachment.
Following this failure to remain on board, he was charged with AWOL, placed under arrest and confined to the Division Hospital. He was tried by General Court Martial on March 18, 1912. At the court martial, Private Nemetzky was asked how long he had served in the Army. At this point, he had served for seven years. His two previous discharges (in 1908 and 1909) he was discharged with 'Excellent' character. His first discharge in 1907, he was given a 'Good' character due to his previous court martial in 1904. He was asked why he hadn't followed through with the order to board the Logan and remain either on board or remain in the vicinity. He explained that he checked with the sentries, he talked with others (those whom he did not directly report to), he saw other solders he knew leaving and spending the evening in town, and that he checked back and was told the transport wouldn't leave until later in the day on the 12th.
He was found guilty of AWOL. He was sentenced to four months of hard labor and a $10 reduction in pay. The reviewing authority, noting the circumstances of this case, reduced the sentence to two month and $10 reduction in pay. He served his sentence at Cuartel de Espana in Manila. Following completion of his sentence, he was given orders to take the next available transport to China, which he did. He arrived in China on June 20, 1912 and was stationed at the Army Hospital in Tientsin, China. He served there until January of 1914, when he was transferred back to Manila with orders to return to the United States for discharge. He returned to the United States on March 16, 1914, and was discharged on March 24, 1914, with 'Excellent' Character and Service 'Honest and Faithful'.
He would later return to China in March of 1924, again by way of Manila. This time, however, there was no going AWOL, no missing the boat, no being casual about knowing the time of departure. Also, by this time (1924) he was a Staff Sergeant, so any court martial would mean a reduction in rank, something I don't think he would want to have happen. His second tour in China would last until October of 1925, when he was assigned back to the States. 1924-1925 would be his last tour of foreign duty in the Army.
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