As the ships left the harbor and land faded from view, the ships assumed their convoy formation, troop ships in the middle and destroyers on the flank. For anyone who has never crossed the open sea in a troop ship, it is hard to imagine how crowded life on board is for the soldiers; close community living is the best way to describe this environment. Bunks were built in four high tiers with little or no head room. It was two weeks of extreme discomfort, with little desire to eat and sleeping a luxury under the existing conditions in the troop hold. It was very very close.

Showers were all taken using salt water. Toilets were makeshift and were not kept very clean. They consisted of long troughs with constant running water flowing through them. Once in a while, to relieve boredom and monotony, a soldier might light a wad of toilet paper and send it floating down the stream to an unsuspecting buddy sitting atop the trough. That generally brought howls of laughter and a singed rear end for the victim.

Eating on board ship was a varied event. For the General Brooke passengers, it was like a cruise ship. Three squares a day plus they had full freedom of the decks. The Monticello, on the other hand, presented a challenge for men getting their breath of fresh air. There were shifts of men allowed on deck, half on deck and half in the hold. Meal? Two stand up meals a day, jokingly, the men traveling on teh Monticello said that they were getting that lean and hungry look.