Introduction

Charles Smith Fowler was born in Minneapolis, Kansas, a town that had yet to become a town. His birth records were either lost or never recorded. His family later moved to Denver, Colorado, and, insofar as we know, he attended school until quitting at age sixteen. Charlie Fowler typifies the unsung citizen-hero of an America striding into the twentieth century with enthusiasm and gusto. Were it not for his caring heart and gifted pen, Charlie might well have passed unnoticed. But Charlie, unknowingly set a record, perhaps not one for the Guinness Book, but a notable one. His opening letter to beloved sister Clare describing recruit life and training in Teddy Roosevelt's new navy arguably stands as the longest and most articulate single personal exposition ever written by a U.S. sailor -- 206 pages of flawless script. Charlie's subsequent letters open for us his heart and feelings, while providing marvelous insights into navy life from the sailor's perspective.