Hello. My name is Luke. And I was in the Seagoing Cowboys program. This program will make you experience the oceans and go to places where you never been! I'll tell you a little story when I was in it.

I had a friend named Don. He and I were best friends. He invited me on this, trip, to go to Europe on a cattle-boat. I couldn't say no, it was an opportunity that was to exiting to miss.

So, it was 1945, the war was over in Europe and to help the countries that were shattered, we would recover their food, supplies, animals and much more. And there was this group called UNRRA. They hired "Seagoing Cowboys". So, we signed up.

We arrived August 14. That was the day that the Pacific war ended. We got on the SS Charles W. Wooster. It was headed to Greece. There were 335 horses and enough hay and oats to last the trip.

I had turned 18 before making it to Greece. I was discharged in 1947, and I had made 9 trips. And besides helping people, I had the chance to see Europe and China.

On my second trip, I served as a night watchman. My job was to check on all the animals. One stormy night, after making my hourly report to the captain. I slid off a ladder on my backside. My heart raced. I couldn't work after a couple of days because when I slid, I cracked my ribs.

I had some time to find some fun on board. We played baseball and volleyball games in the empty holds of where the animals were kept in after the trips. And some more games like table-tennis, fencing, boxing, reading, and whittling also helped me pass the time.

Being a Seagoing Cowboy was much more than an adventure for me. It opened up the world for me. It helped me understand. The rides can be fun, but the adventure can be better      