"I'd get a shell, they weighed about 80 pounds I think, but when I was 19 or 20 that was nothing. I'd take a shell and a bag of powder, I'd put it in the hoist and then I would send it up to the gun"

Barney Ross was a World War I veteran who served in the United States Navy. In this quote, he is describing his experience as a gunner's mate. He was accountable for filling and shooting the big guns on the ship. He would take a shell, which weighed around 80 pounds, and a bag of powder, and load them into the hoist. The hoist was a mechanical device that would raise the shell and powder up to the weapon. Despite the weight of the shell, Ross was only 19 or 20 years old at the time and had the ability to handle the task with ease. This quote shows the strength and determination of Ross and the other boys who served in the Navy during World War I.