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Kenneth Dole to Bob and Mom

1945-09-20

To: Bob & Mom 1945_9_20 From: Kenney [4 page letter] Date: 9-20-1945 Phillipines [sic]- 9-20-45 Cebu. Cebu Dear Bob & Mom: Haven’t heard from you for a few days, but I know as I told you in my last letter that the mail is very slow due to the invasion and occupation of Japan. They still haven’t sent any of our boys home since my last letter and there are no rumors about any of them going very soon, I do hope that they get something started in the very near future, as it just means the sooner I can expect to go home, so you can understand my sincere interest in these older men and men with more time overseas and points than myself, compared to the rest of the boys here in this Detachment I am the rookie believe it or not so it puts me on the bottom of the list. =Page-2= I do hope that Bob is very soon able to go home so he can get bak [sic] some of that weight that he has lost, I would like to give him a little of mine. I weighed 196 last week and am afraid I will see 200 before too long I guess it is a change in my life I am now 21 and I may not be a little boy as I used to be I am -6’2” tall you can imagine why I weigh what I do, I don’t know what I weighed when I spent that long-long furlough at home in Nov. 22-43 but I think it was 178# [sic] so you can guess what I look like now anyway- and as dark as a New Guiena [sic] Native from taking Atabrive [sic], a deep yellow in color but of course I will loose that color on the way home I hope. Haven’t heard any more about Larry & Gloria and I do hope he doesn’t have to come over here and sweat out any time as it is senseless anyway =Page 3= Speaking for myself and the rest of the boy [sic] here some of our congressmen and beloved senators had better get on the ball or when and if we ever do get home notes will be a think of the past and I think you will agree with me. This is an example of how they do things, we has a part of 12 congressmen arrive here in Cebu last week and they were to go around to the G.I. and get first hand information and our opinions on demobilization and just what we thought of the present setup- well as usual the General had a big part and a bull session with all of them and then they went home and not one G.I. was ever asked just what he thought because the congressmen were afraid to hear the truth, so if you read in the paper at home how they got a G.I. opinion on some big deal for demobilization or to tell you a lot of lies to get =Page 4= your notes you can just get yourself a big laugh the same as we do over here. I don’t like to complain but it looks pretty bad when they don’t seem to give a damn about us now that they war is over. As I say I should not complain as I am single and only 21 and very little time over here but I really feel sory [sic] for some of these boys with 40 mo. over here and married with a family and a baby boy or girl that they haven’t even seen for almost 4 years [sic] Well I guess I had better close for now I hope that I haven’t bored you too much but I just can’t help saying something because it is the way I feel. Please don’t worry about me as I am feeling just fine and getting along OK. So Long For Now. Love Kenney

np_1945_9_20

Robert and Elizabeth Dole Archive and Special Collections

Nancy [Dole] Poche Collection (Old Finding Aid - For Reference Only), 1938-1963 [information restricted]