Kenneth Dole to Folks | Robert and Elizabeth Dole Archive and Special Collections

Kenneth Dole to Folks

1945-11-01

To: Folks 1945_11_1 From: Kenney [4 page letter] Date: 11-1-1945 Phillipines [sic] Cebu, Cebu Nov-1, 45 Dear Folk’s: Have a few minutes so I thought I would drop you a few more lines to let you know that I am feeling just fine and getting along OK. hoping this finds you the same As for the news from here there is very little except that this Base has been officially closed ‘Base S’ and is now a sub. base of Base K. (Leyete) and as for me I don’t know what they will do with the personell [sic] here I know what they will not send us home and it =Page 2= Is very doubtful that they will send us to Japan as they have too many troops ther [sic] now so we are all just waiting for some order to come out so we will know what they plan to do with us here. Now that this base is closed ther [sic] is no need for men here, as there is hardly a thing to do except eat and sleep and work about 2 hours a day and Manila is so crowded it takes an hour to walk a block, just like Russell or Saturday Night only in Manila it is 24 hrs. a day and 7 days a week. =Page 3= I got a letter from one of the fellows who started home from here last Sept. and I was very shocked to hear that he is still in Leyete waiting on a boat to take him home he now has 44 mo. over here and he said that there are 8,000 ahead of him and besides these 15.000 more are all waiting on a boat to take them home, Leyete is only 71 miles from here and yesterday; a Navy ship (troop ship) left Base S for the states with 300 marry men, they had room for 2500 more men =Page 4= yet they left with only 300 mary [sic] boys who have been over here almost 14 mo.- I can’t understand why the Navy can send men home with 14 mo. and the Army has boys with 40 mo. and some over who at still waiting for a boat. I surely feel sorry for those boys at Leyete who have been over here for so long and have had nothing but a phoney [sic] promis [sic] from the Army about going home. Well I guess I has better close for now and get some sleep. So Long for Now and give my regards to all. Love Kenney

np_1945_11_1

Robert and Elizabeth Dole Archive and Special Collections

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