July 6, 1945

Wednesday

Two days after the Fourth of July, Kenneth Cline wrote his last letter from England. That letter was to his wife. It said that he had been told that they are leaving in the morning.

No one alive today knows when he arrived home. It is believed, though, that he made it home in time for the birth of his son at the end of the month.

Notes & Commentary

And so, like Wayne, Ken goes home to the love and embrace of his family. Like Wayne, he also returns to the sorrow of lost friends and family members who have been killed. As we are so often reminded, the war touched everyone no matter where they lived or who they were. No one escaped.

I wonder if in the dark hours some didn’t remember a few lines from a strange poem written after another great conflagration. Did verses from The Hollow Men wander occasionally through their minds: http://allpoetry.com/The-Hollow-Men?

. . . . . for those who follow Wayne’s Journal, there will be nothing more until 02 August.

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10 Responses to July 6, 1945

  1. jfwknifton says:

    Best news I’ve had so far today. Hopefully, Wayne lived to be a hundred!

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  2. J Hooper says:

    After all these months, I will miss the updates. Thank you for taking the time to post the letters. Also, a special word of appreciation for all the hours you dedicated to writing footnotes and adding context to the letters. That effort added immeasurably to my appreciation of the wartime experiences of these men. I hope this collection will be available for many years. Well done Mr. Gray.

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  3. Allen, well done! The war is over and now begins the processing. I hope Ken and Wayne live happily ever after, more or less. Thanks for sharing your families history. I learned a lot!

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  4. Good news at last. I guess the suffering goes on however, even though the war is over. Like so many their pain carries on for many, many years. It’s been fascinating to follow thanks so much.

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  5. Sandy Barnes says:

    Allen, I have really enjoyed your posts; what a great project. A book, to be sure! Sandy

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  6. suchled says:

    I will be waiting on August 2.

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  7. Mustang.Koji says:

    You describe well the war’s effects on all. The darkness of night would be a time of suppressed memories or of anger bursting forth. I feel great compassion for these people.

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