My father wrote the following letter to Ma (Ethel Simmons, his mother-in-law) from California:
Dear 'Mom':
I was lucky enough to get to spend New Years day on the west Range in Camp Irwin. We have been on a 5 day problem all this last week and I wasn't able to get a pass this week.
I got my refund on those railroad tickets that we didn't use coming back out here. We got $55 back out of them.
Irene has quit working in the afternoons. She is just working at nights like she did at first. That is plenty of work for her to do too, I think.
Clifford Corbett is out here at San Diego now. I hope I'll get to see him next week. Have you heard any more from Homer here lately? Irene said she wrote to Owen the other day.
Things have been quite a bit better since I got my T corporal rating. I don't think I'll try to get a transfer to the air corps just yet. Irene doesn't want me to anyhow. So I think I'll stick where I am for a while.
Love
Kenny
My father went overseas in June 1944 and wrote the following letter to Dad His Father-in-law)from England:
To: Ray F. Simmons 7-15-44
Wed night July 12, 1944 England
Dear Dad,
There is 3000 miles of water between me and the good old U.S. tonight. Well after all I guess this is why I was inducted into the army in the first place. The stay in the States was just the preliminary steps in getting ready to do the job I'm supposed to do to help get this thing over. It makes my induction and training more justifiable at any rate.
England is a nice looking country far as I've seen. There is a lot of people living on this little island and they sure don't waste a square inch of ground. But one thing that impressed me is the cleanness and well kept appearance of the towns, homes and crops. How they manage to keep the place in such good shape is a mystery to me.
I'm getting plenty to eat and I'm feeling fine. How is Irene's morale by this time? There certainly isn't any use for her or anyone else to worry about me at all.
Next time you see Irene tell her I said I'll be back. Don't think for a minute you can get rid of me that easy.
Seriously though I'm certainly not worried about my own safety so why should any one else be?
Ray that oceon trip made me glad I became a soldier instead of a sailor. I didn't get sick but I had a headache nearly all the time. I guess Homer thinks nothing about getting seasick anymore. I guess a guy could get used to the water but as for me: I'm a Landlubber.
Have you heard from Owen lately? Is Forest still working at Crane? Write and tell me all the news.
Well so long for this time. Give my love to Irene.
Your son,
Kenny
My father was killed in action on December 19, 1944. My mother received the following letter from Belgium:
BERLAAR. 4-7-45.
Honourable Lady:
We are two boy's from village Berlaar; in the province Antwerpen; (BELGIUM)
We have for the first time esteemed your husband; KENNETH; in an cold November evening 1944.
Since that evening are we very good friends, but have been sick and me other friend speak not any english and we have not see back; your husband KENNETH.
Now want we ask you, that you so good want be are, any news too send and his military address. KENNETH have say my (henri) it, from the litle baby, how is his name? and how are you altogether? we hope for the best and thank you very well.
Your frends of Belgium;
Henri Keersmaekers Pastory Street No. 38
and
Andre Boeckstaens. Legrelle street No. 94
Berlaar (Bij Lier) Pro. Antwerpen, BELGIUM.
Mother wrote to the boy that Kenneth had been killed. She received another letter that Fall.
Berlaar 25-8-45
Honourable Lady
I received your letter wednesday twenty two Aug 45. I am very unhappy with it news but I hope for the best. I am directly go to look after something about Kenneth and it is today the third day. By the farmer where Kenneth buy some eggs and milk tokd they me that one of the boys of Kenneth had been back again about one month after it start of Kenneth out 'Gestel' near 'Berlaar' about 8 or 10 Nov 44. The boy said that a buzzbomb hit a tractor and that the boys of it tractor are be killed but he don't speak from Kenneth. the place of it was near 'Verviers,' Provence Luik, Belgium. You write in your letter that a boy Kenneth has hurried to a hospital but you don't know the names.
I do what I can but it is very difficult because I don't know the names and also it military address of Kenneth.
I send you two photo's from november 44, they are no very good but it is all what I have from Kenneth.
You write he was the best man of all the world, I know, I stay sometime with Kenneth in his tractor when it was very cold and dark outside. then told he me of you and the Baby, then stay Kenneth beside me in Belgium but his heart was in Indiana, and there was a dream in his eyes and I said nothing in the holy silence.
Kenneth was a good boy, after it die of me mother, when I was eleven year and now nineteen, I said never so much as to Kenneth, he was for me the best friend of all the world.
I make some boards for Kenneth with 'no entry' in the Dutch language and washing his clothes and Kenneth give me any meat and soup, because we had nothing that time.
Now is all broken but we never forget Kenneth and I pray for him.
I hope to hear soon anyh news from you.
God bless Kenneth and you and Keith
of friend of Belgium; Henri Keersmaekers
My father was a special kind of person to make friendships like that even in the face of most difficult circumstances. The reality and depth of that friendship was really shown by another letter received 39 years later from Henri.
Written to: REGISTER OFFICE French Lick, INDIANA U.S.A.
Henri Keersmaekers
Herfststraat 18, 2590 Berlaar, Belgium Berlaar 24.09.94
Dear Sir,
Please excuse me to trouble You with the request for any attentiion in the following matter.
For a moment I write 'December 1944, Provence Antwerp, Belgium, we are waiting for Christmass and for the end of the war, but there are still fly-bombs, the weather is cold, gray and cloudy, there are also the U.S. soldiers and one is my Friend; Kenneth Howard.
On a certain morning, all the soldiers are gone, to the Ardennes, to the German offensive.
After the war, I received a letter from Mrs Irene Howard saying that Kenneth was killed near Liege (Andennes).
Later, when it was possible to buy a car, I was ll the U.S. cemeteries, in Belgium and Luxemburg to find Kenneths grave, several years later, when the wall of missing soldiers was ready, but Kenneth was not here, however, I never forgot, every winter I go to the Ardennes, to Bastogne. . . to remember, this year at 6.06.84 I was at Utah-beach, Normandy, together with Your President, Pres. Mitterand, the Queen of England, the Belgium King, but mor to me, the Veterans and one said to me 'Maybe your friends body is repatriated, together with many others that time, and perhaps Mrs. Irene Howard thought you forgotten Kenneth and she did not let you know.
So, therefore this letter, to obtain (if possible) some informations concerning Mrs. Irene Howard or the Son Keith Bernell Howard, maybe an address or send Them this letter, so that I hope, know Kenneths grave at last.
Again, excuse me Sir, and however; Thank you very much.
Yours Faithfully
Henri F. Keersmaekers
Address: 6 Aug 1945
Mrs Irene HOWARD 230 Adams Street, French Lick, Indiana
The boy's name: Keith Burnell HOWARD
I answered this letter and sent him a picture of my family and my father's grave. I received another letter written 9 December 1984.
Keersmaekers H Herfststraat 18 2590 BERLAAR
To Mr Keith B. Howard434 Vine St. French Lick, IN USA
SUNDAY 9/12/84
Dear Keith and Family
I received your letter and photos when I was in hospital after a heart attack and breathing difficulties, so it was not possible to answer immediately, now I'm home again and try to write an understandable letter, over here we sepeak FLEMISH and I'm sorry for the faults in my letter.
I've read your letter for my wife Josephine and my Brother Rene, They were always with me at the cemetaries etc. Yes, we knew about the trucks with dead soldiers passing our village to the Antwerp docks but a letter from America battle monuments Commission at Paris put us on a wrong track. They write in 1955 - When Kenneth Howard was not buried at the cemetary in Belgium, maybe he is a missing soldier and his name will be engraved on the wall nearest the place of his death 'and it may be several years before this is done.' signed G.M. Verhust Major ASAF. However it is over now, the uncertainty is gone and we are very, very thankful, for your letter and photos and I hope you, and also your mother and your Stepfather Paul don't see me as an intruder or a disturber of the peace after 40 years. I know it is difficult, also for the Youth here, to imagine a 4 year German occupation, it is our duty 'TO REMEMBER.'
Well, You ask about myself, my father and his brother were contractors, in 1914, 1st war, father and mother refuged to England, two of my three sisters are born in Liverpool, England. At 1918 they came back from England. Father worked now at Aritoery, 25 Km from our village 'Berlaar.' (10,000 Inhab.) I'm born here at 24-7-1926, school for archit, draftsman.
We lost our Mother when my brother was 6 and I was 13 year, a married sister did the housekeeping.
So May 1940 - W War II, Father, two married sister, my brother and I refuged (by bicycle) to south of France, (it was too late for England). We came back in autumn 1940 to Belgium...and the Germans. I was only 16 1/2 when I cut German H. tension cables etc. etc. so I was an 'separatist armed resistor' with 2 medals and commendations at wars end.
MORE IN DETAIL: Begin Dec 1944 it is cold and gray, and a German fly bomb, dir. Antwerp, USA guns try to destroy them. In the morning I've met a USA officer, he asked me to tell the civilians to go away from the guns and I promise him to make some plates 'NO ENTRY' in Flemish.
In the late afternoon I was with a comrade at the river bridge - about 3 Km from home, on the way back 100-200m from the bridge is a little wood, there are USA trucks and tractors along the country road, my comrade and I smoke a cigarette with a soldier, after a while he said, wait here I come back. In the mean time it is nearly dark, there is a soldier about 2 meter in front of us, a machine gun on his souldier, he asked 'what are you doing here' I said waiting for your friend, 'what friend', I made away from the truck, is it a second? The barrel of the machine gun is now right and close to my breast... I don't move... and we talk. I tell him about the officer which I met in the morning about the plates 'NO ENTRY' in Flemish, and he tell us about special attention for German para's - saboteurs, the gun moved back to his shoulder... good night.
The next morning I give the soldier the two plates and he give me some cigaretts, I ask him, last night you nearly killed me because you held me for a spy, he didn't understand me because I pronounced the 'spy' as 'spe', I try to explain what a spy is, at last... he moved his head a little backwards, I don't know the morning sun in Indiana but now she was in his eyes, and there was warmth and joy in his laugh... at last we both friends... every free evening I was with him in his tractor, he show me photos, told me about his wife and about you, some people are strangers even after 50 years, he let me have look into his heart and I could feel he was happy, with you and now also with me as a friend, and so was I.
On a cold Sunday morning my Father came back, he had been seeking at a farmer some milk for my sick brother, he said 'all the soldiers are gone' ... no news from Kenneth, Aug 45, your Mother letter ... Kenneth was dead. My comrade from here was gone to England and married an English girl. I liked to go away from Belgium, to USA, but there is so many, join the palestine police force, but it is only for British. My Father liked me as an employee and so it was. but study again for automobile engineer, after we married, I was 24 now, I was a manager and maintenance Diesel locomotive for the British army in Belgium, at the age of 40, I was garage-keeper and dealer of foreign cars. two years later I loss my Father and a sister too. Two years ago my son take over the garage and I do now the paperwork. My Brother's house is at the other side of a open field on +/- 150m. He and an older sister of me are very close family.
Well that's about all, If you like to answer, or ask me any questions, or something interesting for the children, I'll like that, and if you do, please tell me about your religion? We don't have Preachers doing some other work, and how is your vision of today's world?
So, your mother write, even as 40 y. ago at the end of her letter, 'a friend' well it's nice to have a friend at the other end of the world, so please let me call you too, Dear Friends, all the best to all of you.
God bless you
Henri and family
See Page 3 for drawings Kenneth made during and after high school
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