July 1, 1952
My Dearest Rosalie
Didn’t get a chance to write on the train as we traveled at night. I’m up at Yongdongpo
now, just waiting to go to Camp Casey. We’re supposed to get a week of basic training up there. All incoming replacements get that, and we’re classified as incoming replacements. So we’ve got to take that training.
We’ve
got all new equipment now, new guns, boots everything. We also got all our equipment yet back at camp so now we’ve got a double issue of everything. We’ll have to turn half of it in when we get back to E Company, so we just pick out
the best and turn the old stuff in.
They’ve been keeping us pretty busy, issuing us all that stuff.
We’re supposed to leave here sometime this morning. I’m all packed up just waiting for the word to go.
We didn’t get paid last month, so I’ll
have to wait until next month to get paid. Don’t make much difference as there isn’t much we can buy over here anyhow.
Just got the word to get ready to
move so I’ll close now.
All my Love
Ken
Miss Rosalie Nash
218 W Grand River
East Lansing, Michigan
2 July 1952
Camp Casey
My Dearest Rosalie
I’m down here at Camp Casey now just goofing off. We was told we were supposed to train here, but all we’re doing is killing time. Loaf all day, it’s really pretty nice. I’ll be here til the seventh of July then rejoin
the company. I don’t know where they are now, but I’ll find out in a week or so.
Went swimming for a while this afternoon. There’s a stream
running by the camp so the engineers built a damn and made a pond, so we got a swimming pool. Went for a two hour hike this morning. Soon as we got out of sight of camp, we stopped and slept for a couple of hours.
I’m on guard tonight just corporal of the guard tho. All I gotta do is take the guys out to their posts, then go to bed. Really isn’t a bad job at all.
Didn’t rain at all today, was real hot out instead. So I’m real glad we don’t have to do any work.
Our mail is all goofed up again. We won’t
get any til at least when we go back to the company. There’s about five other boys down here from Easy Company. It’s time for chow so I’ll finish right after chow.
Just got thru with chow and it was just another army meal. Wasn’t worth two cents.
There isn’t any more news so I’ll close for now. Goodbye
for now Sweetheart
I’m sending you
All my Love
Ken
Mr. and Mrs. Otto Zill
1713 Maryfield
Ann Arbor, Michigan
2 July 1952
Camp Casey
Dear Mom and Dad
I’m at Camp Casey now, this is where all the replacements train for week before joining their units. I’ll be here for about a week then go back to E Company.
I don’t know where E Company is now, all we hear back here is rumors.
About all we’re doing back here is killing time, we’re supposed to try and get back
into condition. Got a swimming pool here, baseball fields and everything. We’re supposed to have sports all afternoon and in the mornings we’re supposed to have a two hour hike. We had one this morning, all we did was just walk
out of sight and sleep for a couple of hours. We’re right near Ui Yong Bo if you can find that on the map. Its north of Seoul somewhere.
It’s
still real hot here and it looks like it’s going to rain all the time.
The meals down here ain’t much good, not near as good as they was at Taegu.
We’re on noon hour now, just got thru with chow.
There isn’t any more time to write so I’ll close for now.
Love
Ken
2 July 1952
Wednesday 5:50 PM
Dear Rosalie:
Words again become stumbling blocks when I attempt to tell you
how happy I was to have your letter of June 23, which arrived this morning I know that we are all so very thankful to God, for having spared dear Ken, and now our constant prayer is for his speedy recovery. I wrote Ken this afternoon, but still
I wish I were able to be right at his side. However, Taegu is a great distance from here, and the only thing I can do is pray, and correspond with him. I have received two letters from him, since he was wounded and was most happy and relieved to get
them. Although I know for you and his family the happiness was even greater. As I wrote Ken, the events during the past two weeks showed us even more so, the “Living” examples of God’s love. Ken was wounded early in the battle
for the hill his company attempted to take, and that was a blessing in itself, since the battle became bloodier by the hour. This shows us how God in his love removed Ken from battle and spared him great harm.
Back again, after several interruptions one, taking a bath in the creek, which was also interrupted by incoming Chinese mortar and artillery. It’s just 7:00 pm and so to continue this letter. Your letter raised my morale considerably, and
I too look forward to the day of our reunion, and the return of the happy and blessed times we know too well. Looking forward to your and Ken’s marriage and the future years of friendship and happy days of the many things we share all do together.
I do so hope that Ken will not have to return to his company, and that he will rotate as soon as he has recovered. My rotation and that of several hundred others seem to
have been delayed, although nothing official on it yet so there is still hope. We’re on line again, Army reserve having been cancelled. How long we’ll be up here is unknown, but we wait upon the Lord trusting him always.
I know deep within our hearts, we long for home, our loved ones and beloved St. Paul’s. It will be 13 months tomorrow, since we left home. Oh, for the happy quiet and peaceful life again.
I have so many plans too, first an education, and well still look forward to marriage and a family. I guess Jo just wasn’t the girl, but I loved her every minute since I met her two years ago this Friday. However, God’s ways are best,
and I know He has other plans for me. I am happy and thankful to him for such devoted friends like you and Ken. It’s a most wonderful friendship, and may God bless it in years to come.
Thanks for Ken’s letter to his Mom and Dad. It makes me feel better to know all the details, too. Your continuation of noted advancements in school is to be complimented. I know Ken loves you for it, and everything else too. Yes,
Rosalie, we can certainly count our blessings, and our thanks will always be countless ones. “Praise God from whom all blessings flow.”
The days here are hot
and long ones, especially when so close to rotation. In the few remaining weeks here, we trust the Lord, and hear His gentle voice say “Fear not for they that be with us, are more than they that be with them.” Such comforting words
shall we put our faith and trust in.
It’s beginning to get late, and must write dear Mom yet. Have guard from 1 to 4 am. So will try and get a little shut
eye too.
Until later – god bless and Keep us all in His loving care
Love –
Brother
G. William
Mr. and Mrs. Otto Zill
1713 Maryfield
Ann Arbor, Michigan
4 July 1952
Dear Mom and Dad
I guess I’m
going back to the company this afternoon. I don’t know where they are now, but I’ll find out before too long. We’ll probably get there tomorrow sometime.
We were supposed to be here for six days, but the camp is moving back and they have to get rid of us.
It’s still real hot out yet, doesn’t seem to cool off any
except at night. At night you need a jacket if you go out for any length of time.
There five other guys here that are going back with me from E company. We had
a real nice camp here, swimming pool, ball fields and everything. It was real nice while it lasted.
We ought to have a lot of mail waiting for us back at the
company as we haven’t got any since we left the hospital at Taegu.
There isn’t any more news so I’ll close for now.
Love,
Ken
Mr. and Mrs. Otto Zill
1713 Maryfield
Ann Arbor, Michigan
4 July 1952
Dear Mom and Dad
Got back to the company
today and they wasn’t where I expected them to be. We’re up on line again. We were supposed to be relieved on the 2nd by another division, but at the last minute it was called off. Some of our rear companies had already
moved back and now had to come back. I don’t know when we’re going to be relieved now. It may be anytime now to the first of August. But I hope and pray its real soon.
They shut our Camp Casey down today, so I got my stay there cut down by three days. The other division took it over, so it may be soon that we’re relieved up here.
It’s kinda rainy out tonight it rained real hard just before dark but it hasn’t rained since.
Got some mail tonight, about eight letters, so I didn’t do
bad at all.
There isn’t any more news so I’ll close for now.
Love
Ken
Miss Rosalie Nash
235 Phillips Hall
Michigan State College
East Lansing, Michigan
Independence Day
July 4, 1952
Evening 7:00 pm
Dear
Rosalie,
Just a few lines tonight. All is quiet and peaceful, and has been for the past week, but I expect a little fireworks tonight from both sides. I know
we plan a “Duck Shoot” tonight in celebrating our Independence from the English one hundred and seventy six year ago. On this day, we also pause and give thanks for our many blessings, and honor those who have the paid the supreme
price for our liberty. Hope that by now, you have received more word from Ken. My daily prayer is for his recovery.
It’s been very hot here for the past
six weeks, but it looks like rain tonight.
I am enclosing the 45th Division news, which tells about our Regiment battle with the Reds last month. I had wanted
to send it in my letter to you the other day but had misplaced it.
You will read about Able and Easy companies, and several others. I know you will want to save it
for Ken.
Must go on guard now, so until later, that’s thirty from the Far East.
Love,
Gus
Miss Rosalie Nash
235 Phillips Hall
Michigan State College
East Lansing, Michigan
6 July 1952
My Dearest Rosalie
Got those pictures of you last night. They really are pretty nice, thanks so much for sending them.
You got a pretty good deal living there at Philips Hall. That
would be real swell having a real big room all to yourself.
I haven’t heard from Gus in a couple of weeks now, but I guess he’s O.K. He stays in back in
the rear now, he’s got a pretty soft job.
There isn’t much news right now. The morale here is about at rock bottom. We were promised reserve for a couple
of months, then they push us back here on the line.
Just got back from church, I feel a lot better now. My morale is still pretty low tho.
My legs are in pretty good shape now, only I’m still pretty weak. I’m not going on any patrols or anything for a few days, so that helps some. I don’t like the idea of sitting back when the rest of the guys go out tho, I’d
like to be there with them.
That’s about all the news there is now so I’ll close for now. This ain’t much of a letter, but I just can’t seem
to think of anything. I hope you understand.
All my love
Ken
Mr. and Mrs. Otto Zill
1713 Maryfield
Ann Arbor, Michigan
6 July 1952
Dear Mom and Dad
Not much news today.
I’m not up on line with the company as yet. I’ve got three days off. One of my wounds is acting up a little bit, so I’m staying back here in the rear for a little while. I’ll probably be okay in a couple of days.
If you want a set of dishes like the ones I sent home, let me know and I’ll get some for you. Before you didn’t sound too interested in having a set.
Saw Walt Koehler the other day. He graduated from HS with Art. We were just leaving camp Casey when his regiment arrived. I didn’t recognize him right away, in fact I walked right by him. Soon as I got past him I knew who he was.
He’s just over here from the States, only been here three or four months. He probably won’t be getting out of here til Feb. or March. It was really nice to see someone who just left Ann Arbor.
That’s about all I can think of now so I’ll close. Let me know about the dishes.
Love
Ken
Mr. and Mrs. Otto Zill
1713 Maryfield
Ann Arbor, Michigan
7 July 1952
Chorwon
Dear Mom and Dad
Found out today about Rich and Al’s trip. Everyone wrote and said something about it, but I never heard anything about it from you. The only thing I heard about it, is that they’re going to the West Coast.
I’ve been getting an awful lot of get well cards, must have a couple dozen by now. I don’t know how I’ll be able to answer all of them.
Why don’t
you cancel the paper as it takes a little over a month for it to get over here and within a month or so I hope to be on my way out of here. There isn’t much sense in having the paper come over here after I’m gone.
Went to the showers today, got all clean clothes. It sure was nice to take a shower and get all cleaned up. You sweat like a fish just sitting around and doing nothing.
Gus tried to call me last night, but couldn’t get a hold of me. Maybe he’ll call again tonight. I sure hope so.
My right leg is OK again, doesn’t
hurt at all, but my left one still hurts me when I walk. But the doctor says that that is normal. I got hit four places all together, one in the right calf, one in the seat of the pants and two in the left thigh. One in the thigh was worse,
had about a four inch tear in my leg. But is coming along as good as can be expected.
That’s about all the news there is now so I’ll close.
Love Ken.
Miss Rosalie Nash
235 Phillips Hall
Michigan State College
East Lansing, Michigan
8 July ‘52
Hi Sweetheart,
Not much news today, haven’t done anything since yesterday.
It’s still real hot here, the weather really makes you lazy, I don’t have any ambition
at all it seems like. It’s just too nice and hot of a day to be in Korea.
I’m getting real sun burned now as we’re running around without our shirts
a lot. My arms and neck are real bright red. Rather sore too, to say the least.
My leg is coming along OK but it still hurts when I walk. But I guess that is
just normal tho, the doctor said it would be sore for quite some time.
Our platoon is supposed to have a patrol tomorrow night, but if my leg don’t feel better, I don’t
think I’ll go. I have to stay here while the rest of the guys are out, but there isn’t any sense in going if I can’t keep up. We’re supposed to capture a prisoner, but we’ve been getting more than what they can handle
now, so why they need another one I don’t know.
There really isn’t any news so I’ll close for now.
Bye for now all my love,
Ken
Mr. and Mrs. Otto Zill
1713 Maryfield
Ann Arbor, Michigan
8 July ‘52
Dear Mom and Dad
Not much
news right now as we’re not doing anything. It’s still real hot out now. So we’re getting a good suntan right now.
My leg is still sore when
I walk, but it’s coming along pretty good now. It’s only hurts when I try to walk any distance.
Things have cooled off quite a bit up here. There’s
nowhere near the action there was last month. We’re real thankful for that.
There really isn’t much news so I’ll close for now.
Love
Ken
Miss Rosalie Nash
235 Phillips Hall
Michigan State College
East Lansing, Michigan
10 July
Hi Sweetheart
This is going to be short because I’m awful tired tonight. We were on an all-night patrol last night and was up all day working digging foxholes, so I’m really beat. Soon as I finish this I’m going to sack out for away.
Got two Spartans today. Thanks a lot for sending them. I really enjoy reading them.
I’m going to answer your sister’s letters soon as I get time.
We haven’t had hardly any free time since I’ve come back to the company.
We’re back in what they call “Blocking Position” now. That’s
where you sit about a mile behind the line in case of a break thru, or if they need a patrol or something like that. I’d rather be on line than back here.
I’ll
write again tomorrow when I’m not so tired.
All my Love
Ken
Mr. and Mrs. Otto Zill
1713 Maryfield
Ann Arbor, Michigan
10 July 1952
Dear Mom and Dad
Not much news today.
Went on a patrol last night, but not much happened. No one got hurt, so we were really lucky.
It was real hot again today. This is supposed to be the rainy season,
but so far it has only rained three days, all in a row. We were out all night last night, and couldn’t sleep today as it was too hot. So were rather tired tonight.
We got a movie tonight as soon as it’s dark, so I’ll probably go to that. We’re not on line right now, we’re just a little bit in back of it, about a mile or so.
That’s about all the news for now.
Love
Ken
Miss Rosalie Nash
235 Phillips Hall
MSC
East Lansing, Michigan
11 July 1952
Hi Sweetheart
The mailman
came thru last night with two letters so my evening was a success.
We’re not doing much of anything now, starting tomorrow night we man an outpost for three days and
nights. That should just about end the war for us. This is about the third time we’ve been promised reserve, so it’s about time we got it.
Got a couple
of letters from Gus, he was supposed to go to Japan on R & R but that was cancelled for a while. He doesn’t know when he’s going now. He called me on the telephone the other day, it was really good to talk to him. I guess
he’s up on line right now too, but we should be pulling off pretty soon. Now. In fact the whole division should be pulling back pretty soon, maybe within a week. The sooner we get of the line, the better I’ll like it.
It’s another real hot day today. This is supposed to be the rainy season, but we ain’t got too awful much rain as yet. It would really cool it off a lot if it would rain.
There isn’t much new now, we got church services this afternoon, so I’m going to go over there. It’s too hot to write so I’ll finish this, this evening when it cools off some.
Later
It’s raining out now, so it’s a lot cooler, in fact it’s really a relief. It can rain all night for all I care, we sure need the rain over here bad.
No mail tonight, the plane from the States didn’t come, so we didn’t get any, a real boost of our morale.
Went to chapel this afternoon, the chaplain had a real
nice sermon. This one doesn’t preach more than about five or ten minutes. We have all our services our doors, as there’s no buildings around here we could hold services in.
I read in the paper where the GI bill was passed, that makes it O.K. That means I get quite a few chips. Then too that foxhole pay got passed, so that’s another $350-400 dollars. I guess its $45 a month for front line troops, then too
I get 300 more chips when I get discharged just for being a good soldier. Then to top it off, Michigan usually has a bonus for vets, so I might collect some there. Top of that, I got a couple of months furlough pay coming, so I’ll be loaded
when I get out. I won’t have to work for years and years when I get out. Seriously tho, we’ll have enough to start married life on. We’ll have 1300 or 1400 chips to start on. It would be nice if we could save most of that
to make a down payment on a home when we get out of school. That’s something we gotta have, I don’t want to be renting all my life.
There isn’t much
more to write about sweetheart. In a short while I should be heading back toward the States, where ever they are, I’ve forgotten. Til I get home, I’m just your guy who is very much in love with you and eagerly awaiting the time I can
return to you and hold you close.
Bye for now
All my Love
Ken
Mr. and Mrs. Otto Zill
1713 Maryfield
Ann Arbor, Michigan
11 July 1952
Dear Mom and Dad
No news today, played
pinochle most of the day. It’s too hot to do anything else in the day time. There’s hardly every anything happening in the day light, we do most of our work at night.
Finally got a letter last night, it was about three weeks old, it was addressed to Taegu, so it had to come back here to the company.
By the way, can you send me Roland Wild’s
address, me and Hook want to write him a letter.
Don’t know for sure when we’re going home, but it should be within a month. They’ve started to send the guys home with 36 points, and I got 34 now and will have 36 or more by the
end of the month, so I should rotate about the first of August.
There isn’t much more news so I’ll close for now.
Love
Ken
Miss Rosalie Nash
235 Phillips Hall
Mich State College
East Lansing, Michigan
? July
Hi Sweetheart
I haven’t got much time as I gotta clean my gun and some ammo now. We were out on an out post last night and we got it again tonight. We slept all morning and part of the PM and we only got a couple of hours to get our stuff cleaned up again.
We’re supposed to catch it tomorrow night too, and that should end all of our line duty.
It cooled off a bit today, there’s a nice cool breeze blowing.
Last night it was cold out there but I hope it ain’t tonight. We’re out there from about seven to four, so that pretty well takes care of our evenings.
That’s about all the time I got now so I’ll close, will write more soon as I get the time.
All my love
Ken
Mr. and Mrs. Otto Zill
1713 Maryfield
Ann Arbor, Michigan
14 –
Dear Mom and Dad
Just a note
to let you know everything is OK. It’s about 3:00 pm and I just got up a little while ago. We were out on outpost last night and we gotta go out there again tonight, and I gotta clean my gun yet, so I haven’t got much time.
Got a flock of newspapers this morning also, about ten letters which went down to the hospital.
Maybe in a couple of days we’ll be headed back, we’re supposed
to be relieved about the 15th, then go about 120 miles south of here. It’s a 14 hour ride by train.
That’s about all I can think of now so I’ll
close
Love
Ken
Mr. and Mrs. Otto Zill
1713 Maryfield
Ann Arbor, Michigan
16 July 1952
Dear Mom and Dad
I guess we’re
thru with line duty now. Tomorrow night we’re moving 65 miles back by train for a couple of months of reserves.
We’ve been on outpost for the last three
days so I didn’t get much of a chance to write. We were on that hill they call, “T-bone hill.” The Chinese have about given up trying to take it, because there hasn’t been any action up there for a while. All we get
up there is a few artillery rounds once in a while.
The worst part of the hill tho is the smell out there, there still is two or three thousand dead Chinese laying out there
in the hot sun. Most of them have been out there for about a month, so it isn’t very pleasant. It just makes you sick to even go up on that hill. We sure lost a lot of equipment on that hill, about everything you can think of is laying
around up there. You can’t go around and pick it up because the chinks have got snipers all around up there, and we can only move around at night.
I don’t
know yet where we’re we going, only that its south east of here about 60-70 miles.
It’s been raining all day today, not very hard but just a steady rain.
Got two packages last night, one from Mrs. Armbruster and one from Leona somebody, so I’ll have to write the too.
I see in the paper where the GI bill passed, also that soldiers bonus. That’s means I’ll get about $300 bonus when I get discharged, plus $350 combat pay. That ought to buy some new clothes when I get back.
I figure I’ll leave here in the first part of August and get to the States around the first of Sept. It all depends on how you hit the boat in Japan. You may be in Japan anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of weeks.
My legs don’t bother me at all anymore, so I’m as good as new.
That’s about all I can think of so I’ll close.
Love
Ken
Miss Rosalie Nash
235 Phillips Hall
MSC
East Lansing, Michigan
18 July 1952
My Dearest Rosalie
We’re
finally thru fighting, no more line for us. We’re back a couple of miles now and tomorrow we are going back further, about 65 miles. We’re going to take the train, it’s supposed to be an all-night trip. Gus’s battalion
left already last night, so he’ll be beat me in reserve by a couple of days.
They changed the points again now. They were knocking some off for our time in reserve
but they’ve changed that now and we got four points for every month. So as it stands now we’ve got 41 points now, and we’re eligible to rotate with 36 points, so I’m staying a little extra time I guess.
We came off the outpost about 930 last night, and boy oh boy was I ever nervous walking across no man’s land for the last time. Was I ever glad to get back to our line and back here to our area.
It rained most all day today, so it’s cooled off quite a bit, in fact it’s really nice out now. When we get back to reserve it’ll be basic training all over again, but I can take a lot of that rather than be shot at by a long ways.
We rotated about 25 more guys today, so it’s starting to close to your guys turn.
Got a good laugh out of one of Radio Moscow’s broadcasts today. They called the 180th a wild bunch of barbarians, savages and inhuman fighters. When we took part of T-bone hill the chinks had a tunnel under the hill and there was
some Gooks in there. And rather than go in after them we just sealed both ends of the tunnel and I guess the commies didn’t like that too well. But then too, they’re not the cleanest fighters in the world either.
Feeling pretty gay tonight, only there’s nothing to do here. About the only amusement we have is playing cards and that gets tiresome after a while. It’ll be pretty good when we get back there in reserve knowing it won’t be long
before rotation. It can’t be too soon for me to rotate out of this place.
There isn’t much more to write about, so I’ll close for now. It will
be a short time when we can be together again and that a wonderful time that is going to be. Til then I can just love you and long to be with you.
All my Love
Ken
Mr. and Mrs. Otto Zill
1713 Maryfield
Ann Arbor, Michigan
18 July 1952
Dear Mom and Dad
Well we finally
made it, we’re back in reserve now. We’re about 30 miles south of the line somewhere below Kumwa, I don’t know exactly where tho.
It’s really
terrifically hot here. The humidity here is awful, it seems a lot hotter than it ever was in Japan.
We rode the train all the way down here, it took us from 7-5 last
night. It sure was a hot ride.
There isn’t hardly any trees at all down here, just mostly bushes, so there isn’t hardly any shade and it sure gets hot sitting
out in the sun all day. Another bunch of draftees got rotated so it’s getting pretty close to Hooks and my turn.
It’s little more hilly down here than it
was up by Chowan. Up there was a lot of big valleys and there isn’t many down here.
That’s about all the news there is for now, so I’ll close.
Love,
Ken
Miss Rosalie Nash
235 Phillips Hall
MSC
East Lansing, Michigan
19 July 52
My Dearest Rosalie
We finally
made it, we’re back in Army reserve. We’re sitting about 20 miles behind the lines and that’s the farthest we’ve been since we landed at Inchon last December. We’ll be back here anywhere from 30 to 90 days, so I fairly
well have it made.
It’s getting a little hotter every day it seems like and today it was really terrific. On top of the heat, the humidity is really high. To
top it all off, there’s no shade trees around, so we’re out in the sun all day. Got a new rule that we gotta wear a shirt at all times. Whatta low blow.
We got a river that runs right by so we can go swimming and we have a place to wash up in. So we got it pretty nice. We’re not supposed to start training for about a week. I’m in no hurry to start any training. We got church tomorrow
so I guess that it’s Sunday tomorrow. That’s the only way we can tell the day of the week is when we have church services. They goof us up every once in a while tho by having services during the week.
There isn’t too much more news so I’ll close for now. By for now sweetheart.
I’m sending you
All my Love
Ken
Miss Rosalie Nash
235 Phillips Hall
MSC
East Lansing, Michigan
19 July ‘52
1800 Hours
My Dearest Rosalie
Found out today I’m going to Tokyo on the 25th for a rest leave. I’ll have five whole days just to goof around town. It’ll really be nice getting a new class “A” uniform and all the trimming. Ribbons,
stripes, T-Bird and all, I’ll really be a sharp cat for a change. I’ll get a picture taken and send it to you. I won’t get back to the company til about the fifth of August, so I’ll miss a lot of the training we’re
supposed to have. It really makes me sad to miss it too.
It was another hot day today, but it rained so this afternoon and its cooled off quite a bit by now, so it’s
real nice out now.
We’re supposed to get a lot of replacements in pretty soon. I feel sorry for those poor guys just coming over here, they ain’t got much
to look forward to, but I guess that I was in the same boat a while ago. Right now over company is just about half strength, so we need a lot of them.
If I can I’d
like to phone you up from Japan if I can get thru to E.L. If I can call it’ll be either the 31st or the 1st. So if you happened to be in, I’ll get to talk to you for a few minutes.
There isn’t much else to write about so I’ll close for now. Goodbye for now sweetheart. I’m just a poor old soldier who happens to be in love with you and misses you.
All my Love
Ken
Mr. and Mrs. Otto Zill
1713 Maryfield
Ann Arbor, Michigan
19 July 1952
Dear Mom and Dad
Just had church
services a few minutes ago. Was pretty hot in church today, in fact it was terrific.
We aren’t doing much of anything right now, we’re getting a week or
so off.
Found out today I’m going to Japan for a rest leave. It takes about five days to get over there and back so it’ll take ten days. I’ll
try to call you from Japan if I can, it’ll probably be on the 30th or 31st. I’m not leaving the company until the 25th so I’ll get back here on the 5 or 6th of August. So I’ll
miss out on a lot of this training.
There isn’t too much more news so I’ll close for now.
Love
Ken
Miss Rosalie Nash
235 Phillips Hall
MSC
East Lansing, Michigan
21 July 1952
1980 Hours
My Dearest Rosalie
I may not be able to call you after all as
I don’t know now if I’m going or not as it goofs up my rotation as I found out today. Id’ like to go to Japan for a while but not enough to miss the boat home.
Had a couple of inspections today, but non which meant very much just mostly to harass the troops as we’ve been having it too easy I guess.
Got real gung ho today and
sewed on a T-bird and stripes. We gotta have them on for a big inspection in a couple of days, so I got with it today.
I’m on CQ tonight so I’m stuck down
here for 24 hours at the orderly rooms. I don’t do nothing but answer the telephone. Gus called up tonight to shoot the breeze for a while. He said to give his love to you and to say hello for him. He also said that he received
a letter tonight from you. I’m going to wander over there in a day or so and see him. I ain’t seen him since last May I guess, that’s almost two months. He’s only a couple of miles down the road from here.
It sounds by your letters you’re having quite a time with all of you little “charges” or maybe you’ve got other names for them. It must be a lot of fun tho.
By the way, is the Notre Dame-MSC game sold out yet or not. If it ain’t I’d like to get about four tickets for it if it’s possible. That guy who had my camera while I was in the hospital would like to go with us. He’s
a cook now, really got a soft job, any how he used to be my BAR assistant and we’re real good buddies. I think I wrote you about him before, he got married before he came into the army, so he’s an old married man by now, been married
almost two years. Anyhow see what you can do, if you need some money I’ll send it to you.
It’s a real beautiful night out tonight, real clear, a lot of
stars but no moon. It’s just nice and cool out too, so it’s just about a perfect evening. Right now you’re probably still in bed as it’s about 4:00 am back there in E.L. I think we’re just about 16 hours ahead
of you.
It would be a perfect evening to be parked out behind your barn or some place, cuddled up real close to you and holding you in my arms and telling you how much I
love you and how much you mean to me. More skosh tho it. Won’t be a dream anymore, it’ll be a reality. There I go again forgetting you’re not up on Korean slang, any how it means in a little while.
We got about fourteen months’ time to make up for when I get home
It’s about bed time so I’ll close for now and get a little shut eye. I gotta get
up about an hour before the troops do, so I can wake them and the cooks.
Bye for now sweetheart. I’m sending you all of my Love and Kisses
Ken
Mr. and Mrs. Otto Zill
1713 Maryfield
Ann Arbor, Michigan
21 July 52
1800 Hours
Dear Mom and Dad
Had a couple of inspections today but outside of that we didn’t do much, it was still too hot. It’s cooled off quite a bit by now tho, so it’s rather nice outside.
I don’t know for sure whether I’m going to go to Japan now or not. I may get rotated during that time and I’d hate to miss it and have to wait for the next list to come down. Our CO is checking into it, to see if I’ll have
time to go or not, if I have time I’ll go otherwise I’ll turn it down and stay here and get rotated as soon as possible.
Hook is back with the company, he came
back just a couple of days after I did, he’s OK again. He was just completely worn out is all.
I’m going to try to go to see Gus one of these days, his
battalion is just a couple of miles down the road from ours so it won’t take long for me to get down there.
That’s about all the news I can think of now so I’ll
close.
Love
Ken
Miss Rosalie Nash
235 Phillips Hall
MSC
East Lansing, Michigan
23 July 1952
My Dearest Rosalie
I
got one more day then I take off for five wonderful days over in Japan. We fly over there and back and get five whole days just to goof off. It’s really going to be nice to put on a clean uniform for a change. It was last Nov. since
I’ve got dressed up in anything but fatigues.
Gus came up to here for a while last night. Was real good to see him again. Actually he’s about half
a mile from here, but by road it’s about three. Over here it isn’t the best policy to take short cuts as there are still mines and booby traps around, so it’s the best policy to stay on the road.
Was rather warm out again today, fact is it was just too darn hot.
I’m starting to gain back some of the weight I lost in the hospital. I lost from five to ten
pounds. I did have no appetite at all down at Taegu. Just lying in bed is kinda hard on you after being outside for about six months. The food back here has been pretty good, so I’m eating like my old self again.
Walked down the river about a dozen times today to wash up. You just sweat like a fiend all the time it seems like and your clothes are just wringing wet all the time. Oh it’s a great country tho.
That’s about all the news I can think of now so I’ll close now. Bye for now dearest,
All my Love
Ken
Gus said to send his love too.
Mr. and Mrs. Otto Zill
1713 Maryfield
Ann Arbor, Michigan
23 July 1952
Reserve Area
Dear Mom and Dad,
Had another inspection today otherwise we didn’t do much at all. Wasn’t quite as hot today as it’s been, was only about ninety. It has been pretty close to a hundred a few times.
We got a big inspection coming off Friday afternoon, but I’m leaving for Japan Friday morning, so I won’t be able to be there.
I had a little infection in one
of my wounds, but it’s all healed up now. They don’t give me any trouble at all anymore, all I got left is some scars on my legs.
I’ll send you a
set of tea dishes from Japan when I get there. As far as I know I’m going down by where the dishes are made, so I ought to be able to get them pretty reasonable.
There isn’t any other news so I’ll close for now.
Love
Ken
Miss Rosalie Nash
235 Phillips Hall
MSC
East Lansing, Michigan
25 July 52
Hi Sweetheart
Had a big
inspection today. I wasn’t supposed to be in it but our R & R was postponed two days, so I had to stand it. We had to take all our stuff outside and make a display out of it, took us about three hours to make it up, then the officer who
was supposed to inspect it never showed up, so it was wasted effort on our part.
We got a movie here every night, so every once in a while, I wander up there to see it.
Last night it was “When In Rome” with Van Johnson. Wasn’t much good, but it was a movie.
Was rather hot out again today, as it has been for the last few weeks. Maybe when I get over to Japan it won’t be quite so hot, I sure hope so.
We’re supposed
to get tomorrow off, but you never know in the army.
That division who relieved us is sure having a rough time of it on line now. They’ve been kicked off one
hill three or four times already. We go off off that line just about in time. The Lord has really been watching over us since we got to Korea. The last time we went on patrol, we came within about twenty yards of walking into an ambush.
Some Gook was trigger happy and fired just a little bit too soon and warned us, otherwise our whole patrol probably would’ve have been wiped out. We were about two miles out in front of our lines, so no help could’ve gotten to us, we were
more or less on our own.
That’s about all the news I can think of now so I’ll close for now. Bye for now sweetheart I hope I can call you from Japan
Til then
All my Love
Ken
Mr. and Mrs. Otto Zill
1713 Maryfield
Ann Arbor, Michigan
25 July 1952
Reserve
Dear Mom and Dad
Didn’t leave for Japan today, we were postponed two days so we’re not leaving here until the 27th.
Had our big inspection today, it all came off OK.
Had to lay all of our junk out in a display. It took us a couple of hours to lay everything out just so.
I think you asked how many points I had, I got 36+. Battalion
HQ sent down a list with our point totals on it and I had 41 but by this system we got now I can only get about 37 or 38 so I don’t know exactly how many I do have only that it’s enough to rotate on.
It’s still awful hot over here. I guess that this is a dry year as it hasn’t rained much at all and this is supposed to be the rainy season.
That’s
about all the news there is so I’ll close for now.
Love
Ken
Miss Rosalie Nash
235 Phillips Hall
MSC
East Lansing, Michigan
27 July 1952
Korea
My Dearest Rosalie
The mailman
really got with it today and brought me three letters today and it really made me happy to receive them. First I’ve gotten in three days.
I really got with it
today and wrote each one of your little sisters today. It was really sweet of them to write me. I couldn’t make much sense out of Martha’s letter, but I was glad to receive it anyhow.
I’m leaving tomorrow for Japan about 10 tomorrow morning. We’ll take the train to Seoul then fly from Seoul to Japan. We’ll probably spend a couple of days at the Replacement Depot at Youngdongpo near Seoul. Get five whole
days in Japan then fly back to Seoul, spend a couple of days at Replacement depot and then come up here on the train. Takes usually just ten days to make the round trip. It should be a lot of fun getting back to civilization for a while again.
From what I hear that part of Japan is lot different than the place we were in Hokkaido. The cities are just like American cities, while at Chitose all we had was villages which wasn’t much worth a darn.
It rained all day today so it really cooled off. It’s really nice over here now.
Had a good movie last night for a change. It was Janet Leigh and Peter
Lawford in “Just This Once.” It was really good.
That’s about all the news I can think
of now so I’ll close for now. Bye for now sweetheart. I’m still going to try and call you if I can from Japan.
All my Love
Ken
Mr. and Mrs. Otto Zill
1713 Maryfield
Ann Arbor, Michigan
28 July
Dear Mom and Dad
I’m down in Yongdongpo
now. We’re leaving for Japan tomorrow morning from Seoul. We’re just about five miles from there now.
It’s been raining now for the last three days.
The sun hasn’t shone once in that time.
I saw Gus the other day, he came up to Easy Company and visited awhile.
Got the box from the store yesterday, or I guess it was from the store as that was the address on it. That’s about all the news there is now, I’ll write again when I get to Japan.
Love
Ken
Miss Rosalie Nash
235 Phillips Hall
MSC
East Lansing, Michigan
29 July 52
Yongdongpo
My Dearest Rosalie
We got all goofed up by the weather. We’re not leaving til the 31 of July. It’s been raining now for four days, so it ought to quit pretty soon. Everything is just like a swamp down here, mud all over the place.
We were over at the airport for a couple of hours, but they cancelled all the flights so we had to come back here.
We got it made down here tho, we ain’t doing nothing
at all. We get up when we please and go to bed when we darn well please.
About the time I get back from R&R I’ll be just about ready to rotate. I’m
supposed to go to Kokura on R&R. That’s in the southern part of Japan on the island of Kyushu. From what I hear it’s a real nice place down there. Our five days doesn’t start til midnight of the day we get there, so
I hope we get there about five minutes after twelve so we get an extra day out of the deal.
I told all your little sisters I’d send them something from there, I hope
I don’t forget it.
Just got back from chow, whatta lousy meal. That was the worst one I’ve had in a long time. Wasn’t even worth walking over
for. When I get to Japan I ought to be able to get some good meals.
Met John down here waiting to go on R&R. Remember he wrote you a couple of letters from Camp Polk. He’ll get rotated a few weeks after me as he only gets
three points a month and I’m getting four. It’s real nice to see him again. I hadn’t seen him since April or so. He said to say hello to you and he also said he’s going to look you up when he gets home.
That’s about all the news there is now. Bye for now sweetheart. I hope in a couple of days I’ll be able to call you from Japan, it’d be so nice to talk to you again.
All my Love
Ken
Mr. and Mrs. Otto Zill
1713 Maryfield
Ann Arbor, Michigan
30 July 52
Dear Mom and Dad
Were still at Yongdongpo
as the weather is still pretty bad. We’re supposed to leave tomorrow I guess. It’s been raining now for five straight days now, so maybe it’ll quit now.
The airfield we were supposed to leave from is under water. Its right next to a river and the river is pretty high.
We’re not doing any work at all right now,
just trying to kill time.
There isn’t anything else to write about so I’ll close for now.
Love
Ken