Month: July 2023

Going Home – soon

~ Janet McKee ~ 1 Comment

GP's avatarPacific Paratrooper

Christmas card

This was the Christmas card sent from Japan to Broad Channel, New York in December 1945. Anna Smith had been waiting to hear this news from her son Everett (Smitty) for over three years. On the back, it reads:

“Dear Mom:
This is the best Xmas card I’ve sent to you since getting in the army. I figured this would be what you have always been waiting to see, here it goes.

“I’m finally on my way, so don’t send any more mail.
Love, Everett
“P.S. I’ll keep you posted on my various stops.

Everett Smith, aka “Smitty” or “Pops”

CLICKAdvertisement from the era. At the bottom is an ad for George Burns & Gracie Allen

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Much can be said about General Joseph May Swing that I am very surprised no one had written his biography. He stood tall and…

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Venezuelan Adventure – Daniel Beck Guion – Venezuelan Letters – Daily Activities – December 1, 1939 (2)

~ Janet McKee ~ Leave a comment

Judy Guion's avatar"Greatest Generation" Life Lessons

DBG - Dan in Venezuela with peaked cap - alone - 1940

Daniel Beck Guion in the field in Venezuela

It has occurred to me several times that I have never told you the details of camp life.  Just how much would prove to be interesting, I don’t know, but here is a partial story, at least.

There is a large canvas fly for the cocina (kitchen).  The cook has a small tent for sleeping.  There was a large tent with mosquito-bar sides for the office.  We use this tent for dining, also.  Our sleeping tents are two-man tents, containing our clothes, personal belongings and cots.  Under a second canvas fly are stored the extra supplies (tools, instruments, etc.)

Our camp personnel (at present we are short-he handed) includes  Simon, (the cook), Bill Rudolph (Chief of Party), Dick Wimberley (draftsman), Fred Chion (transit-man), Dr. Boshnakian (all-around engineer, College Prof., geologist, etc.) and myself.

We employ about 16 peons of varying intelligence &…

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It’s All About The Competitions

~ Janet McKee ~ Leave a comment

For the last 2 weeks it was all about tennis at Wimbledon, and Le Tour (de France), – now I can look away and devote some time to …………er My Blog, And Straightening up My Apartment (I’m almost buried in untidiness. Material for my blog seems to take over my desk. Does it have a mind of its own? There’s an idea for a story.

Before I write said story, here is another postcard from Kenya.

Elephant and Wildebeeast

I am not sure where I got this card but it’s a coincidence that it was written in June 1968 when I was still in Kenya. And it was posted to someone in Ranelagh in Dublin Ireland. I was going to take up residence very near Ranelagh in October of that year. (I don’t think I ever met the Misses O’Connor to whom the card is addressed.)

July 20th

~ Janet McKee ~ Leave a comment

This is a date etched in my family’s history – my brother’s birthday. He always (jokingly) kept family members informed of the approach of this IMPORTANT date.

Family photo – my 2 sisters and my brother Bob holding me.- 1937

Old Newspaper Clippings

~ Janet McKee ~ Leave a comment

The following reference is to a newspaper clipping that I found recently. The clipping is one I saved years ago when my mother was serving in the Peace Corps in Nepal. It is titled “Larry Daloz Reports from Nepal” – from The Townsman, Wellesley Mass., Thursday, April 23, 1964. The clipping is yellowed with age but still perfectly legible.