“Friends are going to give their lives”
“Friends are going to give their lives”
Name: Richard D. Ketterman
Location: Somewhere in the Pacific
Date: April 24th, 1945
Unit: The Seabees
April 24th, 1945
Hello Beulah!
Your letter arrived a few days ago and I was glad to hear from you again. With your teaching schedule and other activities, I can see where it would be hard for you to keep up your large correspondence regularly. This psychic business of yours sure is interesting—although a little nerve racking on your part, I can easily see. It’s really too bad— but then I guess a person has to accept the fact that during a world conflict like this some of their friends are going to give their lives— especially if their friends number a great many, such as yours do. Let’s hope that these three you have told me about are the last.
So Bill and Betty Kingsport have an “addition” to their family. That’s swell, I’ll bet she is cute. By the way is Bill in the service? And how about Bill’s sister Betty— have she and Lowell Roger ever gotten married? The last I heard he was in Florida and she was doing nursing work in Philly, PA. Glad to hear the Easter Bunny was so nice to you. Your “hubby” must still be in love with you— and, indeed why shouldn’t he be. I too, think that nice girls and women always appreciate considerate gifts like flowers and candy and we enjoy giving them.
Since I last wrote you, I’ve been changed to a SeaBee again! I’m now working on a carpenter crew. —One of one but— on one of the largest projects we’ve had over here. It’s nice to be working outside for a change. We guys have a lot of fun while we work and I’m learning another phase of carpenter work that may prove valuable in the future. I really like it a lot and it’s agreeing with me very well— I eat, sleep, and feel better, and their sunshine is putting layer after layer of tan on my back and face. I almost look like a native already.
And when it rains we secure to the huts and take to our sacks— on the double!! We just hate to see it rain too!! Seriously, it has been raining cats & dogs over here lately, all this week we’ve had rain every day— buckets of it! I’ve seen our first thunder storm and lightning during it. It’s really “rugged”! Well there’s not much more of interest to write about— so I’ll square away for now. Take care of yourself and write soon.
As ever,
Richard (Dick) Ketterman
Biography:
Richard D. Ketterman was born November 2nd, 1920 in Columbia, Pennsylvania. He was born to Blanche Ketterman and Paul Ketterman. He graduated from Manchester High in 1939 and started working at York Safe and Lock according to his draft card. On July 24th, 1943 Richard went to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania where he enlisted in the United States Navy and left home to face the unknown ahead of him.
He became a member of the famous SeaBees and even mentions this in his second letter stating, “Since I last wrote you, I’ve been changed to a SeaBee again! I’m now working on a carpenter crew.” When this letter was written he more than likely would have been stationed in Honolulu as CBMU 581 was moved there in the beginning of 1945. The SeaBees were a militarized navy construction unit that helped support a number of battles and operations from bridges to full on bases. This was the second time that Richard had been moved to the SeaBees. I could not find what unit he was with the first time but we do know that he was in foreign service from March 1944 to November 1945. In this letter he reflects on the sad reality of war and brings light to the losses that we would suffer in a war like this.
Richard survived the war and went to college at Marshall College and graduated in 1950 and went to work at IBM as a products manager. He also married and started a family. His wife Betty Ketterman and him had 2 daughters. Unfortunately Richard died suddenly in 1970 and is now buried in Manchester Union Cemetery.
