Even though there was no envelope with this letter, we know it was written in 1941 because that is the year that April 20th fell on a Sunday.
No envelope
Sunday, April 20, [1941,] 3 a.m.
Dear Folks,
Here I am again on watch, nothing to do, and another hour to do it in. Well as usual there isn’t much news but guess you would like to hear from me anyway.
Three more sailors were killed tonight over in Honolulu. They are getting killed right and left it seems. One was knifed, his stomach cut wide open, by some native. That is the third one in two weeks, the other two tonight were killed on a motorcycle when a bus hit them.
I got letters from Mom and Dick last Wednesday. Yes, Dick, I can really imagine how greasy you must have been after working on the car. I used to get that way myself.
Say boy can’t you beat your big brother? All c’s on your report cards. I thought you were better than that. It sounds too much like my record and I’m sure not to proud of it. Come on lets see you do better than that.
I went over on liberty last Saturday with a couple of pals. We rented a camera and a bicycle [this word was circled] and rode all over taking pictures. [We] used up 5 rolls of film [and] they came out pretty good. I put them in my album and it won’t be long before I can send it to you folks. I am sending the negatives of some silly pictures we took in Bremerton, Wash last November and you can get them printed if you wish. [Yes, the family has the album with these photo’s]
Well rumors have it that we will be in Frisco [San Francisco] by 6th of May, boy I sure hope so.
Well are you folks beginning to get a little taste of spring yet? Things are sure warming up out here.
Say, dad, we’ve got another bowler in the family now. You would sure died if you had seen me the first time I tried. My first ball was a strike, the next one I threw bounced out of my alley into the next one over and made a strike on it, believe it or not. The best I can do now is 116 and I’ve only bowled 4 times, but it sure is fun.
Well that’s all I’ve got time for and it’s all the news I guess. It’s also time to call my relief and hit my sack again till 6 a.m.
Love to all, write soon,
Kenney
Our Many Pasts 