Oh my, how time flies heading into the holidays.  Especially when work travel dominates your energies. It has been some time since we heard from Kenny.  His 1942 letters end with his November letter following the U.S.S. Massachusetts maiden battle at Casablanca.  History and a typed carbon copy of a timeline in Kenny’s letter collection, show that Big Mamie returned … Continue reading Letters Home: August 1943 In the South Pacific

Upon returning to the Pacific, the USS Massachusetts, powered by Fireman First Class Kenney Rhoades (and others) took part in more training while the U.S. beefed up her defensive strategy and finalized plans to transition to an offensive-defensive phase.  There are indications that Kenney did write more letters during these months, but these have been lost … Continue reading Letters Home – Russell Islands 1943

There still are no letters to transcribe since the Battle of Casablanca (Operation Torch). But while I continue to pull some strings on Kucks and Grandma's mtDNA, I will give you scuttle butt from the U.S.S. Massachusetts. Big Mamie came home to Casco Bay in November after the Vichy French surrendered at Casablanca. The crew … Continue reading Letters Home – Back to the Pacific in 1943

Operation Torch Soon after the events at Pearl Harbor and the U.S. official entry into the war, military leaders had settled on the primary strategy of defeating Axis efforts in Europe before focusing on the Pacific threat.   https://youtu.be/_hFXXbgtIZw So in July 1942, while Kenney trained off Main's coast with his new shipmates aboard the recently … Continue reading WW II letters home – Operation Torch (November 1942)