Physical Description: .4 Linear Feet(4 folders)

Language of Material: English.

This series contains letters wrriten by PFC Kieth L. Cook, USA

Folder 1:

The letters begin as PFC Kieth L. Cook arrived at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. While located in Indiana, PFC Cook wrote about the food at the mess hall, examinations, and daily life. He sent home his life insurance policy as well. After leaving Indiana, PFC Cook arrived at Camp Livingston, Louisiana where he planned to stay for 18 weeks of training. He wrote about the weather and training to be an infantryman. Wrote about Russia declaring war on Japan. Wrote about the end of the war, still thought he would be sent to Japan.

Folder 2:

After completion of training the military began moving him to his next location at Fort Ord, California. He wrote about travelling through St. Louis, Utah and Colorado. He wrote about the bay area outside of Fort Ord. His first letter overseas was written from Japan on October 30, 1945. He used Japanese stationery for some of his letters. He wrote about the weather and the basic work he was "dodging" in Japan. He was assigned to the 3075 Infantry Bakery Company, where he worked as a K.P. He worked one day on and one day off and wrote about the stuff he saw and did in Japan during his off time. He wrote about the country of Japan to his mother, trying to explain their culture. He included a typed letter to veterans serving overseas that complained about the rate of discharge and urged service members to write their congressmen.

Folder 3:

He wrote about getting restricted to base because an MP caught him in a Japanese theater. He wrote about sleeping through an earthquake and his friend losing some of his fingers. He complained about the lack of letters he received from his family. He wrote about the areas of worship the Japanese used and claimed they even had some Christian churches. He wrote about buying a Japanese "Banzai sword" and that he was looking to buy a pistol and send everything back home. He wrote he sent a photo of a Japanese man and described the man and his skill in Judo. He wrote he did not go out anymore because he got tired of seeing the "filth and hungry people." He wrote about fearing an outbreak of war with Russia and reported an attack on American seaplanes of three different occasions. He wrote he was going to cook and baker school on March 24. He wrote about getting sick and the medication and treatments they prescribed him. He sent his mother a Mother's Day Western Union telegram. He moved units frequently during this period, writing about them all.

Folder 4:

He wrote about moving to a new company area and being transferred to a warehouse job overseeing the Japanese workers. He claimed to have taken pictures of General Macarthur's boat and that he and Eisenhower were in the area, but he hadn't seen them. He wrote about his job in the warehouse. He wrote about playing baseball. His last letter he explained he was on his way home the next day.

Physical Description: .1 Linear Feet(1 folder)

Language of Material: English.

This series contains letters wrriten by SGT Wenger and SGT Dale S. Ward, USA.

Folder 5:

The letters in this folder begin with SGT Wenger's three letters written to the Cook family, one of which is a V-mail. The first letter was sent from Italy and he wrote basic updates. The second letter (v-mail) he asked a bunch of questions about the family. The third letter is written from Luzon. He wrote about his potential discharge date, asked about PFC Cook and described his journey through the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans

One v-mail is from SGT Ward. It was written from France and he thanked the Cooks for their birthday greetings. He explained how he got to France and that they would soon be on their way to the Pacific.

There is a handwritten list, in chronological order, of the locations and units PFC Cook had been assigned to. One photo of Elizabeth, Verna, Kieth, and Margaret Cook dated September 1945. One pamphlet for a dedication service of the memorial in honor of armed forces from Baugo Township and of Baugo Township School, dated October 06, 1945.