World War II Letters
Summary: Both Senator Robert J. Dole and his brother, Kenneth (Kenney) Dole served in World War II. Bob Dole fought and was wounded in Italy, while Kenney was stationed in the Pacific Theater. The Nancy [Dole] Poche Collection, 1938-1963 contains 174 letters written by members of the Dole family. This collection offers a glimpse of life on the homefront in Kansas and experiences of soliders in both the European and Pacific theaters of WWII. Digital images and transcriptions of all 174 letters are available online. Below is a list of letters that correspond with events and realities of life during WWII.
To see a list of all of the letters from this collection, click here.
Preferred citation: [Letter title, Date], Nancy Poche Collection, Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics Archive and Special Collections, University of Kansas
Selected Letters from the Poche Collection
Basic Training
Keywords: Camp Barkley, quarantine, rain, barracks, finances, medical corps
Keywords: Hot weather, homesickness, sore feet, furlough, send food
Keywords: Training, hot weather, Russell, KS, laundry, finances, send food
Keywords: Hike, hot weather, finances, salt water, dehydration
Life In the Pacific Theater
Keywords: Southwest Pacific, Bob Dole, V-Mail
Keywords: Mail, censorship, jungle, cigarettes, bananas, coconuts, natives
Keywords: Manila, natives, coconuts, movies, beach, civilization, Germans
Keywords: Homesickness, photographs, Bob Dole, wound, hospital
Normandy Invasion / D-Day
Keywords: No mail, rain, Germany, Japs, end of the war, U.S.S. Hermitage
Big Three Conference; FDR's death; Fall of Berlin
Keywords: War, fall of Berlin, recuperation, hope, Roosevelt, Truman, Russia
Bombing of Japan
Keywords: Invasion of Japan, Philippines, demobilization, discontent
Japan Surrenders
Keywords: Philippines, Japan, European Theater, anger, homesickness
Post War
Keywords: Demobilization, Philippines, Cebu, liberty ships, ocean