February 26, 2002

Dear Mary Jo,
This letter is long overdue and I apologize. Thank you very much for the letters and memorabilia. In your accompanying note you suggested that I "enjoy reading them." I did enjoy, but I was not prepared for the emotional experiences and the tears that were a part of my reading. As an example, this past January 7th, I thought about the fact that 58 years ago, at the tender age of 20, Jack and I received our coveted wings, and were declared officers and gentlemen, according to an act of congress.

January 7 turned out to be a rough day for this old man, as I thought many times about my birthday "twin brother" and all of the memories about us that I could recall. Now let me pause and share several interesting facts with you - Your father's sister was named Marion, my wife's name. My Marion's birthday is August 7th, the same date as your mother's and the date of the last letter from Jack. My Marion's mothers name was Gladys, the same as your mother. Our first son was due to be delivered on August 16th, the date Jack's plane was hit over Magdeburg. There is an additional fact that will help you understand why the letters and memorabilia are so important to me. On June 28, 1979, our house in Shawnee, Kansas burned - a constructive total loss, by insurance and builder definitions. In the basement were two cedar chests, one was my parents and the other, Marion and mine. What the fire didn't destroy, the water did. As a result, we lost all of my letters to my parents and to Marion, along with most of the family photographs. Just one additional thought for today - Jefferson Barracks is just an easy drive for us, so I am planning a trip to visit Jack's grave.

Thank you again for your thoughtfulness and persistence.

Love,
Charlie (Fredrick)

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