Dear Mr. and Mrs. Buxton,

Hardly a day goes by any more but you and Jack enter my mind. Every time we have a mail call, I read each letter hoping that the next paragraph will be the one. A lot of letters have come and gone without anything but the indefinite. Still that subconscious feeling keeps saying the news will be good.

Whatever the outcome may be, however, Jack will always be alive to me, for I have known him too many years to forget. He is a swell guy, of that there is no doubt.

We have had double dates together, graduated from Withrow together, became brothers in the SAE together, entered U.C. as Ch.E.'s together, and countless other experiences have been joint enterprises. So you see he is partly me and I am partly him, so as long as there is one of us, both are still alive.

But as I said before, something keeps saying, "he will be back there in Cincinnati, perhaps not now, but stay faithful, believe, and hope." Logic and reason say something else, but all in this earth is not governed scientifically. There is a greater force which is independent of them. Without it, I would have to accept a fact that says is not a fact.

One day soon I expect to start on my homeward journey. I hope in time for Christmas. China is busy folding up at a pace that would amaze you. Of course, AACS is going to be the tag end as usual, but there is time. It will end up for us like a tornado. And at the 11th hour.

My prayers are with you for that better, happier day.

Love, Dick

Richard "Dick" Dickerson survived and went on to obtain a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and went to work in research at Dow Chemical Company in Midland, Michigan.

Dick Dickerson - June 2003

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