September 28, 1944.

A/? Robert L. Book, 17199786,
Section 1, Perrin Field,
Sherman, Texas.

Dear Bob:

Henry Shenk came into my office with your letter yesterday which was
the first time that I had learned of the passing of your father. I have
been very busy with war work and with coaching schools at Boone, Iowa,
and Topeka, Kansas, in the late surmer, and we have had our daughter Jane
living with us since her husband, a Navy flier, received orders that the
wives of the men were to be sent home. She is expeoting a baby in a very
short while. Then we had our grandson from Palo Alto with us quite some
time, and now we have Mary, our oldest daughter with us, and she will be
here for some time yet.

Bobby Allen greduated from the University of Pennsylvania Medical
Sehool lest Saturday morning, and he and his wife, Jean, drove in Monday
night. We have had quite e busy household all summer, and this together
with my war activities and other mine-run duties have kept me on the E00

Henry did not tell me of his first letter when you advised him of the
death of your father.

I was very certain, however, that when you left Lawrence you would not
get to see your Ded again alive. The symptoms that you described to me of
his condition assured me that it would have been a miracle that he survived.
Bob, these are the things that make us older in years and wisdom. They
come to all of us, but none of us are ever ready. When they do come we
must shape our philosophy according to the situation. ‘ie live for the
living, ami while we have reverence for the passing, yet if we dwelt too
much on the past we would have the philosophy of the ancient Chinese.

Your mother end your sister are the ones that you must comfort and
cheer. Naturally you will have to be brave, as men's sons before have
been. You are in the armed service and naturally there is a strength
about that calling that people unconsciously revere. While they desire
to have you home, yet they admire the thing that you are doing because
although war is terrible, yet through the thousands of years men have gone
to war to defend their loved ones. And that is the idea of Amerioa - that
you are in this war to see the things that Hitler and Hirohite advocate
do not come to pass. ie my as soldiers and sailors wisesrack about the
Wealism of this or that, but someone has said that you never find en infidel
in the American forces in the South Pacific.

é