26

August 23, -1945---This was a red letter day for all of us at the allen
household. About eleven o'clock, I was busy dictating to my secretary, Marjorie
Dinsmore, ‘when the phono rang and’Mrs. /illen informed me that Major Fenlon Durand, ©
U.S.1M.C.,° 2nd. imph. Trac...Bn., FMF, “acific, e/o Fleet Post Office, San Francisco,
California, was at 801 Louisianna with his personable and lovely wife, Katie, "Pon".
has seen everything; evon-up to tho last invasion of Okinawa, Perhaps no man in the
service has seen any tougher "go" than Fea, and yet he is still that grand fellow with
an innate modesty so characteristic of Fen; .When he was here at tho’ University he «
established a Big Six record in the javelin and was one of the forwards on two fine
Kansas ‘Varsity Basketball teams, Kind, courteous, and forseful, Fon Durand Has aged.
somewhat, but he is not the least bit "hard", nor does he impress you with all: ith,
honors.-that he has won, He and irs. Durand were here on their way to “Mrs. Fen's"
girlhood:home in Fayotte, Iissouri. It is wonderful to have Fen back with us after
he hag gone spore fifty-seven different chess of hell, and yet be unscathed in mae
and soul. a

Iwas scanning a letter that Fem wrote on June 26, 1945, "I have been noglie
gent in writing lately, due primarily to the fact that our censorship has been rigid.
a fow days ago, however, restrictions were lifted and now I can write of my activities
of the past few months,"

| .. Fon, tells about his leaving Saipen and ready to: support the main landings
on Okinawa. Since the initial landing was comparatively easy, they returned to Saipen
for another few weeks, then re-embarked and landed on. The jo. Shima. and Aguni Shino,
which are small islands off the wost coast of Olin eM e Tk ney embarked again and came
back to Okinawa REPP Gis

"io wer tieiettes in the teil: end of" the. piwhbing aoe the island was

declared secure on June 21, 1945, At the’ present: time we are camped on a beach near
Naha, the capital city. of Okinawa, which’ formerly had a population of 75,000 and
in which not one building is intact-now. It is difficult to. visualize a city approxie
mately thé size of Topeka completely leveled by bombs, artillery fire, and flame. _
throwers, Even these poople out here played basketball, as evidenced by some remains
of basketball courts, gymnasiums and ‘equipment. Dana is..still in Eur ope with the 7th
Army. He was hospitalized for about. two. months with shrapnel wounds in his right leg,
the result of an oneny, mortar burst, At the present time he is back on duty and un-
doubtedly will remain in Europe for some time, since it has ‘been indicated that the
7th will: emain there.

"Two issues. of your "Rebounds" just caught me here on Okinawa. They cer-
tainly: make excellent roading and they. are the only media for. keeping up with what
many of my buddies are doing. Give ny: kindest sents to Mrs. toll city your Semel «
and Coach and Mrs. Shenk."

Bie poe

ive Viste) Oe Be biti U.S.S. LST 792, a Floot: Post Office, San rind vel,”

California, writes from Okinawa on the 28th of June, that he and an old Ottawa’ "buddy",
Deve Laury, who is attached to a marine outfit as a doctor, during the discussion found
that Dr. Laury's C.0. was Major Fen Durand. ~ They sct out in quest of the Major, missed
him, but-on the second try, contacted Fen, What a.bull Pest they had! Gerald said,
“You can woll be proud of that boy Fen Durand, Doc. He is every inch a fine officer
and 0 gentleman. He looks fine and hasn't added any excess “weight to that sinewy

frame. I found out he is highly respected as a man and officer, and as one of his
junior officers related - "Major Durenid is one officer who became | aCe QO. and didn't
coase to be a human being."