26

August 23, 1945---This was o red lettor day for oll of us ot the allen
household. «bout eleven o'clock, I was busy dictating to my secretary, Marjorie
Dinsmore, when the phone rang and Iirs. -.llen informed me that Major Fonlon Durand,
U.S.M.C., 2nd. ismaph. Trac. Bn., FMF, racific, c/o Fleot Post Office, Son Fruncisco,
California, was at 8Ci .cuisianna with his personable and fovely Wife, Katie, “Fon”
has seen everything, ovon up to tho last invasion of Okinnwa. Perhaps no man in ‘the
service has seen any toughér “po than Fen, und yet he is still that crand’ follow with
a innate modesty so charactoristice of Fen. ihen ho was here at the University he
ostablished o Rig Six record in the javolin and was one of tho Zorwarde on two fine
Kansas ‘Varsity Basketball teams. Kind, courtcous, and forsoful, Ten Durand has aged
somewhat, but he 2s not the least bit "hard", nor does he impress you with all the
hor.ors that he has wen. He and Mrs. Durand were here on thair way to "Mrs, en's"
girthvod home in Fayotte, Ilissouri. It is wonderful to have Fen back with us after :
he has gone through fifty-soven difforent kinds of hell, and yet be unscathod in body
and. soul.: ;

Iwas scanning a lotter that Fen wrote on Juno 26, 1945. "TI have boon noglie
gent in writing lately. duo primarily to the fact that our censorship has beon rigid.
4 few days ago, however, restrictions were lifted and now I can write of ny activities

of the past fow months,"

Fon tells about his leaving Snoipen 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 Theya Shima and jguni Shima,
which are small islands off the west coast of Okinewn. They embarked again and came
back to Okinawa proper. .

“We participated in the tail end of tho fighting before the island wos
declared secure on June 21. 1945, At the present timo we are camped on a beach near
Jahg, the,capital city of Okinawa, which formerly had a population of 75,000 and
in which nos one building 1s intact.now. It is difficult to visualize a vivy approxie
mate.y “he size of:Topekn completely leveled by bombs. artillery fire, and flane
turowerse ven these people out hore played basietbali, as «vidensed by somo rcomoins
of basketball courts, gymmasiums and ecouipment. Dana is still in Evrope wich she 7th
army. He was hospitalized for about tivo monzhs with shraprol wounds in his rigkt leg,
the result of.en.oneny mortar burst. wt the present time he is back on duty ond un-
dcubtedly will: remain in Europe for some time, since it has been indicated that the

7th will i cmain there.

"Two issues of your "Rebounds" just cnught mo here on Okinawa. They cer-
tainly make excellent reading and they aro the only media for keeping up with what
many of my bucdies are doing. Give my kindest regards to Mrs. Allon, your fanily,
and Coach and lirs. Shonk." ee AS

Soe tt oe ,fF |] fF £=& @

; iis (Jace) Ce L. Barkor, U.S.S« LST 21925 c/o Flect Post _Office,. San Francisco,
California, writos 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. Lavry's C,0. was Ilajor Fen Durand, They sot out in quest of the Major, missed
him, but on the socond try, contacted Fen, What a bull fost they hadi Geruid said,
“You can woll be proud of thet boy Fen Durand, Doce .He is evexvy inch a fine officor
and a gentleman. de looks fine and hasn't addod any excess weight to that sinewy
frame. I found »ut he is highly respected as a man and officer, and as one of his)
junior officers rolatod - 'Major Durand is one officer whv became a C.0. and didn’t

20ase to be a human boing.!"