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Broken appliances, a toaster, a blender, the Lionel Train set and two boxes of old letters rest on a platform made from an unused door and two sawhorses. That’s the scene in the garage of Alfred and Eileen Kerr in 2007. Alfred, at 81, is preparing for life threatening cancer surgery. Cleaning the garage is part of “getting their affairs in order”. The surgery is a success. The appliances soon find their way to the trash. The train set remains on that jerry rigged table for another 15 years, eventually making the move to a neighbor’s garage. The boxes of letters move into an empty bedroom closet. When Alfred and Eileen passed in 2020 and 2021 those letters became the treasure of the family inheritance.
The First Letters
(Click on images to enlarge)
April 16, 1951, Al and Eileen spend the night together at the Treasure Island Naval Base. Because of the Korean War Al’s Navy Reserve unit is being called to active duty. On April 17 Al would board a United Airlines flight to Honolulu. They agree to write each other every day. They rarely miss a day, and sometimes write two letters a day. They produce over 600 letters. They discuss world events, the minute details of daily life, their hopes and dreams, their confusion, and their love for each other. On April 17 Eileen writes her first letter. Al writes on the 18th, after his plane arrives in Honolulu. His travels continue, and he arrives in Kwajalein on April 21. He addresses that day's letter to his "Dearest Darling".
