[This letter resulted from a mistake on my part. I should have checked Ken's name against the Social Security Death List before I sent the query letter. This is the sort of thing that should be avoided for the sake of the survivors. My sincere apologies. GCW]
Dear Mr. Willick,
This is in answer to a letter I received at this address during the month of September. Unfortunately, Kenneth passed away on the 26th of Nov., 2001. After 40 years of being married to Kenneth it is hard to get on with things. I had to give up our house we'd lived in here in Las Vegas since Ken retired in July, 1979. We never kept in touch with any of the 482nd guys.
We left Seymour Johnson in December, 1961, 10 days after we got married there. Went to Homestead, Fla., where we were still 482nd, I think. We left Homestead in Feb., 1964, and went to Misawa, Japan. Our daughter was born in Oct., 1964. We left there in January, 1967, and went to Tampa, Florida. Our second daughter was born in May, 1968. Then Ken got orders for Viet Nam. So left there in Sept of 68. I stayed in Portland, Oregon, near Ken's folks. We met him in Hawaii on R&R in March of 69.
Then Ken came back in August of 69, with orders for England. Where we went together as a family to Upper Heyford. Only to be told the whole squadron would be shipped to Germany to open a new base. Zweibucken. So were in England from Sept till 16 Dec. We left there on 16th to drive across England, the English Channel, France, Belgium, and on to Germany. We lived at Ramstein AFB for 3 weeks, then to a hotel in Zweibucken for a month till base housing was ready. There we stayed till August 1973. From there we went to Sumter, AFB, Sumter, SC. 1 year there.
Then Ken went to Thailand for a year. Udorn, I think, and Cam Rhan Bay, too. I stayed near my folks 25 miles from Goldsboro. Hoping he'd get orders for a base nearer by, like Seymour or back to Sumter, where I could get my freezer full of garden veg and fresh fruits, and farm raised meats. I filled the freezer up while Ken was in Thailand. But had to give away all of the frozen stuff.
We pulled in here Labor Day, 1975, where we stayed until retirement...which was July, 1979. Ken worked a lot of small jobs, but not one long enough to amount to anything. And did not keep up SGLI. So all I had was a small policy we took out in 1962 and kept it up. But Ken didn't do any upkeep on the house either. It went downhill. So it is going into foreclosure. 2 mortgages against it. And with my SS check I have to let it go. I really don't care. I am living with my daughter and grand daughter right now. But will be getting help to get an apt on my own very soon, I hope.
When I went thru all of Ken's boxes of training manuals, order papers, etc, I took the lot to base Legal Office and asked what I should do with them. I was told to destroy anything with his name and SS# on it, and toss others in dumpster. So I did. All orders are in a box here. I have the DD 214 in my VFW files. Ken was a life member of the veterans of Foreign Wars 10049 of N. Las Vegas, Nevada.
We had a military type funeral for him. He's at the VA Cemetery in Boulder City, Nevada. It does get very lonely at times and I miss him very much. I'm going to hang onto your letter. And if there is anyone who would like to get in touch...OK, give them this address. Thank you for your interest.
Sincerely,
Ms Edna J. Caddess, 5439 Pomeroy Cir., Las Vegas, NV 89142-1787