Continuing our WWI theme...

Some of you have seen these before, but since the diary and photos of 1918 were just posted, I thought you'd enjoy seeing other items in the files from that time.  These telegrams are from 1918 and 1919.  Three are written to PRK Sr. and one is from him.  [Click on images to enlarge.]

This one is from his mother, Elva M. Kemp, dated October 12, 1918.

The next is from PRK to his brother, Clare (C F Kemp), dated December 28, 1918.

And Clare's response, the same day...

Another from his mother, this one dated January 21, 1919.

The last telegram we have is from Clare.  The date is unclear.  It's my favorite.

We also have a menu from "Christmas Dinner - Naval Port Guard - San Francisco - California - December 25, 1918."  I imagine this must have been a great celebration as it was held only a month and a half after the end of the war.

Lastly, here are some images I found on the internet that give an idea of life at the Naval Station in San Francisco in 1918.

Naval Training Station - San Francisco - 1918

Naval Training Station - San Francisco - 1918 - partitions due to influenza epidemic

Naval Training Station - San Francisco - No Spitting Sign

Paul Kemp Senior's 1918 Diary

Here's a small leather-bound diary from 1918 kept by Paul Kemp Sr. while he was in the Navy in San Pedro and San Francisco.  He doesn't write in it every day.  But when he does write, even though it's only just a few lines, it really paints a picture of his life in the service - hair cuts, shots, mess, leave, mail, visits, baseball.  He starts the diary when he's 21 years old and turns 22 on August 23rd.  The last diary entry is Tuesday October 29th, two weeks before the end of the war.  I've interspersed the diary entries with photos of Paul Sr., friends, and family during his term of service.  It all takes place during the massive influenza epidemic, which is why you see the masks in some of the photos.  And I suspect the girl standing beside him in a couple of photos may be the "Millie" or "Mill" mentioned in the diary.   [Click on photos and diary pages to enlarge.]

"Crappy Toshiro" (aka Dick)

[click on photos to enlarge]

When I first saw this photo of Tommy, I assumed he must have been wearing dad's old army jacket and cap.  But then I saw the next photo:

As you can see from the date stamp at the bottom, the photos were taken in May 1967.  Dick and Tommy were outside our home in San Gabriel (that's my bedroom window in the background).

The next photo I found was taken a little more than a year later, in August 1968.  Here, Dick is in Vietnam. 

And on the back of the photo he'd written this:

"Woke up this morning and had the hardest time deciding what to wear - Hope you approve.  What do you think of my landscaping?" and it was signed "Crappy Toshiro of Phu Bai."

Somehow I loved seeing that progression - from Tommy being swallowed up by a military jacket, to Dick and Tommy together, to Dick standing in a world we couldn't imagine but with the same smile he had shown the camera on Ruthlee Avenue. If you're going to go into a war, best to carry along that kind of a smile, and the sense of humor that ended up on the back of that photo.  We love you, Crappy Toshiro of Phu Bai!

Betty Benson in Catalina 1947

[click on images to enlarge]

My mom used to love going to Catalina Island in the mid to late 40's. The Casino Ballroom had all the latest big bands and she and her friends would go there to dance. They befriended a local legend named "Pops" and mom always spoke of him as if he was actually related. So it was no surprise to find yet another photo of her on the island. What was a surprise was what she was doing in the photo. 

Here, she's apparently borrowed hat and violin from the local mariachi troupe.  She was 17 years old.  I think she wore that same style bathing suit for the rest of her life!  This is not exactly how I remember her. And maybe that's why I love this picture so much. It's the mom I never knew. And the mom my dad fell in love with. How great is that?

Jeff's speech at the Heritage Foundation

Jeff recently gave a talk at the Heritage Foundation - "Hope Growth and Enterprise: Social Justice Lessons from the life of Jack Kemp."  He was introduced by Jack's good friend, Bob Woodson.  He manages to get football, Joanne, Lincoln, Churchill, Bertha Gilkey, The Kemp Foundation, California Delivery Service, Albert Einstein, Jackie Robinson, Martin Luther King, and Gideon into one talk.  The apple didn't fall far from the tree, that's for sure.  Enjoy!!

CLICK HERE for a link to Jeff's speech

Kemps are the answer to 80-down!

It's not every day that we Kemps are an answer in the L.A. Times Sunday crossword!!

[click puzzle to enlarge]