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Dan, I hope this letter and picture are of sufficient interest that you would consider publishing them. I tried hard not to make it too long but some things you can't say in a brief way. It was hard for me not to put in other impressions from October 21, 1944. If space permitted I would have tried to describe the smell of death that permeated the conn. I have smelled it since in slaughter houses. Also, how difficult it is to make sane things happen while you are standing in the blood of 7 of your shipmates, with bits of flesh and blood splattered on the inside of the conn. What it was like to rush to the bridge and see one man still sitting in the port side seat, slumped but not obviously hit. To lift his head and find most of his face missing. To try to find a medical ship and be turned away because they had more causalities than they could handle. Then to stand watch that night over canvas wrapped bodies of close friends and on and on. Much, much more, keeping in mind a lot of us were just kids running paper routes short months before. Your inner resolve had to save you from being overwhelmed. You just could not give in. Even after all this time just recalling these little unmentioned details that did not make it into the letter….makes me sad. I liked your interesting article about T.D. Burns's reaction to visiting the 45. I felt a little like that when I first saw this picture. It was so real that I started reliving that day. Dan, looking at the paid member's page I saw a Haney listed for the 256. I went to quartermaster school with a very nice man from Kentucky named Haney. I have forgotten the first name. He was Red Haney to us. He liked to say that he was from so far back in Harlan County, that you had to wipe the owl____off the clock to see what time it was. Could this be the same Haney? If it is, would you put his address in the enclosed, stamped envelope? I would appreciate it. Thanks again. Keep the picture if you want. Dick Schatz has asked for a picture of the 134.
Earl