December 8, 2024 • 14 mins
Kenneth Paul Miller was from Pennsylvania and served in the U.S. Navy during WW2 and he was stationed at CASU-22
During WW2 women were deployed throughout Europe and the Pacific and their only means to communicate home was through letters, handwritten notes to assure those at home they were alright and waiting for letters from their loved ones to provide semblance of support and normalcy. Over the years I have collected letters with the intention of returning to family - but first I’d like to share who these men were, where were they from and the context of where the soldiers were and what role they played in the War.
Please sit back and get to know these members of the greatest generation. Please visit me on Facebook, or email me at warandfamily@outlook.com and help me get the letters home
Thank you for listening!
During WW2 women were deployed throughout Europe and the Pacific and their only means to communicate home was through letters, handwritten notes to assure those at home they were alright and waiting for letters from their loved ones to provide semblance of support and normalcy. Over the years I have collected letters with the intention of returning to family - but first I’d like to share who these men were, where were they from and the context of where the soldiers were and what role they played in the War.
Please sit back and get to know these members of the greatest generation. Please visit me on Facebook, or email me at warandfamily@outlook.com and help me get the letters home
Thank you for listening!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Welcome to Warren Family Letters Home. I'm your podcast host,
Lauren Muse. This podcast we talk about letters written home
by US servicemen and women in World War Two. I
find the letters and antique stores and auction sites and
well I researched the letter writer. Where were they from,
(00:44):
what were their families like, and how they served in
the war and what they did after the war. It's
my hope that someone will hear the podcast and recognize
family connections and contact me. My mission is to return
World War two history of families and these letters home.
They belong home with descendants, to cherish and show with pride.
(01:14):
Our letter for this week's podcast was written by Seamen
second Class Kenneth Paul Miller, US Navy. Kenneth Paul Miller
was born November tenth, nineteen nineteen, in Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania. He
(01:38):
was one of three boys born to Homer and Eva Miller.
On the nineteen twenty census, Homer and Eva are living
with Kenneth's grandparents. Both his father and his grandfather are
recorded with an occupation of a broommaker on the nineteen
thirty census. Things have changed and now Kenneth's parents have
(02:00):
their own home. Kenneth is now ten and he has
two younger brothers, willis aged seven and Forrest age six.
Homer is now supporting his young family working as a
sand blaster and a foundry. The occupation of sand blasting
records the third highest rate of silicosis. When workers breathe
(02:24):
in silica dust, they inhale tiny particles of the mineral silica.
As the lungs grow, fibrous nodules around the silica particles
scar tissue, and fluid builds up in the lungs. This
lung scarring makes it difficult to breathe as lung capacity decreases.
Silicosis cannot be cured. As with many occupational hazards and
(02:48):
dangers of that time, we didn't know that proper ventilation
and respiratory protection would be required, and his father, Homer,
passed away March third, nineteen thirty seven, at the age
of thirty eight of solucosis. Kenneth was just eighteen years
(03:10):
old on the nineteen forty census. Kenneth is now working
at a shoe factory and his mom is working at
a paper box factory. Kenneth's two younger brothers were still
in school. July one, nineteen forty one, Kenneth went to
his local draft Board number nine at the Parkway School
(03:31):
Building in schoolgl Haven, Pennsylvania, and registered for the draft.
He's described as five foot seven and a half inches tall,
one hundred and forty seven pounds, blue eyes, brown hair,
and a sallow complexion, and it's noted that he has
a scar on his lower left arm. He reported that
(03:53):
he was a cutter and a shoe factory and his
mom would be the person that would always know his address.
On August sixteenth, nineteen forty one, Kenneth married Miriam Ruth
Reynolds at the Saint John's Evangelical and Reformed Church in Tamaqua, Pennsylvania.
It states that Kenneth was employed at the Zulik shoe factory.
(04:20):
About two years later, on July sixth, nineteen forty three,
Kenneth was called up to the US Navy and he
was sent to Sampson, US Naval Training Station in Romulus,
New York. The day after arriving at Sampson, Kenneth wrote
home to his wife, Dearest wifey, I arrived this morning
(04:42):
at camp at eight forty five. What a tiresome ride? Boy,
am I lonesome for you. I went through another physical
when we arrived. Zimmerman didn't pass. I think I haven't
seen him since we were at the Year Doctors. We
got three white uniforms, three blue ones, beside our underwear
(05:04):
and shoes and stockings. I sent my clothes home by express.
Don't know when you'll get them. Gee, I just shaved
and looked at our picture. Sure was good to see
your face. Only one day, and I miss you very much.
But keep your chin up. I'll be home in seven
or eight weeks. All those clothes and no place to
(05:26):
pack it. Just this little locker. Captain's gonna show us
how to pack tomorrow and stencil our clothes. Boy, I
packed that stuff like Sardine's shore could use a nice
big dresser. The train didn't leave Allentown till one o'clock.
All these guys here look real nice in their blue
and white suits as they march by. I guess I'll
(05:49):
be doing that soon tomorrow. Perhaps we'll have nice food.
Supper wasn't too much to crow about. Well. I had
to borrow some paper from one and a pencil from another. Boy.
I believe the only thing I won't like about this
place is the washing of our own clothes and mending
them too. Well, I guess I run out of words
(06:12):
for tonight. Anyway. I guess this guy is just killing
time until I get done. So I'll say goodbye and
good luck on Sunday. Don't send anything just now. I'm
too busy all the time. I'll get paper and pencil
at the ship's service. Tell the others I'll write to
them as soon as I get more time and paper,
(06:35):
maybe tomorrow night. But I'll always write to you, man,
even if I have to take up a collection for paper.
You know, they keep you busy till you get in
the groove. I believe this is the first letter I
ever wrote to you. Huh, So long. Kenny Samson was
(06:56):
located on sixty six square miles of land surrounding Seneca Lake.
There were four hundred and ninety eight training and administrative buildings,
three hundred housing units, and dormitories for two hundred and
fifty civilians. Recruits spent ninety days of basic training and
were taught military history, mathematics, english spelling, reading, mechanical skills,
(07:21):
and general intelligence to help the Navy determine their aptitudes.
After ninety days of training, the recruits became Seamen second
class and they were ready for assignment to either a
ship or sixteen additional weeks of specialized training in Navy
service schools. In October of nineteen forty three, Seaman's second
(07:44):
Class Miller was assigned to the Carrier Aircraft Service Unit
twenty two, known as CASU twenty two, at Quonsett Point
Naval Air Station in Rhode Island. CASU twenty two was
a Navy aviation unit where Navy pilots and crews were
trained on carrier operations. The base utilized F six F
(08:12):
Hellcats and F for U Corsairs and simulated carrier environment
on land. There wasn't actually a carrier there at the time.
Seaman Miller remained stationed at CASU for the entirety of
the war. I'm not sure what his job was there,
but obviously many men were needed to keep the training
(08:35):
facility running. On December twenty twentieth, nineteen forty five, Seamen
first Class Kenneth Paul Miller was honorably discharged from the
Navy and returned home to his wife in Pennsylvania. In
nineteen forty seven, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania passed the World
(08:58):
War II Veterans Compona Act, which paid honorably discharged veterans
and those still in service a bonus compensation of ten
dollars per month of service for domestic service and fifteen
dollars a month for foreign service, and they paid the
families five hundred dollars if the serviceman died. While serving.
(09:22):
Veterans were asked to file an application in information such
as dates of service, dates and places of entry and
departure from the service were taken. The application was, on
occasion also accompanied with letters and photos for further proof
of eligibility. I often used these types of records when
(09:43):
I'm researching a letter writer. Mister Miller's application showed that
he was in domestic service for thirty months and therefore
received three hundred dollars. While that may sound terribly low,
it's important to remember that in the nineteen fifties it
would have covered more than a year's tuition at university
(10:04):
and gone a long way at the gas station where
gas was just twenty five cents a gallon. On the
nineteen fifty census, we find Kenneth and Miriam living in
East Brunswick, Pennsylvania, and both are working at a local company,
Kenneth in a wire department and Miriam in the soldering room.
(10:25):
Their son, Kenneth Junior, was born earlier that year, and
Miriam's sister Emma is shown as living with them and
keeping house for them. Kenneth Paul Miller Senior lived to
the age of ninety seven years old. He passed on
April seventeenth, twenty seventeen, in Allentown, Pennsylvania. His obituary was
(10:51):
published April eighteenth, twenty seventeen in the Republican, Republican and Herald.
It stated he served in the Navy as seamen first
class in World War Two and worked as a pipefitter
and plumber at Atlas Powder Company. Kenneth was a loving
man who admired his wife, Miriam and truly loved her
(11:14):
as well as his family. Interment was with full military
honors at Kimmel's Cemetery in Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania. Thank you for
joining me for another story of a World War II hero.
(11:36):
If you know of the Miller family of Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania,
please share my podcasts with them. Coming into the holiday season,
I can't think of anything better than to return this
letter and some others that I still have to family.
You can find me on Facebook at Warren Family Letters Home,
(11:57):
and I can be reached via email at Warren Family
at outlook dot com. All details in this podcast were
discovered by research done by me using public military genealogy
and newspaper search sites. The original letter, written by Seamen
(12:19):
second Class Kenneth Paul Miller, was obtained by me through
an auction site, and along with that letter is a
wonderful photo of Seeming first Class Miller in his uniform.
A reminder, Warren Family Letters Home will never ask for
(12:44):
any payments or any compensation to return letters to family.
It's our way of thanking the servicemen and women of
the greatest generation. We're coming into the holiday season. Please
consider volunteering or donating to reads across America. Let's be
(13:05):
sure that every grave of a veteran is beautifully remembered
for the holidays. They've just announced the route that the
convoy will be taking from me to Arlington Cemetery, with
stops at events all along the way. If you have
a chance, please do see that convoy and if you
(13:26):
can attend an event, be sure to shake the hands
of the volunteer truck drivers. Until next week, This is
Lauren Muse and you have been listening to Warren family
letters Home
Welcome to Warren Family Letters Home. I'm your podcast host,
Lauren Muse. This podcast we talk about letters written home
by US servicemen and women in World War Two. I
find the letters and antique stores and auction sites and
well I researched the letter writer. Where were they from,
(00:44):
what were their families like, and how they served in
the war and what they did after the war. It's
my hope that someone will hear the podcast and recognize
family connections and contact me. My mission is to return
World War two history of families and these letters home.
They belong home with descendants, to cherish and show with pride.
(01:14):
Our letter for this week's podcast was written by Seamen
second Class Kenneth Paul Miller, US Navy. Kenneth Paul Miller
was born November tenth, nineteen nineteen, in Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania. He
(01:38):
was one of three boys born to Homer and Eva Miller.
On the nineteen twenty census, Homer and Eva are living
with Kenneth's grandparents. Both his father and his grandfather are
recorded with an occupation of a broommaker on the nineteen
thirty census. Things have changed and now Kenneth's parents have
(02:00):
their own home. Kenneth is now ten and he has
two younger brothers, willis aged seven and Forrest age six.
Homer is now supporting his young family working as a
sand blaster and a foundry. The occupation of sand blasting
records the third highest rate of silicosis. When workers breathe
(02:24):
in silica dust, they inhale tiny particles of the mineral silica.
As the lungs grow, fibrous nodules around the silica particles
scar tissue, and fluid builds up in the lungs. This
lung scarring makes it difficult to breathe as lung capacity decreases.
Silicosis cannot be cured. As with many occupational hazards and
(02:48):
dangers of that time, we didn't know that proper ventilation
and respiratory protection would be required, and his father, Homer,
passed away March third, nineteen thirty seven, at the age
of thirty eight of solucosis. Kenneth was just eighteen years
(03:10):
old on the nineteen forty census. Kenneth is now working
at a shoe factory and his mom is working at
a paper box factory. Kenneth's two younger brothers were still
in school. July one, nineteen forty one, Kenneth went to
his local draft Board number nine at the Parkway School
(03:31):
Building in schoolgl Haven, Pennsylvania, and registered for the draft.
He's described as five foot seven and a half inches tall,
one hundred and forty seven pounds, blue eyes, brown hair,
and a sallow complexion, and it's noted that he has
a scar on his lower left arm. He reported that
(03:53):
he was a cutter and a shoe factory and his
mom would be the person that would always know his address.
On August sixteenth, nineteen forty one, Kenneth married Miriam Ruth
Reynolds at the Saint John's Evangelical and Reformed Church in Tamaqua, Pennsylvania.
It states that Kenneth was employed at the Zulik shoe factory.
(04:20):
About two years later, on July sixth, nineteen forty three,
Kenneth was called up to the US Navy and he
was sent to Sampson, US Naval Training Station in Romulus,
New York. The day after arriving at Sampson, Kenneth wrote
home to his wife, Dearest wifey, I arrived this morning
(04:42):
at camp at eight forty five. What a tiresome ride? Boy,
am I lonesome for you. I went through another physical
when we arrived. Zimmerman didn't pass. I think I haven't
seen him since we were at the Year Doctors. We
got three white uniforms, three blue ones, beside our underwear
(05:04):
and shoes and stockings. I sent my clothes home by express.
Don't know when you'll get them. Gee, I just shaved
and looked at our picture. Sure was good to see
your face. Only one day, and I miss you very much.
But keep your chin up. I'll be home in seven
or eight weeks. All those clothes and no place to
(05:26):
pack it. Just this little locker. Captain's gonna show us
how to pack tomorrow and stencil our clothes. Boy, I
packed that stuff like Sardine's shore could use a nice
big dresser. The train didn't leave Allentown till one o'clock.
All these guys here look real nice in their blue
and white suits as they march by. I guess I'll
(05:49):
be doing that soon tomorrow. Perhaps we'll have nice food.
Supper wasn't too much to crow about. Well. I had
to borrow some paper from one and a pencil from another. Boy.
I believe the only thing I won't like about this
place is the washing of our own clothes and mending
them too. Well, I guess I run out of words
(06:12):
for tonight. Anyway. I guess this guy is just killing
time until I get done. So I'll say goodbye and
good luck on Sunday. Don't send anything just now. I'm
too busy all the time. I'll get paper and pencil
at the ship's service. Tell the others I'll write to
them as soon as I get more time and paper,
(06:35):
maybe tomorrow night. But I'll always write to you, man,
even if I have to take up a collection for paper.
You know, they keep you busy till you get in
the groove. I believe this is the first letter I
ever wrote to you. Huh, So long. Kenny Samson was
(06:56):
located on sixty six square miles of land surrounding Seneca Lake.
There were four hundred and ninety eight training and administrative buildings,
three hundred housing units, and dormitories for two hundred and
fifty civilians. Recruits spent ninety days of basic training and
were taught military history, mathematics, english spelling, reading, mechanical skills,
(07:21):
and general intelligence to help the Navy determine their aptitudes.
After ninety days of training, the recruits became Seamen second
class and they were ready for assignment to either a
ship or sixteen additional weeks of specialized training in Navy
service schools. In October of nineteen forty three, Seaman's second
(07:44):
Class Miller was assigned to the Carrier Aircraft Service Unit
twenty two, known as CASU twenty two, at Quonsett Point
Naval Air Station in Rhode Island. CASU twenty two was
a Navy aviation unit where Navy pilots and crews were
trained on carrier operations. The base utilized F six F
(08:12):
Hellcats and F for U Corsairs and simulated carrier environment
on land. There wasn't actually a carrier there at the time.
Seaman Miller remained stationed at CASU for the entirety of
the war. I'm not sure what his job was there,
but obviously many men were needed to keep the training
(08:35):
facility running. On December twenty twentieth, nineteen forty five, Seamen
first Class Kenneth Paul Miller was honorably discharged from the
Navy and returned home to his wife in Pennsylvania. In
nineteen forty seven, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania passed the World
(08:58):
War II Veterans Compona Act, which paid honorably discharged veterans
and those still in service a bonus compensation of ten
dollars per month of service for domestic service and fifteen
dollars a month for foreign service, and they paid the
families five hundred dollars if the serviceman died. While serving.
(09:22):
Veterans were asked to file an application in information such
as dates of service, dates and places of entry and
departure from the service were taken. The application was, on
occasion also accompanied with letters and photos for further proof
of eligibility. I often used these types of records when
(09:43):
I'm researching a letter writer. Mister Miller's application showed that
he was in domestic service for thirty months and therefore
received three hundred dollars. While that may sound terribly low,
it's important to remember that in the nineteen fifties it
would have covered more than a year's tuition at university
(10:04):
and gone a long way at the gas station where
gas was just twenty five cents a gallon. On the
nineteen fifty census, we find Kenneth and Miriam living in
East Brunswick, Pennsylvania, and both are working at a local company,
Kenneth in a wire department and Miriam in the soldering room.
(10:25):
Their son, Kenneth Junior, was born earlier that year, and
Miriam's sister Emma is shown as living with them and
keeping house for them. Kenneth Paul Miller Senior lived to
the age of ninety seven years old. He passed on
April seventeenth, twenty seventeen, in Allentown, Pennsylvania. His obituary was
(10:51):
published April eighteenth, twenty seventeen in the Republican, Republican and Herald.
It stated he served in the Navy as seamen first
class in World War Two and worked as a pipefitter
and plumber at Atlas Powder Company. Kenneth was a loving
man who admired his wife, Miriam and truly loved her
(11:14):
as well as his family. Interment was with full military
honors at Kimmel's Cemetery in Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania. Thank you for
joining me for another story of a World War II hero.
(11:36):
If you know of the Miller family of Orwigsburg, Pennsylvania,
please share my podcasts with them. Coming into the holiday season,
I can't think of anything better than to return this
letter and some others that I still have to family.
You can find me on Facebook at Warren Family Letters Home,
(11:57):
and I can be reached via email at Warren Family
at outlook dot com. All details in this podcast were
discovered by research done by me using public military genealogy
and newspaper search sites. The original letter, written by Seamen
(12:19):
second Class Kenneth Paul Miller, was obtained by me through
an auction site, and along with that letter is a
wonderful photo of Seeming first Class Miller in his uniform.
A reminder, Warren Family Letters Home will never ask for
(12:44):
any payments or any compensation to return letters to family.
It's our way of thanking the servicemen and women of
the greatest generation. We're coming into the holiday season. Please
consider volunteering or donating to reads across America. Let's be
(13:05):
sure that every grave of a veteran is beautifully remembered
for the holidays. They've just announced the route that the
convoy will be taking from me to Arlington Cemetery, with
stops at events all along the way. If you have
a chance, please do see that convoy and if you
(13:26):
can attend an event, be sure to shake the hands
of the volunteer truck drivers. Until next week, This is
Lauren Muse and you have been listening to Warren family
letters Home
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