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January 2, 1977 I can well understand the Christmas rush and all that goes with it, and all that being piled up on a fellow who has just made a quick trip half way around the world. I hope this letter will find you with your head above the turmoil, and that you are breathing easier now. Too, I do hope you had a happy Christmas. My wife, Eunell, and I made an 1800 mile round trip to Tennessee to have Christmas with one of our daughters. She and her family moved up there in July. We had a white Christmas day, and got to see our son who is in the Navy. He is stationed on a destroyer in Newport, RI. So all in all it was a happy Christmas for us. We got back to Texas December 30 and were able to spend the New Year's holidays with our other daughter in Last Texas before we came on to Deer Park. But I, like you, am getting old and even that little bit of a trip is telling on me. However, I wouldn't have missed it for anything. The USS Houston survivors had a reunion back in May and during the days that it was being held I received a call from a fellow by the name of Bill Henderson. He told me that he was the pilot of the first bomber to bomb the wooden bridge at Tamarkan, and that he had some pictures of it. So about a week after the reunion I went to visit him. He lives in Belton, Texas. During the visit he told me that he had retired from the Air Force in 1974, and that just before he retired he had been in Viet Nam. In 1972 he went to Thailand on R&R from Viet Nam. He wanted to see Bangkok and the "Bridge Over the River Kwai" because he had been on bombing missions over both places. When he visited the site of the bridge he took several pictures; he also took pictures of the cemetery, the graves and the entrance. He had about a dozen copies of each print so he gave me a set of them before I left him. I, of course, was most grateful to get them. I feel as you do -surely not everyone is buried there that died in the jungle camps. I don't see how it could be possible. About six months before the end of the war I was put on a detail which consisted of one Dutchman, one Aussie, one Britisher, and me, the American representative. The Japs hauled us up country to clean all the camp cemeteries from Chungkai to the 35 kilo camp, it took us about two weeks. In the camps where there had been cholera the graves appeared to be in no special order as they were in other camps, so I don't know how they could have been sure that every body in them had been disinterred. I suppose you are aware of the service that is planned for February 28. It will be held in the Norfolk Navy Yard, and will commemorate USS Houston. There should be several survivors there. I wont be there, however, for it is too far, and will probably be too cold. (2) As I have mentioned, I have been writing to Dennis. He's really quite a guy, isn't he? I invited him to come to our reunion in Lubbock, Texas in August. He told me that his finances are in a bit of a bind after making the trip and that he didn't think he would be able to make it, but that he would try. I would like to invite you too. I realize that it is a pretty good trip, and that it is expensive, but if you can make it we would like to see and talk with you there. Some of the members of the Lost Battalion (131st F.A.) and a few of the Houston survivors are planning a three week tour to Australia, Java, and Thailand, to be taken in October. I had thought about trying to make it but it looks like I'll have to give up on it -it is just priced out of my range. Although I can understand how Dennis feels about the experiences he had as a POW, and how he believes that one should forgive, I believe that I'd have to go along with you and say that there is just too much to remember. However, I don't think one should carry the remembering so far that they would exclude the newer generation from acts of friendship, or hold them responsible for the acts of their fathers. But, as you well know, all the forgiving, all the forgetting, and all thoughts and acts of friendship has to be done on an individule basis. I suppose what I'm trying to say is: regardless of how one feels as an individule, we who were Japanese POWs must make every effort to see that it doesn't happen again. Well, I think that's about all I have to say for this time. We did appreciate getting your card, and if you ever have the notion to write -please do. I'd like to hear from you. Till next time, may you have a very happy and prosperous 1977 and the best of everything. Most sincerly, Bill Weissinger
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