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| Jack and Jean-Pierre Hendrickx |
Jack’s letters
express his longing for Alice and yearning to be home with his family.
Camaraderie with fellows from his squadron, even his best friends Winkler and
Derrick, did not compensate for missing Alice’s touch or her home-cooked meals.
By chance, bad weather, and the kindness of a community, he was able to
experience family life again, briefly, in a village in Belgium.
This
was November now and the rainy season. Our tents were pitched in an area that
mud was up to our ankles in Beauvechain. When the town people saw the mud and
our need, they made arrangements for those who had an extra bedroom in their
home to take the soldiers in where they would be dry. I don’t mention warm
because they did not have much fuel to heat the house. Winkler, Derrick, Mike
Salvage, Harold Birch [Burks], and I were assigned to the Hendrickx-Leemput
home. This was a great place, and more like a home to us. Armand, the husband,
was about thirty years old, and Lique [Angélique], his wife, was about twenty-seven or
twenty-eight. They had two children, Marie-Louise, about five, and Jean-Pierre,
about one and a half years old. Wink and I spent many evenings there, and Lique
would fix coffee for us. Some of the fellows would stay, and sometimes they
would go out. What a wonderful family, and how lucky we were to be able to stay
there.[1]
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| Armand, Marie-Louise, Lique, and Jean-Pierre Hendrickx-Leemput Lique's sister Georgette Leemput |
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| Winkler, Kellar, Salvage, Derrick |
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| Armand, Jean-Pierre, Lique, Winkler, Burks, Georgette Marie-Louise, Salvage |
Belgium,
Nov. 29, 1944
Dearest
Alice,
Gee
I’m sure sleepy tonight. It is only 9:00 P.M. Leke [Lique] told
us last night not to eat at the mess hall tonight as she was going to have
dinner for us. Boy what a dinner! Gee I sure am full & that is why I’m so
sleepy. We had rabbit & gravy & French fried potatoes. Gee she had so
many potatoes I didn’t know how we were going to eat them all but there were
none left when we got done. Then after we had cherries & plums that she had
canned. She sure is a good cook & so neat about everything. After we got
thru eating she washed the dishes & I dried them Ha I just looked
forward all day to that meal Ha Aramond [Armand], the husband took my
watch into town today as it needs cleaning. It will be done in a couple of
days. Well John Pierre is off to bed so it will be quiet now for a while. Gee
I’m so sleepy I can’t even spell right. Ha John Pierre gets into
everything around here. Tonight he was trying to put a bedroom slipper in the
tea kettle Ha Gee they sure make us feel at home here. I was in Liege
today for a little while on business. It was quite a nice town.[2]
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| The Hendrickx-Leemput home with Winkler at upper window |
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| Winkler was friendly with Lique’s sister Georgette. Both were single at the time. |
Belgium,
Dec 6, 1944
Dearest
Alice,
Gee
the kids [Marie-Louise & Jean-Pierre] are having a great time today as they
celebrate St. Nickolas day today. They sure enjoyed the little gifts we gave
them & it made me feel good that they did tonight. Last night to celebrate
St. Nick’s day we had 2 very small glasses of cognac (pronounced có-ne-yak).
Gosh but it is rotten stuff. I hated to take it but finally did after they
insisted. Then we had fried ham & fresh eggs, coffee, bread & butter.
Several nights ago we sure had a good feed. We had a real good pork roast,
boiled potatoes & gravy & peas cooked in butter. Boy Leke sure can cook
& they are very nice to us. I like your cooking best of any I have tasted
yet darling. I think you are really tops. Well a year ago tomorrow morning we
pulled into New Jersey. Boy I sure was blue.[3]
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| Marie-Louise and Jean-Pierre Hendricks |
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| Marie-Louise, second from left, and girlfriends |
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| Jean-Pierre |
Belgium,
Dec. 10, 1944
Dearest
Alice,
Well
a year ago tonight Derrick, Wink & I went to New York. Gosh what a time we
had. We walked up to a cop & asked him where “Times Square” was & he
said soldier you are on Times Square right now. I guess he knew we were from
the country Ha But Boy what I wouldn’t give to be back in that country
right now. Last night Leke insisted that I have a cup of hot wine [to help
recover from a cold]. So I finally downed one but it almost made my stomach
turn over to drink it.[4]
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| Jean-Pierre, Derrick, Winkler, Marie-Louise, Lique, Salvage, Armand, Georgette. The women are wearing the boys' hats. |
Belgium,
Dec. 14, 1944
Dearest
Alice,
Well
a year ago tonight we were on our way across the water. Gosh I had a lump in my
throat & I sure did a lot of thinking. I got my new pair of shoes I told
you about last night. They sure are swell & they are called Combat boots.
They look something like this [drawing] Ha They are a regular high top
shoe with a large piece of leather on the top with two buckles on it. Is it O.K
if I don’t send the money that Derrick & Wink gave me for the pictures
& instead spend it on my shoes?[5]
Christmas was approaching.
Jack knew Alice, his mother, and others had sent presents back in October, and
he was anxious to open them. But the Army Air Force had other plans for him.
[1] Jack J. Kellar, “Autobiography,” 1998; two
ninety-minute cassette tape recordings; held and partially transcribed by the
author. Excerpt.
[2] Jack J. Kellar (Belgium), letter to “Dearest Alice”
(Alice [Streeter] Kellar), 29 November 1944, excerpt.
[3] Jack J. Kellar, letter to “Dearest Alice,” 6 December
1944, excerpt.
[4] Jack J. Kellar, letter to “Dearest Alice,” 10
December 1944, excerpt.
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