Not everyone who sent postcards was literate enough to write them without help. I make this judgment after researching a humorous yet unusual card mailed to Joe Kemper in St. Louis, Missouri.
This card has the address of Pvt. John Kennah, stationed at the US Army – Rocky Mountain Arsenal, in Denver, Colorado, penciled on top. The postmark is September 10, 1942.
It’s easy to tell if it was a pencil by several eraser marks. A fellow named Mike wrote and signed the following message on the back of the postcard, with it appearing that Mike was barely literate himself:
“Pv John Kennah
Rocky Mt Arsenal
Denver Colo
US Army
Hello paper boy how are you. Tell your grandmother I said hello Joe will you get me one of those color paper. How is Charles getting along. Good by Joe and God bless you buddy Mike.”
Delving into John Kennah’s life, he was born on August 19, 1907, with the 1940 census showing he still lived with his parents and 7 siblings in St. Louis. At 32 years of age, John’s occupation was listed in the 1940 census as “paper boy.”
That was confirmed in a January 6, 1942, St. Louis newspaper article, detailing how a woman, Mrs. Niermann, was struck and killed as she crossed the street to purchase a paper from Kennah.
The shock and lingering memory must’ve been horrendous. With World War II underway, John Kennah enlisted in the service six months after the accident, on August 12, 1942. Records show that Mr. Kennah only had a grade school education, yet the Army accepted his application despite this shortcoming.
Joe Kemper was a friend of John and Mike, and, judging by Mike’s letter, he appears to be associated with the newspaper industry as well. Further research showed that Kemper eventually became a barber. Joe appears to also have been an amateur boxer, as well as an amateur baseball player for several local St. Louis teams.
After John Kennah left the service, he worked as a security guard at the Carriage Club for 13 years before retiring. John “Irish” Kennah died at the age of 86 in 1988. Out of 7 siblings, he outlived them all, including his wife, Angeline.
I didn’t find out who Mike is. With so many boys and men called that, it’d be next to impossible without a last name.
I like to write junk... 