Friday, February 9, 1945
February 9, 1945
JFK was living at the Castle Rock Hotel, trying to recuperate from his arduous time in the South Pacific. He was in the process of putting together a book memorializing his older brother Joe, Jr. who had been killed the year before on a mission in Europe. The book and his brother were very much on his mind as he put his thoughts to paper in a letter to former Choate school intructor Dr. Tinker,
“I have gathered together some essays and some pictures, etc. and am having it put in a book form and it should be finished in about a month. It’s not much, but as you knew Joe well, I have been planning to send you a copy.
Joseph Kennedy, Jr. in 1945, shortly before his death (photo courtesy thewashingtonpost.com)
“Joe’s death was naturally a great shock. He had developed his capabilities to an extraordinary degree since leaving Choate, an I always felt that he could have reached whatever goal his ambition set….
JFK went on somewhat self-consciously to explain that it was,
“….naturally difficult, in fact impossible, for a younger brother to look at an older brother with any degree of objectivity, but I think he had a great contribution to make.
“As for myself, the doctors told me to come out here for about a year – and – so I don’t plan to return until the Fall.”
[3,p.677]