Chapter 52: Wrong place, wrong time
In Chapter 52, John loses a friend.
1. The conversation between John and Shapley is fictionalized.
2. The chaplain's sermon is reconstructed, based on a US Army Chaplain handbook.
3. The events of Shapley's death are based on interviews with Bill Kehres who served in Shapley's platoon. We do not know if John was there when Shapley Haines was killed.
4. John's letters of April 1st are reconstructed based on family recollections of his letters written from that time. He did send a letter to Art that day, but only the envelope survives.
5. View original photo of Shapley Haines with notes by Bill Kehres.
6. Bill Kehres remembers Shapley Haines. .m4v version for iPad and iPhone
7. Review the F-85 morning reports for April 1st, 1945.
Media and Web links:
1. Figure 52-2 Video: Bill Kehres talks about the events of April 1st, 1945.
2. Figure 52-3 Web: More information on the letters that John wrote in early April, 1945.
Copyright 2007 by Dan Oja