During the time I’ve been researching World War II postcards,
my wife Becky often said, “One of these days you’ll find a card written by
someone you know.” I always replied, “Not gonna happen.” Well, it happened.
A few months ago I found a postcard on e-Bay that was written
in 1942 by a sailor named Gene Puett, addressed to friends in Ten Mile,
Tennessee. (Yes, there really is a town
by that name.) Gene Puett was an attorney. He went on to be a long-time legal
counsel at my alma mater, the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. I knew Gene
by reputation but never met him. However, his wife, Sammie Lynn, was on the
College of Communications faculty at UT and was a member of my thesis committee
when I was a graduate student in 1973.
Gene and Sammie Lynn did not have children, and they have
both passed away. I tracked down one of Gene’s nephews, who happens to be the
family historian, and returned the card to him. He confirmed something I suspected
when I saw the card – Gene Puett liked to joke around. The typewritten card was
address to:
Mrs. Ed Odom and Family
Ten Mile
Down in Tennessee
The salutation is, “Dere Foks.” Gene was an educated man and
was obviously putting on the hillbilly lingo.
Adding to the “small world” nature of this postcard, the
image on the card is an aerial shot in San Francisco looking north over Russian
Hill toward Mt. Tamalpais in Marin County. Several apartment buildings are
visible, including one where I lived for six months in 2002 on a temporary
assignment while working for the Bechtel Corporation.
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