In an effort to raise funds for the gallery, several people and families have stepped forward, volunteering to tell their stories in an effort to raise awareness and funds for the gallery. Harold and Mabel Dressel donated a box containing the essence of their son Kenny's life to CCHS. The box contained numerous items including: a purple heart, bronze star, newspaper clippings, burial flag, national defense service medal, Vietnam service medal, pictures, letter from President Lyndon B. Johnson, baptismal certificate, confirmation certificate, Watertown High School Diploma, funeral memorial book and most notably letters from Kenny himself documenting his life in the military. It is the wish of Kenny's family to publish his account of the military to help finance the veterans' gallery at CCHS.
Kenny Dressel's story was related to me by his sister, Mary Loehrs. Kenny's letters were addressed to his parents and his brother Chuck. Kenneth Harold Dressel was born December 6, 1947 in Watertown, the fourth child of Harold Dressel and Mabel Mesenbring. He graduated in 1966, enlisted in the Army July 12, 1967 and arrived in Vietnam on December 19th of the same year. He died in gun fire January 25th 1968.
Kenny (pictured at left) was quiet yet always kidding around and quick witted. He was a "very nice kid" who when his friend, Bruce Miller, was drafted, volunteered so that they could be together. Before he left for basic training, he told his girlfriend and sister Carol, he knew he wouldn't be coming home. This is the first half of his story, in his words. Kenny's first letter home is dated Thursday December 21.Thursday, December 21
Hello everyone,
Well I have been here a few days already and I am still alive, no I was just joking. It hasn't been too bad yet because I have not gone out in the field because we have to have about a week of more training, before they send us out. The weather over here is real nice now because it is during the dry season, and the temp is about 85 degrees so I am getting a real nice sun tan. We got paid when we got here so I got a check of $100.00 made up and sent it home, you maybe have it already, put it in my savings account…Bob Hope and company are going to be here on Christmas Day so they are getting ready for him….I ran into a few guys that I have been with for the past few months and last night we went out and got drunk, there were about 12 of us and we really had a good time. They changed the division I was supposed to go to. Now I am in the 25th Inf. Division; we are real close to the Cambodian Border. I got a patch that the whole 25th division wears and I sent it along…From what I hear there is a battalion of Vietnamese outside of our parameter but they aren't giving us any trouble so don't worry about it because I'm not...
Your son and Brother
Ken
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Wednesday (January) 10, 1967
Hello family,
It is about 2:00 in the afternoon and I am sitting on my bunker again... I got your 2nd letter today and thank you for the Kool-aid, but it should have been pre-sweetened because we don't get very much sugar out here. We are going to go down to our little river today and go swimming and wash our uniforms and other things. You wrote in your last letter that you said that you know just about where I am. Well I am 75 miles northwest of Chi-Chi and only about 4 miles from the Cambodian border. To get back to the Kool-aid if you want you can send 1 or 2 packages with every letter because water gets real sickening. One more thing that would be real nice, if you would get a subscription to the Watertown paper because there isn't very much to read around here and some days get real long if we run out of things to read….We have got about 20 guys in our platoon and I think that ½ of them are negroes but I get along with them real well.
Your son
Ken
Next post: Ken's last letters home
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