Army & Navy – MORALE: To Next of Kin

Nothing can be done to ease the jarring shock of the first reports of casualties to their next of kin. But the Army last week adopted a procedure designed to eliminate the gnawing doubts and anxieties that invariably follow its terse telegrams. Henceforth the telegrams will be followed by full, fast follow-up reports direct from theaters of war.

If a soldier dies, his commanding officer or chaplain will write a letter soon afterwards to his next of kin telling, if possible, how, when and where the death occurred, and where the soldier is buried. For men who are wounded or taken ill, the hospitals to which they are assigned will forthwith send home full details of their condition, follow them up every 15 days with progress reports. To speed delivery, all of the supplemental news will be airmailed.

Mindful of the flood of calls, wires, letters usually prompted by its first telegrams, the Army stressed in announcing the procedure that it can answer no queries during the interim between first and second reports.