See Here, Private Foley!

See Here, Private Foley! is a collection of love letters between a young deployed World War II soldier and the love of his life. Ken and Patricia Foley have both passed away and left their correspondence to be discovered by their children and grandchildren. We are happy to share with others their passion and humor revealed in this journey taken by a young couple while separated during the war.

Kenneth M. Foley was born in 1915 in Washington, DC. After he was born, his parents divorced and his blind grandmother raised him along with seven other grandchildren. He had a very difficult time growing up and attended several high schools. Ken apprenticed with an electrical company and was acknowledged for his commitment and work ethic with a promotion to become a foreman. By 1940, he was overseeing the electronic installations in the new barracks on Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. During which time, he met Patricia Lawrence who was raised in Washington, DC and attended George Washington University and was in the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority. She worked as a stenographer for the War Production Board in DC after college. They were married in 1941 and lived in a small apartment (#522) which was referred to in the letters as their “522”. Shortly thereafter, Ken answered his nations call to arms by enlisting in the United States Army to support and defend our country during World War II.

A young man fought in a war where he experienced events and saw sights that he would have never thought possible. His wife lovingly supported him from home where she bore him his first child. The two grew up quickly in a world where the written word was all they had to comfort one another. The beauty and romance that an era knew as their only form of communication have since been replaced by text messages and emails. Follow along as a witness to their unbelievable journey throughout a deployment during World War II.