Name/Title
Draft of Condolence Letter to William KelleyScope and Content
A draft of a condolence letter written by Frank Manson to William Kelley, the father of Lawrence Kelley. Lawrence Kelley died during the April 16, 1945 kamikaze attack off Okinawa, Japan. Captain Becton provided the edits to this letter before the final draft was created, signed, and sent.Context
Lt. Frank Manson was a Communications Officer aboard the USS Laffey (DD-724) from 1944-1945, as well as the press liaison for Commander Becton during the ship's Shipyard Worker Retention Tour. As Communications Officer, Manson drafted all the letters sent to family members after the Battle of Okinawa, which Captain Becton then expanded upon and signed.Collection
Frank Manson CollectionAcquisition
Accession
2019.06Source or Donor
USS Laffey AssociationAcquisition Method
Found in CollectionUpdate Date
03/25/2025