Doolittle Home veterans

By Lynne Sarikas

The whole world was at war when three young men answered their Nation’s call, serving from the Atlantic to the Pacific and to the defense lines of the frozen north. These three veterans now share another common bond as residents of Doolittle Home and there is time to relect on their role in events that changed the history of the world, forever.

Howard Kane

Howard Kane had been married just ten days when his life changed significantly. His draft notice arrived January 6, 1942. He left his job at Westinghouse where he had been making electronic tubes for military radar and reported to Fort Dix, NJ. He spent the next five months at basic training and radio school in Monmouth, NJ. After processing and receiving supplies and clothing at Fort Slocum in NY, Howard boarded the train for Boston where a ship awaited to take him to St. Johns, Newfoundland. After six days on board, he arrived at his station for the war.

Howard was a Technician III in the Signal Corps of the U.S. Army. He served in Newfoundland from July 1942 through September 1945. His primary mission was to install communications lines across the island since radio communication was not 100% effective. Howard worked as an engineer extending telephone lines to the numerous satellite bases on the island. In his time there, the Signal Corps successfully installed lines across the island from St. Johns to Stevensville.

While far from the front lines, there was constant concern that the Germans would try to land on Newfoundland and there were torpedos dropped in St. Johns Harbor. When the Signal Corps successfully ran telephone lines to the top of Table Mountain, they successfully established communications to Nova Scotia which could then be relayed to New York. In his final trip across the island, Howard was on the last train to make it through before a major snowstorm. The very next train was stranded for five days in a blizzard with 6 – 8 feet of snow.

“The Yank”, a military publication kept Howard and his unit informed about the war efforts in the other areas of the world. He also received regular mail from home, reporting proudly that his wife Dot was a frequent source of mail. Howard was fortunate enough to return home in January 1945 for the birth of his daughter Linda. The flight on the military transport plane was only the second flight of his life. Dot and the baby moved to Massachusetts to live with her parents.

Originally scheduled to deploy to Japan after the war stopped in Europe, plans changed and Howard was discharged at Fort Dix on September 13. After being actively recruited to return to Westinghouse, the young family decided to remain in Massachusetts. Howard accepted a position with New England Power Service Company, a division of New England Electric after the war and worked there for 36 years until his retirement.

Much to the amazement of his fellow veterans, Howard has been known to attend veterans’ events in his uniform which still fits!!

Bob Babcock

Sensing the coming world events, Bob Babcock enlisted in the Navy prior to being drafted. Bob served as a Lieutenant in the U.S. Navy. He served three years in World War II. Initially Bob was stationed on a ship in the Atlantic doing submarine patrols but eventually the ship passed through the Panama Canal and island hopped across the Pacific to the Philippines. After Hiroshima, his ship went to Sasebo, Japan as part of the occupation forces. They provided amphibious transport to land troops on shore when there were no docks.

Bob was a diesel engine expert and utilized his expertise on board the ships. Unfortunately, that expertise was in demand again and Bob was called to serve again in Korea for three years. His unit served in Seoul to support the South Korean government with supplies and manpower.

Bob and his wife Jane had a daughter, Susan, before Bob served in WWII so that kept Jane busy while he was serving in the Navy. When asked about being left alone with a baby, Jane explains “there were many in the same boat, you just did what you had to do.” While they wrote to each other frequently, their letters often took up to a month to arrive. During WWII, Jane and Susan moved to Maine to help Jane’s mother take care of her own mother. During the Korean Conflict, Jane stayed at their home in Holbrook but her mother came to live with her.

Bob’s love of ships influenced his career choices, working at Quincy Shipyard prior to enlisting, he returned there after both periods of service and worked until his retirement. Bob developed expertise in all times of ship engines – diesel, gas, oil and nuclear. He took nuclear courses at MIT.

Phil Rhind

With a lifelong interest in flying and airplanes, Phil Rhind enlisted in the Army Air Corps where he served as Staff Sergeant. Phil can still proudly recite the Army Air Corps song. What he remembers most about training in Florida is that it was extremely hot.

Phil spent four years in the Army Air Corps in the Pacific theatre and on the Philippines. While he served on land, he traveled by ship and was extremely disappointed when they passed through Hawaii but never stopped. On the ship the supply of paper products got wet and the Corps had to endure significant rationing for most of the trip. According to Phil, it was “impossible to get mail from home.” When mail did arrive, it was very old.

He recalls being assigned to a camping ground which at first inspection appeared to be dry ground. Unfortunately, the area was actually a rice paddy and soon became flooded but that is where their tents remained.

Phil reported that he was discharged in San Francisco and he still remembers the very long train ride home.

Serving Veterans

While proud of our resident Veterans, Doolittle Home also made a significant effort to support the other veterans in Foxboro. Doolittle Home trustees pledged to make the home’s wheelchair accessible van available with volunteer trustee drivers, to transport Foxboro veterans in wheelchairs to medical appointments. “Doolittle Home is proud to assist the veterans of Foxboro by providing transportation and saving them the expensive alternative of private wheelchair transportation firms,” reports Jack Authelet, president.