Paris, June 17th, 1919

Dear Mr. Van Deusen:

A enclosing two newspaper clippings that may be of interest to you, sad as the news they contain. It may be that you already know of the accident that befell Corp. Killean.

Don’t exactly know when I’ll see you again. If everything goes according to schedule, probably some time in August. Just now our main interest is in waiting to see what Heinie is going to do with the Peace Treaty. Reparation for the real victims of the war and the establishment of a durable international order for the future is beyond the ken of Heinie’s perception, evidently. But he might as well submit today as tomorrow.

In haste, your friend, As ever, Anton H. Jensen

Pilot 2 July 1919

Swimming Fatality

As a result of a swimming party in the Rhine near Rheinbrohl, Corporal Blair Killean, of the Headquarters Supply Company, 6th Regiment, U.S. Marines, lost his life and his body has not been recovered. With five others he was enjoying the cool waters and he and Corporal B. Carlson were about half way across when the latter called for help and was rescued. No attention was paid to Corporal Killean until the bank had been reached, as he had not called for assistance. A search was made but it proved unavailing. The current is very swift at this point and it is thought that Corporal Killean must have been swept away while his comrade was being rescued and was unable to make any call.

Corporal Killean joined the regiment on the Champagne front and had always been very popular with his comrades. He leaves a mother out in Nebraska. – New York Herald, Paris Edition. Monday June 9th.

Roster Roll Of Officers and Enlisted Men of the U.S. Marine Corps, Supply Company, 6th Regiment May 1st to May 31st, 1919 (from Ancestry.com)

Died: Corporal Killean, Blair – 17 Jun 16 1-29 3DT-SC, accidently drowned in the Rhine River, at Bachhof, Germany, (Hubertunberg Farm, near Leutesdorf on Rhine) about 10:50 A.M. Death was in line of duty. Character, excellent, Boyd not recovered, to date. ~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~