To Cora Hendricks from Senn (Cora’s son & Bertha’s brother) – December 30, 1918
United States Military Academy
West Point, New York
My dearest mother,
I have just come back from a session at the Kay-det Hospital and I’m rather sore after it.
There is absolutely no use of my trying to go through this place – they won’t let me. The doctor said that aside from my eyes, I was the very kind of man he would like to see here and that he admired my dad. ____ ____ ____perhaps, though over eye strain.
He said that I could undoubtedly get along O.K. in a college where grades are turned in in month and six month periods, but that it would be absolutely impossible to get along where a continuous tension was kept up by the system of weekly marking.
I’ve said if I didn’t turn in my resignation at once, he would be obliged to put me in sick confine merit where I couldn’t use my eyes.
It makes me absolute mad and I’m going to study engineering or something where at least I can work and study in peace.
___ _____I’m not, why, I’ll earn enough next summer to make up my forfeit.
Please send me your permission to resign or rather, please forward it to the Commandant of Cadets, as I may be on my way shortly.
I’ve tried my damnedest, and no one can accuse me of quitting because of _____ because I’m recognized. It’s simply that I can’t afford to lose the time that I must if I stay here. A sick confine merit means another turn back or a mental deficiency.
I want to enter G.W. University in January. I’m sorry, but I’ve come to the conclusion that perhaps it isn’t a good idea to try and do something that you can’t qualify for in every way. There is no doubt about my eyes being far below par and perhaps the medic is right. I’ve lost a lot of time and I can’t afford to lose any more.
Lovingly by,
Senn
1134 S. Barrack