Billie Preetorius to Mrs. E. L. Preetorius, June 28, 1943

A letter from Billie (William James Preetorius) to his grandmother, Mrs. E. L. Preetorius (Florence Cecelia Preetorius), Samuel Owens' sister, thanking her for the letter that she sent, along with the package that had not arrived yet. Samuel Robert Owens (1918-1995) was stationed at Cavite Naval Yard in the Philippines when the United States entered World War II. He was a member of the crew of the submarine tender USS Canopus (AS-9), which was actively involved in the defense of the Bataan peninsula until the fall of Bataan on April 9, 1942. The majority of the crew of USS Canopus, including Owens, were captured by the Japanese at Corregidor, and became prisoners of war. Owens remained a POW until the end of the war and received the Silver Star and Bronze Star for his service