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28th July,1958.

M. Vanheems, Esq.,
47-48, Berners Street,
W. 1.

Dear Mr. Vanheems,

I felt that I should personally write to thank you for the
wonderful contribution which you have made in the preparation of the
D-Day book which I am writing.

Your questionnaire was so complete that I did not think it would
be necessary to ask you to come for interview. The account which you
gave was precisely the sort of thing that I was searching for and I feel
confident that I will be able to use extracts from this as I am writing
the book.

As you must well appreciate, we are dealing with several thousand
people, and in the book's final edited form, we shall probably be lucky
if we can do more than give each participant a few lines. It is the sum
total, however,of all these accounts which I hope will give the book its
accuracy and unbiased presentation.

I have one more request to make of you. In order to extract some
material from your questionnaire, I will need your signature to the attached
release. A stamped and addressed envelope is attached for your use.

It may well be a year before the manuscript is published in The
Reader’s Digest, but at that time we will duly send you a copy of the issue
with the story "The Longest Day".

May I take this opportunity of returning to you your own account
of D-Day. It was indeed very kind of you to lend this to us and to allow
us to keep it for so long.
Yours sincerely,

(Cornelius J. Ryan)