Dooley also heard from old acquaintances.

          Dooley heard from a sailor he had served with on the U.S.S. Montague. The man had tried to see Dooley when he gave a speech in Hollywood in 1959. They never met there, but Dooley sent him a letter.

          A Catholic schoolteacher wrote Dooley about her memories of his caring for her while she was a little girl in a hospital in St. Louis, and how knowing him made her and the other patients better people. Dooley replied, thanking her for her compliments and encouragement.

          Dooley heard from the Navy captain he worked with during the Vietnamese refugee evacuation. The captain said that Dooley was a household name and that he was regarded by many as "a symbol of the friendly and helpful America that is strong and commands respect."