Letters Home: “best not to send the candy”

70 years ago today, John H. Thornton wrote from New Caledonia to his sweetheart, Miss Nell Fagan in East Point, Georgia. He gently provides some very useful information to Miss Fagan regarding the composition of his eagerly-awaited Christmas package. Servicemen being scattered across the globe during WWII and the need to send packages months in advance is sometimes cited as the origin of the early Christmas shopping season.

Gift of M.A. Thornton, 2009.531.018

Thornton writes on page 2 of his letter:

“Darling, about the candy you want to send me, I would like very much to have some but I’m afraid it would ruin getting here, worms get in most of the candy that’s sent out—they were in several pieces of that you sent for my birthday so I’d hate to see things like that ruin. I hate to say don’t send it, because you might think I don’t appreciate what you are trying to do. I appreciate it more than you can ever imagine also think you are very thoughtful and it make me proud to know that a girl like you loves me. I think it’s best not to send the candy but I still want to thank you.”

Post by Curator Kimberly Guise