November, 1956 
TO THE BEST WIFE A MAN EVER HAD:

Honey, I am writing to say a few things that I might leave unsaid 
if I should depart this world unexpected-like. In this flying 
business you never can tell when you might all of a sudden get 
unlucky and wake up dead. I suppose this shows me up for being 
an old sentimental fool, but I thought if I could make sure you 
know how I feel about such things it might be a comfort. 

First of all, let's face one fact--everybody ends up dead. Think 
of all the infants and children and people who had the misfortune 
to die before they got much of anything out of life, and then think 
of all I got out of it.

Even if I should die the day after writing this, I am still one of 
the luckiest people who ever lived, and you know it. When you come 
right down to it, I've done just about everything I've wanted to do 
and seen about everything I've wanted to see. Sure, I'd like to 
stick around while the boys are growing up, and have fun with you 
once they've done doing that and when we have time again. But you 
and I agree so closely on how to raise a family, I'm sure that the 
boys are going to be all right. And I've had enough fun with you to 
last a lifetime.

Don't let the memories of me keep you from marrying again, if you 
run across somebody fit to be your husband, which would be hard to 
find, I know. But you're much too wonderful a wife and mother to 
waste yourself as a widow. Life is for the living. (That's not 
original, I'm sure.)

So get that smile back on your face, put on some lipstick and a 
new dress, and show me what you can do toward building a new life. 
Just remember me once in a while--not too often, or it'll cramp 
your style--and as long as I'm remembered, I'm not really dead. 
I'll still be living in John, Bill, and Al, and Dan, bless their 
hearts. That's what they mean by eternity, I think.

My love as always,
JACK

[Jack Sweeney, stationed in Bermuda, died a few weeks later 
 when his plane crashed in the Atlantic.]

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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