Partial letter from Ford Killen
Title
Partial letter from Ford Killen
Description
Writes about films and perceptions of England and America. Comments that thousands of GIs who would want to return to England in peace time because they had grown to love it. Mentions what was on radio. Second page torn and some text lost. Lists things he had sent.
Creator
Language
Format
Two sided handwritten letter
Conforms To
Publisher
Rights
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Contributor
Identifier
SReidK473650v10003
Transcription
(4)
British were snobbish, & catty, but found that it was only their mysterious way of expressing themselves), and finally she grew to love the place; oh – you’ve read the poem, but Irene Dunne turned out a flawless performance – the rest of the cast – except her father – were all English. It’s a picture that I would like to see again. And I [underlined] do [/underlined] want to read the book. The picture was so frank, though, that it was embarrassing to me in places, but if England and America are to maintain the close harmony in peace that they have achieved in war, they must discuss – openly – all problems, no matter how disturbed and piqued either country becomes at delving into such a personal problem. We’ve [underlined] got [/underlined] to keep on a friendly basis for mutual protection and well-being, don’t you think? And surely there are thousands of G.I’s who want to return to England in peace-time because they have grown to love it, next to the U.S. – which we love beyond anything else – because of birth, heritage, allegiance and what she stood for – just as every countryman loves his individual country with a love been not in his father’s heart, nor his father’s father’s heart, but through generations of pioneering, building, fighting, and developing that precious country, no matter how small or expansive it might be. I know the citizens of tiny Switzerland & Belgium & Luxembourg love their homeland – small though it is just with the fire that I do mine, and you do yours.
From the radio is coming soft, modulated strains of “Carry Me Back to Old Virginia” – a song that I shall long remember and like, and Dixie, our marching song – we – the little band of rebels – in the American civil war. We fought then, as we do now, for a failing & flimsy cause – from hardy bitter [missing words] of struggle and bloody conflict be – [missing words] With rash [indecipherable word] fields of snow-like cotton, [missing words] [indecipherable word] gentleman whose only problem, hereto [missing words] been to see that the slaves did a good day’s [missing words] received proper treatment, and there was sufficient [missing words] ladies & gentlemen. Yes, it was
[page break]
(5)
a failed cause, but being [missing words] fused to depart from a mode [missing words] haven-like, course, and joyous) [missing words] the mockingbird, and the [indecipherable word] penetrating [missing words] [indecipherable word] in the choral voices of darkies singing spirituals after the day’s work in the fields was [missing word] Then after defeat was imminent, we still clung on bitterly for another 2 years. And to this day, 85 years later, there are still memories and prejudices that have remained curiously alive where the Southerner turns against the Northerner and lashes out at each other.
Once, having spent my entire life in the South, thought that most of the people for the East were [indecipherable word] & egotistical but the Army has changed that. True, there are Easterners who claim their ancestors came across on the Mayflower [missing words] are tempted to remind you of this, but now – now – to [missing words] forgotten geographic differences – East, West, North [missing words] – First, last, and always fighting for the [underlined] same [/underlined] cause this time, and a [underlined] good [/underlined] cause at that. The right to return to the U.S. to live a life unmolested by tyranny, and the right to live as an American.
I have sent requests for your things – 2 slips, and 3 pairs of stockings. I hope they arrive before Christmas, & also bought something for you in London. I won’t tell you until I see you. Cathy, I suppose you have found out that [missing words] a writer a long time I started this as a small journal and wound it up as a book-length novel, so please [missing words] 1s 6d for the “final editors” – Don’t take me serious – [missing words]
It is growing late & cold, and I have an early engagement in the morning – with an airplane – so please allow me to say, Au revoir & write real soon –
Tons of Love
Just
Heathcliffe
P.S. [indecipherable words]
British were snobbish, & catty, but found that it was only their mysterious way of expressing themselves), and finally she grew to love the place; oh – you’ve read the poem, but Irene Dunne turned out a flawless performance – the rest of the cast – except her father – were all English. It’s a picture that I would like to see again. And I [underlined] do [/underlined] want to read the book. The picture was so frank, though, that it was embarrassing to me in places, but if England and America are to maintain the close harmony in peace that they have achieved in war, they must discuss – openly – all problems, no matter how disturbed and piqued either country becomes at delving into such a personal problem. We’ve [underlined] got [/underlined] to keep on a friendly basis for mutual protection and well-being, don’t you think? And surely there are thousands of G.I’s who want to return to England in peace-time because they have grown to love it, next to the U.S. – which we love beyond anything else – because of birth, heritage, allegiance and what she stood for – just as every countryman loves his individual country with a love been not in his father’s heart, nor his father’s father’s heart, but through generations of pioneering, building, fighting, and developing that precious country, no matter how small or expansive it might be. I know the citizens of tiny Switzerland & Belgium & Luxembourg love their homeland – small though it is just with the fire that I do mine, and you do yours.
From the radio is coming soft, modulated strains of “Carry Me Back to Old Virginia” – a song that I shall long remember and like, and Dixie, our marching song – we – the little band of rebels – in the American civil war. We fought then, as we do now, for a failing & flimsy cause – from hardy bitter [missing words] of struggle and bloody conflict be – [missing words] With rash [indecipherable word] fields of snow-like cotton, [missing words] [indecipherable word] gentleman whose only problem, hereto [missing words] been to see that the slaves did a good day’s [missing words] received proper treatment, and there was sufficient [missing words] ladies & gentlemen. Yes, it was
[page break]
(5)
a failed cause, but being [missing words] fused to depart from a mode [missing words] haven-like, course, and joyous) [missing words] the mockingbird, and the [indecipherable word] penetrating [missing words] [indecipherable word] in the choral voices of darkies singing spirituals after the day’s work in the fields was [missing word] Then after defeat was imminent, we still clung on bitterly for another 2 years. And to this day, 85 years later, there are still memories and prejudices that have remained curiously alive where the Southerner turns against the Northerner and lashes out at each other.
Once, having spent my entire life in the South, thought that most of the people for the East were [indecipherable word] & egotistical but the Army has changed that. True, there are Easterners who claim their ancestors came across on the Mayflower [missing words] are tempted to remind you of this, but now – now – to [missing words] forgotten geographic differences – East, West, North [missing words] – First, last, and always fighting for the [underlined] same [/underlined] cause this time, and a [underlined] good [/underlined] cause at that. The right to return to the U.S. to live a life unmolested by tyranny, and the right to live as an American.
I have sent requests for your things – 2 slips, and 3 pairs of stockings. I hope they arrive before Christmas, & also bought something for you in London. I won’t tell you until I see you. Cathy, I suppose you have found out that [missing words] a writer a long time I started this as a small journal and wound it up as a book-length novel, so please [missing words] 1s 6d for the “final editors” – Don’t take me serious – [missing words]
It is growing late & cold, and I have an early engagement in the morning – with an airplane – so please allow me to say, Au revoir & write real soon –
Tons of Love
Just
Heathcliffe
P.S. [indecipherable words]
Collection
Citation
F Killen, “Partial letter from Ford Killen,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed September 30, 2024, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/39710.
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