Archive letters, instead of shredding

Dear Amy: My mother is 90 years old and is now considering shredding letters from our dad that he wrote to her before theyweremarried. Dadwas in theNavy.

MysistersandIwould like them when she is gone.

She reread all 174 letters recently and said there was nothing racy in them, sowhy not keep them for us? — UpsetDaughter

Dear Daughter: My opinion is that these letters would be wonderful to have and to read.

Your mother might not quite grasp that even quotidian accounts of life from70 years ago would be of interest to people today.

Naturally, you and your sisters would be interested in accounts of your own early lives , but itwould also be cool to read about something as ordinary as, “I’ve been thinking about getting one of those Philco television sets,” or, “I can’t believe gasoline costs 30 cents a gallon!”

Accounts of people serving in the military add another dimension to the importance of these letters.

I read a story in Smithsonian Magazine about a remarkable man named Andrew Carroll and his heroic effort to found the “Million Letters Campaign,” with the goal to collect one million letters from military members for the Center for American War Letters at ChapmanUniversity.

Helped along through advocacy from my esteemed and legendary fellow advice-giver “Dear Abby,” this center has collected thousands of firstperson military accounts of war and peacetime. Each letter is read and archived by staff members.

Perhaps in celebration of Veterans Day this year, people will be inspired to open that suitcase, shoebox, or plastic bin — and read, re-read, scan, and donate these.

I hope your mother will respond to your desire to share this history with her.