Letters project marks 25th year as work continues, more letters needed

Dear Readers: Twentyfive years ago tomorrow, I told you about a new, nationwide effort to honor and remember our nation’s troops, veterans and families by seeking out and preserving their war correspondence from every conflict in U.S. history.

The response was overwhelming. The founder of this initiative, Andy Carroll, just told me that, as of this week, and on this special 25th anniversary, the archive has collected more than 200,000 war-related letters and emails. The nonprofit organization Andy created, the Center for American

War Letters (CAWL), based at Chapman University in California, is still seeking correspondence.

I would like to thank those of you who have already donated letters to

CAWL for sharing them, and encourage those of you who are not aware of CAWL but might have letters to contribute, to visit its website (Warletters.us) to learn more. CAWL is especially interested in any correspondence, including emails, from younger veterans who have served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

— Love, Abby

Dear Abby: My husband is deceased. I have two grandsons (42 and 39) and a great-grandson (24) living with me. None are married. I do not allow overnight guests. This morning at 3, I heard a girl come upstairs from the downstairs bedroom to get another girl. I was livid. Am I wrong to give them walking papers? I’ve told them before this was a NO-NO.

Dear Caught ‘Em: If you prefer not to have men mating like rabbits under your roof while all you have is a book, your wishes should prevail. It’s your house, your rules. It’s time these “naughty boys” found a place of their own, and you are within your rights to insist upon it.