Letter from John Steinbeck to President Lyndon Johnson

JOHN STEINBECK Box 1017, Sag Harbor, Long Jsland, New York 7 28 MAY, 1966 DEAR MR. PRESIDENT: I AM GRATEFUL TO YOU FOR RECEIVING MY SON AND ME. IT MEANT A GREAT DEAL TO BOTH OF US AND I AM SURE THAT SEEING YOU REASSURED HIM THAT RESPONSIBILIT) IS BEHIND HIM AND BACKING HIM. HE HAD NEVER BEEN TO WASHINGTON BEFORE. FROM THE PLANE I TOOK HIM FIRST TO THE LINCOLN MEMO, RIAL. HE STOOD FOR A LONG TIME LOOKING UP AT THAT HUGE AND QUEET FIGURE AND THEN HE SAID, OH! LORD; WE HAD BETTER BE GREAT. " YOU WILL UNDERSTAND( THAT I AM PLEASED WITH THIS BOY AND PROUD. HE KNOWS WHAT HE WANTS AND MUST DO. HE IS THROOUGHLY TRAINED TO DO IT. HE IS PROUD OF HIS UNIFORM AND PROUD OF HIS COUNTRY. HE GOES VEP.Y SOON NOW, AND AS YOU MUST KNOW, MY HEART GOES WITH HIM. AND I WILL ASK YOU, SIR, TO REMEMBER YOUR PROMISE TO PRAY FOR HIM. - I KNOW THAT YOU MUST BE DISTURBED BY THE DEM__ONSTRATIONS AGAINST POLICYIN VIETNAM. BUT PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THERE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN PEOPLE WHO INSISTED ON THEIR RIGHT TO CHOOSE THE WAR IN WHICH THEY WOULD FIGHT TO DEFEND THEIR COUNTRY. THERE WERE MANY WHO WOULD HAVE NO PART OF MR. ADAMS ' AND GEORGE WASHINGTON'S WAR. WE CALL THEM TORIES. THERE WERE MANYALSO WHO CALLED GENERAL JACKSON A BUTCHER. SOME OF THESE SHOWED THEIR DISAPPROVAL BY SELLING BEEF TO THE BRISISH. THEN THERE WERE THE VERY MANY WHO DENOUNCED AND EVEN IMPEDED MR. LINCOLN'S WAR. WE CALL THEM COPPERHEADS. THEN THERE WERE THOSEWHO NOT ONLY DENOUNCED BUT DESTROYED PRESIDENT WILSON'S POLICY. BECAUSE OF VERY SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES, WE WILL NOT CALL THEM ANYTHING- FOR A WHILE. I REMIND YOU OF THESE THINGS MR. PRESIDENT, BECAUSE SOMETIMES, THE SHRILL SQUEAKING OF PEOPLE WHO SIMPLY DO NOT WISH TO BE DISTURBED, MUST BE SADDENING TO YOU. I ASSURE YOU THAT ONLY MEDIOCRITY ESCAPES CRITICISM. AGAIN MY THANKS TO YOU,SIR. YOU GAVE MY BOY A PEDIMENT OF PRIDE, AND THAT A GOOD SOBDIER MUST HAVE. AS ALWAYS, FAITHFULLY, form Stimbuck