TCG Letter #60 / Carpenter Letter #45

One war is enough for any man, declared Tolkien, and he hoped Michael would be spared a second. He knew what Michael was suffering through. When he was young he did not think that “old folk” suffered much during wartime but now he knew better, feeling like a lame, caged canary. However, it was something to be the father of a good young soldier, and he cherished the link between them.