I have learned a lot about the effects that war can have on soldiers and their families form Eleanor Wimbish’s letter A Mother’s Words. In the letter, Mrs. Wimbish speaks to her son, Bill, a soldier who fought, and died, in the Vietnam War. She tells Bill how much she misses him and also informs him that she learned more about his time in Vietnam from one of his friends who was a fellow soldier.
In the letter, Mrs. Wimbish wonders if her son was scared or homesick when he was in Vietnam. She also wonders if the war changed him like it did so many other people. She then states that when Bill was a child, he was always happy and was a joy to be around. She tells Bill that she hopes that he stayed joyful and didn’t become a cold, callused person.