The Churchill Series - Mar. 11, 2008

(One of a series of weekday posts about the life of Winston S. Churchill.)

Churchill’s first wartime visit to the United States occurred shortly after Pearl Harbor. He visited again in June, 1942.

On both occasions Churchill stayed at the White House, to which during his second visit an airmail letter was delivered addressed simply:

Winston Churchill
White House
Washington, D. C.

The envelope was postmarked Denver, Colo., and dated June 21, 1942.

Inside was a single sheet of plain white stationery on which was typed in capital letters:

GO HOME

Churchill returned to England on June 25.

I can't help thinking that if today's White House press corps had been around in 1942 and learned of the letter, the next day we'd have heard in the press briefing room:

"Do you really expect us to believe the Prime Minister's departure had nothing to do with the letter the New York Times made public yesterday?"

The envelope and letter are now at the Churchill Archives Centre, Cambridge, U. K.