Eleanor Roosevelt to Malvina Thompson, August 26, 1943

    At night—I doubt if I can get to Guadalcanal & have just written Trude & am making a package for Joe writing him. I'm sorry as seeing all these masses of boys who seem pleased just to see me as a stranger makes me realize it might have meant something to Joe. Ad. Halsey says to go on to New Zealand & Australia & when I come back I can go to Espiritu Santo & he will try then to get me to Guadalcanal but he sounded so doubtful that I am discouraged & really sorry that I came. I simply will never face another hospital at home & while I'll write the column I don't think I'll bother to talk of anything but the Red [Cross] when I come home. I'm going to feel ashamed to have been so near by & yet not to have gone there & want to forget about it as soon as possible. I've sent the packages to Rose Franken's boy.

    The Ad. has a dinner tonight. There's a full programme laid out for tomorrow as weather forecasts are bad & we don't leave till the next day for New Zealand.