During WWII, soldiers received “Dear John” letters from their hometown sweethearts, often with a direct and detached message of parting ways. The origin of the name is disputed, but it became a common practice for long-distance breakups. The phrase “that’s all he wrote” also came into popular usage. Today, military members still receive similar letters via email or phone, and the term “Dear John” is also used for formal termination letters in the business world.
Some American soldiers who fought in World War II discovered that months of separation from their hometown sweethearts could lead to unfortunate personal events. One such event involved receiving a formal and concise breakup message from home called the Dear John letter. Such a letter often began with a formal or perfunctory greeting, not the usual “My Dearest Sam” or “My Sweet Darling,” which served to let the recipient prepare for bad news. Even the content of a typical Dear John letter would be direct and detached: “I’ve met someone else since you’ve been away, and I think it would be best if you and I agreed to part ways.”
The origin of the name “John” in a Dear John letter is still a matter of dispute. Some sources believe the name John was chosen because of its commonality at the time, much like John Q. Public or John Doe is used today. Others say the name was a reference to several popular songs that referred to knaves as “Johnnies,” such as When Johnnie Comes Marching Home Again. There is also a theory that a popular 1930s radio program began each episode with an actress singing Dear John as she began to read a letter to her unknown lover.
The practice of sending these letters as a long-distance break-up tactic became so common, in fact, that some women didn’t even bother to compose more than the greeting. A soldier might only get the message “Dear John” and nothing else. When fellow soldiers pressed recipients for more details, many replied, “That’s all he wrote.” This is said to be how the phrase that was all he wrote came into popular usage.
Dear John’s letter may have been replaced by Dear John’s email or phone call, but it’s still a sad reality for some members of the military who serve away from home. There is also the Dear Jane letter, which affects military women in the same way as the Dear John letter. Some in the business world also refer to formal termination letters as Dear Johns, as they essentially serve the same function for future former employees of a company.
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