Original 1949 typed letter from Congressman Clair Engle (2nd District, California) to Mr. and Mrs. Fen W. Laird of Loomis, California.
Dated May 13, 1949, the letter tells the Lairds about the congressman's short trip aboard the aircraft carrier USS Midway, where he met their son, Lt. Dean Laird, who flew one of the Jets off the carrier. Engle describes him as intensely interested in his flying, highly regarded by his fellow officers, in good health and spirits - certainly a son of whom you can be very proud.
The letter is on official Congress of the United States / House of Representatives letterhead, hand-signed by Clair Engle in blue ink. It comes with the original franking envelope, postmarked Washington, D.C., May 13, 1949, addressed in typewritten blue ink to the Lairds, with Engle's facsimile frank signature (Clair Engle, M.C.) cancelled by wavy lines.
Clair Engle served California's 2nd District in the House (1943-1958), chairing the Subcommittee on Mines and Mining, then served in the U.S. Senate until 1964.
Condition: the letter has two horizontal mailing folds and light creasing, with a tiny dark speck near the top center; the page is otherwise clean. The envelope shows age-appropriate yellowing, a jagged tear along the opened right edge, a small brown stain near the top, and some foxing on the reverse. The signature is bold and clear.