History Main / DearJohnLetter

* Played with in the novel ''StarshipTroopers''. When at OCS Johnny claims he and Carmen were dating, but she sent him a "Dear John". This is technically true, since he and Carmen went on a few dates, nothing serious, and she always begins her (occasional) letters with "Dear John". Essentially, Johnny is playing up the trope to gain some street cred.

* ''StarshipTroopers''. While in MI boot camp, Johnny Rico gets a literal Dear John video from his girlfriend Carmen Ibanez, who's in training to join the Fleet (space navy).

* A Dear John letter comprises the entire lyrics of "[[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIQWt3oMids Your Woman]]" by White Town, a UK #1 single in 1997.

P.S.: See also TheOtherWiki, they have a [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dear_John_letter article linked here]].

P.S.: See also TheOtherWiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dear_John_letter

* The musical ''Saturday's Warrior'' has a particularly [[http://listen.grooveshark.com/#/s/He s Just A Friend Dear John/2iSlyn annoying tune]] about this theme. Although the song works much better when combined with the visual.

** One of the instances in the series has a soldier patient getting a Dear John letter written in a callous tone with a demand for her old photo back. The staff decide to help the soldier by gather various photos of women with a insulting letter to telling to pick out which one is hers and the soldier caps it off with the suggestion of sending the whole parcel "postage due."

We would never have suspected this day would come. Even since we were [[LongDistanceRelationship separated]] from [[StarcrossedLovers each other]], our letters were the only way we could stay in touch. We promised one-another that no matter what, despite our FeudingFamilies, despite you being called to the front, we will one day be together, either HappilyMarried or TogetherInDeath.

* In RobertAHeinlein's ''If This Goes On --'', John Lyle gets a literal Dear John letter.

* In The Dark Knight, the love interest writes Bruce Wayne a letter about how she is going to marry Harvey Dent and that she'll always be with him as a friend.

* In PowerRangersZeo, [[spoiler: Tommy]] got such letter from [[spoiler: Kimberly]], which successfully [[ShipSinking sunk]] their canon couple status to allow writers pair him with [[spoiler: Katherine]].

* GaryLarson made a TheFarSide cartoon of two male deer in a forest, one holding a letter. "My God! She left me a John Deer letter!"
* Similar joke on TheSimpsons; at a meeting of {{Caustic Critic}}s, the Farm Supplies Critic (...go with it) mentions his favourite recent quip in a review of a tractor: "It's about time to send John Deere a Dear John!"

* In The Dark Knight, the love interest writes Bruce Wayne a letter about how she is going to marry Harvey Dent and that she'll always be with him as a friend.

* In the novel ''StarshipTroopers'' Johnny Rico claims to have gotten a "Dear John" letter from Carmen Ibanez. it is, however, a technical lie on his part. Carmen has written him on occasion, and always begins her letter with "Dear John". John and Carmen were never a couple, and he is just insinuating he was together with a hottie like Carmen to gain some extra cred with his buddies at OCS.

Dear John,

I cannot stand life in separation anymore. I simply can't love you anymore, and I have [[Absence found someone else]].

* ''StarshipTroopers''. While in MI boot camp, Johnny Rico gets a literal DearJohn video from his girlfriend Carmen Ibanez, who's in training to join the Fleet (space navy).

We would never have suspected this day would come. Even since we were [[StarcrossedLovers separated from each other]], our letters were the only way we could stay in touch. We promised one-another that no matter what, despite our FeudingFamilies, despite you being called to the front, we will one day be together, either HappilyMarried or TogetherInDeath.

I cannot stand life in separation anymore. I simply can't love you anymore, and I have found someone else.

//
//

Dear John

We would never suspected this day would come. Even since we were [[StarcrossedLovers separated from each other]], our letters were only way we could stay in touch with each other. We were promising each other, that no matter what, despite our FeudingFamilies, despite you being called to the front, we will one day be together, either HappilyMarried or TogetherInDeath.

I was sending you letters, calling you "my dearest love", "honey", "my little bunny", as were you. But as you can see, this letter is different.

I cannot stand life in separation anymore. I have found someone else and can't love you anymore, for various reasons.

Don't grieve, neither were you the first or the last who got such letter. Traditions of sending soldiers such letters date back to WorldWarTwo or even WorldWarOne, which would make it OlderThanTelevision.

I was sending you letters, calling you "my dearest love", "honey", "my little bunny", and so was you. As you see, this letter is different.

I write to tell you, that everything that was between us is over. We're done.

I cannot stand life in separation anymore. I found someone else. I don't love you anymore. There are plenty of reasons.

Don't grief, neither was you first or the last who got such letter. Tradition of sending soldiers such letters dates back to WorldWarTwo or even WorldWarOne, which would make it OlderThanTelevision.

See also TheOtherWiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dear_John_letter

** Klinger got one too, from his wife - it was the one time he tried to get hardship leave when he wasn't scamming.

*** And once it was {{Subverted}}: a GI in post-op who had been blinded asked Father Mulcahy to read his mail to him and the first one, from his girlfriend, started "Dear John..."
->Mulcahy: Oh, dear.
->GI: No, that's OK. My name is John.
*** Subverted again when a pilot [[OnlyKnownByTheirNickname only known as Cowboy]] abducts Colonel Blake to extort a discharge to see his wife, whom he believes is unfaithful. Cowboy clears up the first two warning flags (the Reno postmark and the literal "Dear John" first line) by saying that's where he lives and his real name, respectively. They go on, revealing that the letter is her affirmation of her love for him. Cowboy lands and everything is sorted out.

* [[spoiler:Michel]] from MobileSuitGundamThe08thMSTeam recived such letter from his girlfriend [[spoiler: B.B.]]

* This trope appeared in story written by Polish writer Jarosław Grzędowicz, where Pole who went work to England was completely devastated when his girlfriend send him such letter. Few years later it appeared in novel written by his wife, Maja Kossakowska, but there receiver, American marine has found it quite amusing. Having to endure weeks of torture, having hsi legs broken and getting bullet in the lunghs could have something to do with it.

* ''StarshipTroopers''. While in MI boot camp Johnny Rico gets a literal DearJohn video from his girlfriend Carmen Ibanez, who's in training to join the Fleet (space navy).

* In PowerRangersZeo [[spoiler: Tommy]] got such letter from [[spoiler: Kimberly]], which sucessively [[ShipSinking sunk]] their canon copule status to allow writers pair him with [[spoiler: Kat]].
* Happens a '''bunch''' of times on ''{{MASH}}'' - once with Radar (his sweetheart dumps him, so his friends try to set him up with someone else to help him get over it), and once with Frank-- his wife says she's going to divorce him (she's heard about his affair with Margaret), at least a few times a season a GI of the week got a Dear John letter. Oh, and Klinger got one too, from his wife - it was the one time he tried to get hardship leave when he wasn't scamming. And once it was {{Subverted}}: a GI in post-op who had been blinded asked Father Mulcahy to read his mail to him and the first one, from his girlfriend, started "Dear John..."

** ''Another'' example from MASH - an Italian is distraught upon receiving a "Dear Giovanni" letter.
* English ''Dear John'' show and it's TransAtlanticEquivalent There with the same name, starring Judd Hirsch in the late 80s, called. The TitleSequence had the main character coming home and discovering from a letter that his wife has left him. The ExpositoryThemeTune was sung from her point of view.

* What drives the villain insane in ''TheProwler''.

* In PowerRangersZeo [[spoiler: Tommy]] got such letter from [[spoiler: Kimberly]], which sucessively [[ShipSinking sunk]] their CanonCopule status to allow writers pair him with [[spoiler: Kat]].
* Happens a '''bunch''' of times on ''{{MASH}}'' - once with Radar (his sweetheart dumps him, so his friends try to set him up with someone else to help him get over it), and once with Frank-- his wife says she's going to divorce him (she's heard about his affair with Margaret), at least a few times a season a GIOfTheWeek got a Dear John letter. Oh, and Klinger got one too, from his wife - it was the one time he tried to get hardship leave when he wasn't scamming. And once it was {{Subverted}}: a GI in post-op who had been blinded asked Father Mulcahy to read his mail to him and the first one, from his girlfriend, started "Dear John..."

[[AC: VidoeGames]]