Introduction....

i thought i really knew my grandparents and their story, married at the end of world war 2 and never separated until 1995 when my grandfather passed away. but it was not until a few years ago i kept hearing snippets of a series of letters that my grandfather had written to my grandmother during his time in the pacific theater of World War 2. i had always assumed that they were just love letters written as some many others had done during that time. as i got older and my grandmother got older, she made emphasis that the letters were to be kept hidden and upon her passing, either buried with her or destroyed. she even went so far as to make my mom promise this.

well, my mom had a hard time keeping the promise and when my grandmother passed away earlier this year, the letters fell into my possession on the day of her funeral. i was excited to have a piece of this family history and get a glimpse at the love my grandparents had for each other, one that i often envy and strive for myself one day.

when i picked up the first letter, dated April 25th 1942, and quickly read it, i was confused. the letter was written by my grandfather to my grandmother, but he was writing to her as a stranger. never once having met her. i sifted through the rest of the massive collection and found that from 1942 to 1945, my grandparents never once physically met and had fallen in love through letters. when i asked my mom about it, she told me she never knew until i was about 19 years old and my grandmother followed up by saying "she didn't want her daughters to go that way, that's why she never told anyone."

they married on December 1st 1945, just two months after my grandfather left the war. they were married for 49 and a half years never once leaving each others side. the only sad part is, i only have the letters my grandfather sent to my grandmother. the ones he received from her had to be destroyed since was in the army and constantly moving.

now, a few months after my grandmothers passing the letters sit with me and i guess i want to share with anyone who will take a moment and read this. i need to transcribe them into a hard copy since the paper they are written on is becoming frail and thin, and i think lastly i really need to reconnect with my grandparents and share this amazing love story. i also think in this day and age we all could use a little warm sense of love really is eternal.