Deceased return to sender

[Thor996]

All the hardware, helmets, and patches are great memorabilia and historical items, but it's things like this that 'bring home the history' to me..War is about people, and the human condition, too often I think a lot of collectors forget it's not just about having 'cool' things...

 

Take this card and note for example. When soldiers are KIA that pain doesn't die with them, it often transcends generations....Someone kept this card a long, long time...and I'd bet the pain that went along with the words written on the front of it. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that the original sender was not the only one who may be feeling the loss of this soldier. I bet there's family out there somewhere who never even met this man who have an empty feeling and loss in their heart for this man. When I hold something like this in my hand, my whole perspective shifts on why we salute our flag, why we honor our dead on Memorial Day and and salute our veterans on Veteran's Day.

 

Not a wartime Disney insignia, but a war time Disney card that has a really sad story behind it-the sender of this card received it back unopened. I purchased it but someone, perhaps the original sender had opened it -

 

Poignant valentine card and note sent by an acquaintance of George William May, who lived in Duncannon, Perry County, PA, to him at his APO address of this unit, Company G of the
307th Infantry. It was mailed on January 8,1945, but returned to the sender, Mabel Acker, in May, 1945, marked Deceased", with the signature of 1st Lt. R. C. Smith. George William May died 20 April 1945, possibly as a result of combat operations on the island of Kabu Shima, west of Okinawa, which his company assaulted on March 27, 1945.

 

[Thor996]

2

[stratasfan]

How very sad.

 

Reminds me of this story, that really brings the loss of each boy home.

 

The ball turret gunner who died with Uncle Harold was from Texas, and he had furlough in January 1943 (KIA in April 1943). Here is a picture from that time. This is with his father and sister.

 

 

Well, while home that January, he went to a florist and ordered flowers for Mother's Day and left a letter with them to include in with the flowers. He is killed mid-April, and the family got the word around the 21 or 22 of April. Well, May comes along and Mother's Day arrives . . . and the flowers are delivered with his letter.

 

His Mom never got over his death, and wouldn't allow him to be talked about in front of her. Her nephew learned the bit he knows from his mother (the sister in the pic). She and her father didn't mind talking about Lonnie, but he said, because of not doing it for so long because of the mother/wife . . .they just didn't. Lonnie's father wore Lonnie's ring for the remainder of his life, but never told his wife what it was.

 

How must it have felt to get a letter from him like that with the flowers. Very sad. I can't imagine, but I sure don't understand.

[siege1863]

I have a few letters sent to a soldier killed on New Georgia in 1943. They are stamped "Return To Sender" and "Deceased." When they were returned to the family, they were never opened. I have opted not to open them as well.

[Thor996]

I have a few letters sent to a soldier killed on New Georgia in 1943. They are stamped "Return To Sender" and "Deceased." When they were returned to the family, they were never opened. I have opted not to open them as well.

 

As would I have left this one had I found it sealed. But this one was opened when I bought it. Thank you for your comments.

 

dave

[Thor996]

How very sad.

 

Reminds me of this story, that really brings the loss of each boy home.

 

The ball turret gunner who died with Uncle Harold was from Texas, and he had furlough in January 1943 (KIA in April 1943). Here is a picture from that time. This is with his father and sister.

 

Lonnie Sewell Photo3.jpg

 

Well, while home that January, he went to a florist and ordered flowers for Mother's Day and left a letter with them to include in with the flowers. He is killed mid-April, and the family got the word around the 21 or 22 of April. Well, May comes along and Mother's Day arrives . . . and the flowers are delivered with his letter.

 

His Mom never got over his death, and wouldn't allow him to be talked about in front of her. Her nephew learned the bit he knows from his mother (the sister in the pic). She and her father didn't mind talking about Lonnie, but he said, because of not doing it for so long because of the mother/wife . . .they just didn't. Lonnie's father wore Lonnie's ring for the remainder of his life, but never told his wife what it was.

 

How must it have felt to get a letter from him like that with the flowers. Very sad. I can't imagine, but I sure don't understand.

 

w/hat a sad story. Thank you for posting. Dave...

[Dave]

I have a group where the mother kept sending letters to her AAF navigator son...even though she had been notified that he was MIA, had not yet come up as a POW, etc. She kept writing all the way until she received an official notification of death, several months after her son was actually KIA. All of her letters were returned to her, and were later kept by her daughter until they were sold to a coin shop (along with all of his medals) by the daughter's grandson at the request of his grandmother. She wanted the group to be taken care of by a collector and feared her brother would have been forgotten if the group stayed in the family...

[Thor996]

I have a group where the mother kept sending letters to her AAF navigator son...even though she had been notified that he was MIA, had not yet come up as a POW, etc. She kept writing all the way until she received an official notification of death, several months after her son was actually KIA. All of her letters were returned to her, and were later kept by her daughter until they were sold to a coin shop (along with all of his medals) by the daughter's grandson at the request of his grandmother. She wanted the group to be taken care of by a collector and feared her brother would have been forgotten if the group stayed in the family...

 

wow, that's a tough story too... and they went to the right place Dave, I am sure. We are the caretakers of history and we have a responsibility to make sure their sacrifices are not forgotten.

[KASTAUFFER]

Thanks for posting this piece of Military Postal History. It is just as important as the other objects we try to preserve such as Purple Hearts and uniforms.

 

I heavily collect Postal History and belong to a couple of organizations that members of this forum might be interested in:

 

http://www.militaryphs.org/

 

https://www.uscs.org/

 

One is devoted to general military postal history, the other specifically Naval.

 

Kurt

[644td]

Thank you for posted this. It does make you stop and think and the family behind the Soldier, very sobering.

 

Marty

[Brig]

The human side we don't often talk about.

 

I have a portrait of a Marine from the turn of the century with a latter, he sent both to his recent ex. The details of the breakup aren't there, but in the letter he speaks on how there will never be another girl for him, so he has joined the Marines and will spend the rest of his days sailing the seas. From what I could find she never married...maybe he was the one who got away

 

Closer to home, back in Iraq a troop sent a bouquet of flowers to his girl via Internet for Valentine's Day, but was killed shortly before. His girlfriend received the news just before Valentine's Day. As nobody knew, the flowers were still delivered on Valentine's Day, poor girl was inconsolable when they were delivered.

[SGT CHIP SAUNDERS]

I HAVE a few from FPO s Lost people in RVN