- A letter from a 22-year-old army sergeant written in 1945 was finally delivered – 76 years later.
- The letter was intended for the mother of Sgt. John Gonsalves, but the USPS tracked down his widow and sent her to him instead.
- Reading the letter made him feel “that he had come back to me,” said Angelina Gonsalves.
A letter from a WWII soldier written in 1945 has just been delivered – 76 years later.
The letter, written by 22-year-old Army Sergeant John Gonsalves, was supposed to be delivered from Germany to his mother in Woburn, Massachusetts, in 1945, according to Boston 25 News, a Fox affiliate.
It wasn’t until late 2020 that the letter was finally delivered. He suddenly appeared at a U.S. Postal Service facility in Pittsburgh for processing and delivery, Boston 25 News reported.
The mother has since died, but the USPS has tracked down Gonsalves’ next of kin, delivering the letter to Angelina, his widow.
The two met five years after sending the letter. Receiving and reading the letter was “amazing” and surprising for Angelina, she told Boston 25 News.
In the letter, Gonsalves informed his mother about his condition, saying he was fine and wanted better food.
“Dear mom. I received another letter from you today and I was happy to hear that everything was fine,” he wrote in the letter from central Germany. “As for me, I’m fine and I get along well. But as far as the food goes, it’s pretty lousy most of the time.
Gonsalves died in 2015 at the age of 92, The New York Times reported. In addition to the letter, the USPS has attached a note expressing condolences for the loss of Angelina. The couple had been married for 61 years and had five children together.
“We haven’t known the whereabouts of this letter for over seven decades, but it arrived on our premises about six weeks ago,” the letter said, according to Boston 25 News. “Because of the age and the importance of your family history… the delivery of this letter was of the utmost importance to us.”
Reading the letter, Angelina felt “like he came back to me,” she said in an interview with Boston 25 News.
“Imagine that! Seventy-six!” said Angelina. “I couldn’t believe it. And then just his handwriting and everything. It was so amazing.”
