In a story reminiscent of a Hollywood film, the family of an American soldier stationed in Germany received a letter he wrote to his mother 76 years ago, specifically after the official end of World War II. The British newspaper "The Guardian" reported, citing American media, that U.S. Army Sergeant John Gonçalves, who was 22 years old in December 1945, wrote a letter to his mother in Woburn, which did not reach her for nearly 76 years. The letter was found at a postal service distribution facility in Pittsburgh, USA.
The letter read: "Dear Mom, I received another letter from you today and was happy to hear that all is well. As for me, I am fine and doing well. But regarding the food, it’s very poor most of the time." Gonçalves concluded the letter with, "Love and kisses, your son Johnny. I hope to see you soon."
Gonçalves passed away in 2015, and his mother also died, but the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) found an address for his widow, Angelina, whom the soldier met five years after sending the letter and then married. Along with the old letter, USPS employees also sent a special letter to the soldier's family, stating that "delivering this letter was of utmost importance to us." Angelina told local channel "WFXT" after receiving the letter: "Can you imagine! 76 years! I couldn’t believe it. Seeing his handwriting was incredibly amazing."
