About 80 years ago a World War II serviceman named Marion Lamb was regularly writing home to Jacksonville, Arkansas. In 2024 some of those letters were delivered (for the second time) by a conscientious letter carrier who made it his personal mission.
In April, Alvin Gauthier found the letters dated 1942 in his mail bag. The 20-year postal service veteran knew he had to deliver them, but where? He discovered that the writer had died in 2010 and began a search for the family. After a television news segment, he got the name of the serviceman's sister who lived 379 miles away. Gauthier drove five hours on his day off to deliver the letters.
JoAn Smith, 84, the last remaining of the serviceman's six siblings, was a toddler when the letters were written, but reading them in April 2024 she was moved to tears.
Smith was quoted in the Washington Post, "In the letters, he inquired about me more than once. It made be feel good."
By the way, the letters had originally been delivered as usual, but over the years they ended up in the possession of the nephew of the serviceman. He had them for decade and attempted to mail them to Smith. Unfortunately, he priority package was not sealed and the letters had spilled out into Gauthier's mailbag.
