THE ULTIMATE LOVE STORY: Son receives parents' heartfelt love letters 70 years after his father died in World War II

Michael Campbell's father died when he was only one-month-old.

Michael Campbell was only one-month-old when his father, Petty Officer Charles Campbell was slain in October 1944, while serving on a ship during World War II.

MUNTINLUPA, PHILIPPINES (Catholic Online) - Needless to say, Michael never met his father. However, he has now been given the opportunity to get to know his father; a trove of love letters sent to his then 19-year-old mother were discovered in a box inside an abandoned house in Augusta, Georgia - 70 years after his father died. The letters were dated from January to October of 1944.

"Even in the middle of war, he was always positive about making a life with his wife and son," Michael stated. "He never expressed regret that he was in this war situation."

The box was discovered by property preservation workers Lara Mauer and Stephanie Smith. "I found the box on a Thursday and by the following Monday everything had been bagged and destroyed," said Mauer. "It's pure luck that I picked up that dusty box when I did or none of this would have happened."

Mauer then brought the letters to close friend Britnee Kinard, president of the SD Gunner Fund. Kinard then spent two months trying to locate the descendants of Petty Officer Charles Campbell.

Kinard began cold-calling different people and finally contacted a woman named Hope Campbell in Lexington, South Carolina, who turned out to be the 44-year-old daughter of Michael Campbell.

"Only someone that truly believes in love and in this country would go to that much trouble to find us," Hope shared.  Perhaps out of the sentiment among the 40 letters, the part that touched the hearts of the Campbell family the most was the letter dated October 18, 1944, containing the last words written by Charles Campbell.

That letter read:

"Hello Darling, here I am today.  

"How is my wife and son feeling today? The old man is fine himself.

"Thought I'd say hello to my family. Say hon, is Michael growin' any?

"I'll be glad when I can see him. I hope it won't be so many more months.

"I've been away form the States for four month already. Well, darling, so I'll close for now.

"Tell everyone hello for me. Take good care of yourself and of our son.

"Write to me as often as possible. Remember I love you very much.

"All my love always, Charles."

---

'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'

Copyright 2021 - Distributed by Catholic Online