Ben Gross received quite the surprise recently when letters started arriving at his home that he penned way back in 1952.
Gross, 95, is a Korean War veteran. He was shocked and amused recently to be reunited with letters he sent home while in Korea that had been separated and mistakenly sent to addresses that no longer exist.
Last fall, Gross’s brother, Valentine Gross, informed him he had saved more than 25 letters Ben had sent back home to North Dakota during his time in Korea.
“He said, ‘I’ve got all these letters. I’m going to throw them out unless you want them,’” Ben Gross told ANF in Atlanta.
His brother, relaying the story to a North Dakota news outlet, said as a child of the Depression, his family didn’t discard anything for trash. So, the letters stayed tucked away and preserved for many years.
Letters Lost in the Mail
All the letters, either handwritten or typed, were written in 1952 and 1953. The letters were placed into one package and were supposed to be shipped to Peachtree City, Georgia, where Gross currently resides. One problem – they never arrived.
“That was the first inkling that I had that something was wrong,” Gross said.
Since the letters were still in the original envelopes Gross had sent them in with addresses from more than 70 years ago, the letters were removed from the package, and each one was sent to those old addresses.
The U.S. Postal Service isn’t sure how the letters became detached from the package, but realizing the importance of the mail, Gross said the postal service worked hard to resolve the issue. Some postmasters have even called Gross to update him on the search for the missing letters. He also received help from a few Good Samaritans.
Over the past few months, letters have been trickling into Gross’s Georgia residence. However, as of Jan. 10, more than 12 letters are still waiting to be retrieved.
The letters he has received have brought back many fond memories for the Korean War veteran. He had not laid eyes on them in more than seven decades. Gross’s writing conveys the story of a humble North Dakota farm kid feeling somewhat homesick and ready to return home from war. He was in his early twenties when he served in Korea.
“When I arrived in Korea in ’52, the war was still going at full blast,” he said.
An Army veteran, Gross served in the 19th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division.
A Slice of Home
In some of the letters, Gross shows appreciation for the small things, like care packages with tasty goodies sent from a family priest.
“Father Chuck told me to write you right away and thank you for the cookies,” Gross read, holding one of the letters.
“I remember this one, specifically. I remember when we were there,” he said, picking up and scanning another letter.
Several of the letters contained black and white photos, like one of him bundled up in a dark uniform outside his tent, the ground covered in snow.
While Gross didn’t think much of the letters when he sent them, all these years later, he’s happy to have them back. Cherished mementos, the notes provide a window into his youth and trip back in time.
“Oh, yes, they definitely take me back,” Gross said.
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