Family opens lost letters sent by father during Second World War

Letters written during World War II were finally received by Jimmy Morris' family, more than 80 years after they were sent. (KYW via CNN Newsource)

DELAWARE COUNTY, Pennsylvania (KYW) -- Letters written during World War II were finally received by the soldier’s family in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, more than 80 years after they were sent.

It’s all thanks to a postage collector on a mission and a social media post. CBS News Philadelphia was there when a brother and sister opened the previously sealed letters their late father sent to his parents in 1944.

Sitting in a home in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania, siblings Kathleen Morris Rosati and John Morris held three unopened letters addressed to their grandmother, Mrs. Francis Morris of Drexel Hill, sent by their father, Jimmy Morris, while he was serving in the 83rd Thunderbolt Division of the U.S. army during the war.

According to the National World War II Museum, between 1942 and 1945, more than 1 billion letters, known as V-mail, were processed, however three of those letters weren’t opened until 2025 thanks to Erik Martin, a postage collector in Massachusetts who ordered a batch of war envelopes online.

“This batch had four letters to the same woman, and I saw that three of them were still sealed, so I’ve never seen that before,” Martin told CBS News Philadelphia.

He became determined to find the descendants of Mrs. Francis Morris, so Martin posted the information he had about the letters on a Drexel Hill Facebook page. That helped lead to the connection within a day. From there, Martin mailed the letters to the Morris family in Delaware County.

On Monday, the two siblings sat together as they opened the historic family letters.

“Oh my gosh, it’s just incredible. ... I feel like my dad’s right here with me,” Morris Rosati said.

All three letters were written between May and June of 1944, right around D-Day, when their father was stationed in England. Here’s some of what the letters said:

Dear Mom and Pop, Well I’m back in England now. I don’t know how long we’ll stay but write me anyhow…I had a very nice trip coming here…they lost my bags in the train. I sure hope they find them so I can get them back. I’m fine and I hope this letter finds you all at home the same. Your loving son, Jimmy. I hope to see you soon.

Dear Mom, Pop and all, Here it is Sunday again and I am fine. Hope this letter finds you all the same at home. I am okay and I am sure it won’t be much longer until I’m back home again. I got a letter from Grandma the other day. I’ll write you again soon. Your loving son, Jimmy.

Dear Mom, Pop, and all, Just a few lines to let you know I am okay and I hope this letter finds you all well at home. I haven’t had any mail since I’ve been in England and that doesn’t make me so happy. If there’s one thing I miss, it’s my mail. I hope little Billy is off and running around again. Tell the little rascal I was asking for him. I will close for now and I’ll write again soon. Give everyone my best regards. Lots of love, Your loving son, Jimmy.

Both children recognized their father’s handwriting and felt the sentiment of each letter confirms what they’d always known about their father — his family meant everything to him, even back then when he was just 19 years old.

“Here he is all the way from home and what’s getting him through is thinking about his family,” Morris Rosati said.

Coincidentally, the siblings received the letters the same week their father would have turned 101. He passed away in 2005 at the age of 81.

“When you look at the state of the world today and some of the things that are happening, in a way, I’m glad Dad’s not here to see it, but this comes at a time when I just feel like he’s telling me it’s going to be OK,” Morris Rosati said.

Jimmy Morris was one of five brothers who all served in World War II. They all came home and lived long lives. After the war, Jimmy Morris spent most of his career as a mail carrier in Delaware County, and his children said he took great pride in making sure each piece of mail made it to its intended destination.

“They certainly were the greatest generation. My dad could do anything, fix anything,” John Morris said.

The siblings said their father didn’t talk about the war with them, but he loved his country deeply and flew an American flag every day.

By Liz Crawford, Ed Specht