Siblings open lost letters sent by their late father during WWII: ‘It’s just incredible’

DELAWARE COUNTY, Pa. (KYW) - The family of a late World War II veteran is marveling at the power of words after they finally received letters he wrote while stationed overseas more than 80 years ago.

Jimmy Morris served in the U.S. Army during World War II. He wrote letters to his parents while he was stationed overseas in 1944, but those letters never reached their intended destination of Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania.

Now, 81 years later, two of Jimmy Morris’ children – Kathleen Morris Rosati and John Morris – are seeing those letters for the first time. The siblings sat together Monday as they read their late father’s words.

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

This all started when Erik Martin, a postage collector from Massachusetts, ordered a batch of war envelopes on eBay. He noticed four of the letters were written to the same woman, Mrs. Francis Morris, and three of them were never opened.

“I’ve never seen that before,” Martin said.

He became determined to find the descendants of Francis Morris, turning to social media for help. He quickly found Morris Rosati and her brother through a Drexel Hill Facebook page and mailed them the letters.

All three letters were written between May and June of 1944, right around D-Day, when Jimmy Morris was stationed in England.

“Back in England now. I don’t know how long I will stay but write me anyhow… Your loving son, Jimmy. Hope to see you soon,” read Morris Rosati aloud from one letter.

Both siblings recognize their father’s handwriting and feel the sentiment of the letters confirms that family meant everything to him, even back 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 their father’s letters the same week he would have turned 101. He died 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. After the war, he spent most of his career as a mail carrier in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. His children say he took great pride in making sure each piece of mail made it to its intended destination.

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