1943 WWII Love Letter Deceased Verified Soldier 35th Infantry Returned Erie PA For Sale

Poignant original WWII-era love letter written February 3, 1943, by Josephine (“Jo”) to her sweetheart Johnny, a serviceman with the 35th Infantry.

The six-page handwritten letter is especially moving because Jo writes at length about the future she expects them to share. She tells Johnny how much she misses him, promises to remain faithful, and writes that if the war were over she would become his wife “the very same day.”

Jo imagines the ordinary married life waiting for them after the war — saving money, building a happy home together, furnishing their home one room at a time, and eventually having a family. She even jokes about possibly having quintuplets.

The accompanying wartime envelope gives this correspondence an entirely different historical significance. It bears a prominent “DECEASED — VERIFIED BY” marking signed by Paul E. McKnight, Captain, 35th Infantry, Personnel Officer. The envelope also retains its original WWII “Win the War” 3-cent stamps and multiple postal markings associated with its journey and return.

The letter is dated February 3, 1943. The envelope shows later postal handling, including a February 3, 1945 marking and a March return marking. Because the surviving postal markings indicate a more complicated chronology, no assumption is made here regarding the exact circumstances or date of Johnny’s death.

A deeply personal piece of WWII correspondence preserving not only the experience of a serviceman overseas, but the hopes and plans of the young woman waiting for him at home.

This letter is part of a larger surviving correspondence between Johnny and Josephine. Additional letters from their correspondence may be available separately in my store.

Original vintage condition with expected age, folds, handling wear and envelope wear. Please review all photographs closely as they are part of the description.