World War II veteran reunited with love letter he wrote for his late wife 71 years ago

Bernadean and Bill Moore. — (Image credit: YouTube.com./7NewsTheDenverChannel)

The love letter is over 70 years old, but the sentiment remains the same.

While serving in World War II, Bill Moore wrote a note to the woman he became enamored with during a furlough, calling her "darling, lovable, alluring Bernadean." Moore ended up marrying Bernadean Gibson, and remained a devoted husband for 63 years until her death in 2010. "I loved her ... she loved me and all I can tell you is the heartache of not being with her all the time," he told KMGH in Denver.

Now 90 years old and living in Aurora, Colorado, Moore and his daughter were shocked when a stranger reached out to say that she found the letter tucked away in a record sleeve picked up from a thrift store. "I was really surprised because I would have no way of knowing that it would show up in the way it did," Moore said. Reading the letter was emotional for both Moore and his daughter, who said it helped her understand the "true depth" of her parents' relationship. "To see his love just out there so clearly, who wouldn't love this guy, because he's giving her everything in this letter," she said. —Catherine Garcia

Article continues below

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

YouTube

Watch On

Explore More

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.