World War II veteran receives 50,000 cards for his 96th birthday

Duane Sherman.
(Image credit: Screenshot/YouTube/WTHR)

Wanting her father to receive more than just bills in the mail, Sue Morse went online and asked friends if they would send him a card or quick note for his birthday.

Duane Sherman, a World War II veteran living in Southern California, turned 96 on Dec. 30, and the well-wishes started flooding in before his birthday, and have yet to let up. He's received more than 50,000 cards and letters, from 10 countries and every U.S. state. The Pittsburgh Steelers sent him a card, as did the Secretary of the Navy, and the band Foreigner mailed him a signed CD. Elementary school students and prison inmates have written Sherman letters thanking him for his service, and several Navy officers came by his house and took him out to lunch. Gift cards tucked inside cards have been donated by Sherman to people affected by the California wildfires.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.