Texas postal worker delivers WWII veteran’s letters to Arkansas family

JACKSONVILLE, Ark. – After a Texas postal worker found old letters from a World War II Army veteran from Arkansas, he aimed to deliver the letters to the veteran’s loved ones.

Alvin Gauthier works as a postal worker in Grand Prairie, Texas, but he traveled all the way to Jacksonville, Arkansas, to return letters that hold great meaning to a family.

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On April 25, Gauthier said he found undelivered letters while at work that ranged from 1942 to 1945 from World War II Army veteran Marion Lamb, but they had little detail of where to send them.

“I did my research and contacted you all and here we are,” Gauthier said.

Gauthier said after many helpful emails and phone calls from people from all over, he was able to find Lamb’s family and deliver them the mail all the way over in Arkansas.

“I’m very excited and very tearful,” Marion Lamb’s sister JoAnn Smith said.

Debbie Smith, Lamb’s Niece, said the letters got lost when a family member in Tennessee sent them to her in Texas in a package of their family history.

“It didn’t look like someone had opened it, just the package came apart,” Smith said.

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JoAnn Smith is Lamb’s youngest sister and said all of her five siblings have died, with Lamb passing in 2010. She said the letters mean the world.

“For me, it’s a connection to my family,” JoAnn Smith said.

For the first time the Smiths read the letters and were teary-eyed.

“I just appreciate Alvin. he has really gone out of his way and people connect on different levels and I feel as connected to Alvin as I do my family,” Smith said.

Smith is grateful her family history is not lost and Gauthier understands how important that is.

“I wrote letters home to my parents when I was in Iraq,” Gauthier said. “It’s military so basically, he is like my brother. I respect everything he did.”

Lamb’s words then brought his family together, with Smith saying he is dearly missed.

“He was a hugger, he really cared about all of his siblings,” JoAnn Smith said.

They said Lamb’s letters brought them even closer, now even considering Gauthier as part of the family.

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Gauthier and Lamb’s family said they’re thankful for the public’s help in bringing the letters back to their family.

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