When Alvin Gauthier stumbled upon a bundle of World War II-era letters in his mail bag, his immediate thought was, ‘I have to find this family.’ As a Texas Postal Service worker and Marine Corps veteran, Gauthier felt a deep sense of duty to reunite these precious pieces of history with their rightful owners.
With little information to start, the letters, addressed to ‘Mr. and Mrs. Henry Lamb’ in Jacksonville, Arkansas, bore the name of a soldier and a military return address dating back to 1942. Determined to track down the family, Gauthier reached out to a local news station for assistance.
Through their help, Gauthier connected with Jo Ann Smith, whose brother Marion had penned the letters to their parents during his service in the war. Undeterred by the distance, Gauthier used his day off to embark on a 379-mile journey to hand-deliver the letters to Smith, even funding the trip himself.
Reflecting on his decision, Gauthier remarked, ‘I could have stuck them in the mail, but it’s kinda like sometimes you have to go above and beyond. Just go the extra mile… or 379 miles.’
For Smith, Gauthier’s efforts were nothing short of extraordinary. The letters served as poignant reminders of her family’s sacrifices during the war, and Gauthier’s dedication touched her deeply. ‘He has really gone out of his way,’ she expressed. ‘People connect on different levels, and I feel as connected to Alvin as I do my family.'”
