Letters that live forever

Last writings from 4 N.C. servicemen in Iraq

PETER SMOLOWITZ

Staff Writer


The last letters from a war zone rekindle memories.

Reminders of how some troops weren't always as safe as they assured their mothers.

Reminders of how excited a father was to see the baby he'll never hold.

Reminders of homecoming plans that gave way to heartbreak.

Along with the pain, though, the letters from those who died in Iraq can bring a smile. A soldier refers to his wife with a pet name. A Marine asks about the Cubs. Again and again, troops tell family and friends how much they love them.

In today's edition of Life, the magazine publishes some of those letters. Grown children thanking their parents. A father's message to his family that he wanted opened only if he died.

Here are some stories from local soldiers and Marines.

One is Army 1st Lt. Doyle Hufstedler, who wrote to his wife, Leslie, before he was killed by a roadside bomb. Six weeks later, their daughter, Gracie, was born.

Next week, Gracie will be 6 months old. Leslie already shows her pictures of the baby's father. Someday, when the baby can understand, Leslie will put the letters in a scrapbook.

For now, she keeps them in a shoebox.

And in her heart.

In his letters, Hufstedler called his wife "Love Bug," a silly name he stole from her. Once, after they hadn't talked for a while, one of her letters arrived from south Charlotte. He told her he read it behind a building to hide his tears. cont..

Charlotte Observer | 11/05/2004 | Letters that live forever