A quietly moving piece of Vietnam War history, told through three original documents. In May 1969, a young Canadian woman named Sue Adcroft wrote to the 1st Marine Division seeking help finding her pen pal, Sgt. Jerry R. Jones, after his letters had stopped arriving. In her letter, she introduces herself with the simple, earnest details of a teenager reaching out across the world — her age, her appearance, her plans to join the Canadian Navy Reserves — and asks if the Division could help her find him again, or connect her with another Marine to write to.
The response came from Major General Ormond R. Simpson himself, Commanding General of the 1st Marine Division, explaining that Sgt. Jones could not be located in their system and had likely rotated back to the United States upon completing his tour. The routing memo from the Division Adjutant, forwarding her letter for “appropriate action,” completes the small paper trail — a real, documented moment of a stranger reaching out to a serviceman during the war, and the quiet, uncertain answer she received.
A genuinely poignant find for collectors of Vietnam War correspondence, military history, or anyone drawn to the human stories behind official archives.
Specs:
• 3 original typed documents, dated May 1969
• Includes: Division Adjutant routing memo, Sue Adcroft’s original letter (with return address, Montreal, Quebec, Canada), and reply letter signed by Major General Ormond R. Simpson, USMC
• Condition: age-toning and fold wear consistent with 1969 military correspondence; please review all photos closely
• A named, documented three-way exchange — rare emotional depth for a military ephemera piece
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