WWII Vets Receive Mystery Cards From China

World War II veterans are discovering mysterious postcards from China in their mailboxes. "It takes a strong man to save himself, a great man to save another," read one card, sent to a befuddled vet living near Houston. "Thank you for 1944. From China." 88-year-old veteran Ed Denzler looked into it, contacting his old volunteer unit that fought in Burma—Merrill's Marauders. They said at least four others had received cards from China, source unknown. So Denzler called up the Houston Chronicle.

Looking online, a Chronicle reporter learned about ESL students in China who write postcards to US veterans—thanking them for their help in repelling the Japanese invasion of 1944. "The students learned that peace does not naturally occur," their teacher was quoted as saying. "We have to strive for it." Like other vets who heard the story, Denzler was touched: "Ha ha! Isn't that great?" he said. "It kind of helped me, in my recovery from a stroke, to remember things I thought I'd forgotten." (Click through to read about a World War II veteran who discovered he's not a US citizen.)