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For Danbury couple, love letters once lost, now found

DANBURY – What was once lost, has now been fou  nd for a couple from western Connecticut. Love letters going back nearly 60 years recently resurfaced and Sunday...

DANBURY – What was once lost, has now been fou  nd for a couple from western Connecticut.

Love letters going back nearly 60 years recently resurfaced and Sunday, a Danbury couple, Deborah and Bryan Hocking, were reunited with a piece of their personal history.

The love story started when Deborah was in high school. “We went out for a few blind dates and then we just kept dating,” said Deborah.

The pair met through Bryan's sister, but shortly after the relationship started, Bryan was sent to Vietnam. He was determined to not lose Deborah, so he started writing her letters.

“Well I was in love with my girlfriend at the time,” said Bryan.

Deborah saved every letter, or so she thought.

“I donated by accident some old love letters from my husband when he was serving in Vietnam,” said Deborah. “There were so many things in the attic I just couldn’t go through everything.”

A box of Bryan’s letters ended up at Savers thrift store after the family cleaned out their home in preparation for a move.

The store recently found the letters in an old shoe box, and knew they had to track down the couple.

“Oh it was a bit of a shock that they were still out there floating around somewhere,” said Bryan.

His experiences serving 13 months in Vietnam, preserved in his letters, connected the couple when they were so far apart.

“I always believe writing a real letter just connects you more than emails today, said Bryan, “I just wanted to maintain contact with Deborah because we met before I left and the rest is history.”

Four sons, eight grandchildren, and 46 years of marriage later, Bryan and Deborah look forward to re-reading the letters, reflecting back on where it all started.

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