Mysterious WWII Love Letters Find Their Owner: The Story of 'Speedy' Weber
In 2022, a collection of more than 300 love letters from Louis "Speedy" Weber, a 23-year-old soldier from New York during World War II, was anonymously given to a USO office. These letters, intended for his wife Frances, ended up at the USO headquarters in Virginia, where archivist Michael Case took on the task of examining them. Genealogist Matthew Brown located Speedy's nephew, Arthur Serota, 84, who shared insights about the family. Additionally, relative Karen Weber Figilis contributed photographs. The letters, penned from various locations, showcase endearing nicknames and experiences from wartime. Speedy and Frances, childless, later settled in Florida and are interred together. The donor remains unidentified, and only two of Frances's letters still exist. The USO has digitized the letters and enlisted actor Andrew Scott to perform selected readings.
Key facts
- A box of over 300 love letters from WWII soldier Louis 'Speedy' Weber arrived at a USO office in New York in 2022.
- The letters were addressed to his wife Frances, who waited at home in the Bronx.
- Archivist Michael Case at USO headquarters in Virginia began investigating the letters.
- Amateur genealogist Matthew Brown identified Arthur Serota as Speedy's nephew.
- Serota provided details about Speedy and Frances's life, and Karen Weber Figilis supplied photographs.
- Speedy wrote from Sicily, England, France, Belgium, Germany, Czechoslovakia, and North Africa.
- Speedy and Frances died at 78 and 87, respectively, and are buried together in a Jewish cemetery.
- The identity of the donor remains unknown, and Frances's letters are largely missing.
Entities
Artists
- Louis Weber
- Frances Weber
- Arthur Serota
- Karen Weber Figilis
- Michael Case
- Matthew Brown
- Andrew Scott
- James Martin Stagg
- Dwight D. Eisenhower
- Lynn Heidelbaugh
- Jennifer Passey
- Joe Heim
Institutions
- United Service Organizations (USO)
- Smithsonian's National Postal Museum
- Washington Post
- Ancestry.com
Locations
- New York
- Bronx
- Virginia
- California
- Los Angeles
- Florida
- Sicily
- England
- France
- Belgium
- Germany
- Czechoslovakia
- North Africa
- Normandy
- English Channel