WALLKILL, NY, March 8, 2007

Letters To Iwo Jima Found, 62 Years Later

World War II Vet Rediscovered Letters To Iwo Jima From Japanese Family

  • Play CBS Video Video Letters From Iwo Jima Found

    A former American sailor found letters from the war in Iwo Jima in a bunker and stored them in his attic. He now wants to return them to their rightful recipients. Steve Hartman reports.

  • Video First Look: Iwo Jima Letters

    Only On The Web: Steve Hartman previews his "Evening News" segment on a man who found letters in a Japanese bunker during the Iwo Jima battle and went on a journey to find who they belonged to.

  • Video Eye To Eye: Clint Eastwood

    Only On The Web: Bill Whitaker interviews Clint Eastwood, whose film "Flags of Our Fathers" portrays the men who raised the flag at the battle of Iwo Jima; then Katie Couric files her notebook.

    • Vic Voeglin, right, told <B>Steve Hartman</b> that he's eager to return the letters he found on Iwo Jima.

      Vic Voeglin, right, told Steve Hartman that he's eager to return the letters he found on Iwo Jima.  (CBS)

    • A historic photo of Iwo Jima.

      A historic photo of Iwo Jima.  (AP (file))

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    Remembering the more than 50 million lives lost.

(CBS)  An old country house in upstate New York is literally half a world away from Iwo Jima — yet, it's not quite far enough for the man inside, CBS News correspondent Steve Hartman reports.

"I don't really bring it up, and the only reason I brought it up is to get those gosh darn letters back. And then I'm going to erase it all," Vic Voeglin says.

The letters Voeglin wants to give back were found at Iwo Jima.

In 1945, Voeglin was in the Navy, assigned to a landing craft. For more than a month, he'd been hauling fresh soldiers in and hauling wounded ones out, when finally, it was safe to step out of his boat.

"So I just took a walk up the beach toward the airstrip, and I came upon this burned-out pillbox," Voeglin says. "It's a concrete fortification."

U.S. forces had blown it to smithereens. All that was left was about two feet of wall, and next to the wall, a drawstring sticking up from the sand.

"And I put it over my shoulder and walked back to the ship and stored it for 62 years," Voeglin says.

The bag was full of letters, about 108 of them. The letters from home were addressed to a young Japanese soldier named Tadashi Matsukawa. They say what you'd expect — a lot of family stuff.

Many were written by Tadashi's brother, who is still living in Japan and says what's written down is not why the letters matter.

"It shows he was actually on Iwo Jima," his brother says. "And I'm very surprised to hear this. This was a military top secret at the time. I would like to read the letters myself."

"The thing that's most important now is to make sure he gets these letters, the brother," Voeglin says.

He plans to return them immediately. He says he hopes the gesture brings a little peace to the world. We hope it brings a little peace of mind to his old country house.


© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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by j-whitman March 10, 2007 3:46 AM EST
Good, the family needs the letters..... Too Bad Bush doesn't have any that showed he was on active duty.
Reply to this comment
by gkhodge17 March 9, 2007 7:10 PM EST
I have been trying for two years to return a WW II Japanese soldier's diary to his family. I enlisted the aid of the local Japanese-American Society to interpret it and they put the ball in the court of the Seattle Japanese Consulate. I have not heard from the Consulate and would welcome suggestions on how to proceed.
Reply to this comment
by omnisat-2009 March 9, 2007 5:09 PM EST
That is exactly what I am saying. Marines are not soldiers, they are Marines; just as sailors are sailors, not soldiers; coast guardsmen are coast guardsmen, not soldiers; and airmen are airmen, not soldiers. Widespread misbegotten generic use of a term does not bestow upon it either accuracy or correctness. The distinction is "silly" only to those who are either ignorant or unapperciative of it. I said nothing whatsoever deprecative of the Navy services rendered. And, the Mottto is Semper Fi[delis], not Semper.
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by davo67-2009 March 9, 2007 5:09 PM EST
Obviously the former's comment indicates that he was never in the military - because it's not a 'silly' issue. The Marine Corps is a distinctive service, which is why they are addressed as 'Marines' and not 'soldiers'. The term 'soldier' indicates Army - and Marines are keen to distinguish themselves from the Army.
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by godseyesore-2009 March 9, 2007 12:44 PM EST
Lee, are you saying Marines aren't soldiers? "Soldier" is a more generic term. Article was inclusive in using that term, which is appropriate for the efforts made on Iwo and elsewhere. Certainly the "Marines" were dependent upon the Navy ferries.
What a silly distinction to make an issue of.
Semper I
Reply to this comment
by omnisat-2009 March 8, 2007 10:49 PM EST
Vic Voeglin was not ferrying soldiers to and from the beach at Iwo; he was ferrying Marines. Now that you have learned what a pillbox is, you should learn this distinction, which is a very real and important one.

Lee Holmes
USMC
1969-1971
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