Seeds of 56-year marriage planted during Berlin Airlift (A Love Story that Lasted)

Air Force Links ^ | October 5, 2006 | Staff Sgt. Jeremy Larlee

[SandRat]

Retired Lt. Col. James and Ellie Spatafora attended the Berlin Airlift plaque dedication at Veterans Memorial Park in Albuquerque, N.M., Oct. 4. The Spatafores will celebrate their 57th anniversary Dec. 24. They met in Germany during the Berlin Airlift. (U.S. Air Force Photo/Staff Sgt. Jeremy Larlee)

[SandRat]

A Real True Love Story!

[cyborg]

ping

[AmericanMade1776]

Retired Lt. Col. James , looks all clean and clothes pressed even to this day, Nice story.

[Raffus]

God bless our military men and women! Great story!

[BykrBayb]

Thanks. I just love a good love story!

[Twinkie]

Thanks.

[potlatch]

Thanks for the ping SandRat

Very nice story, not too many like that huh?

[SE Mom]

After all the ugliness of the last week..this is like a breath of fresh air..

Lovely:)

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the ping!

[SandRat]

Nope, a rare breed now days.

[SandRat]

Glad I could find something to let a fresh breeze come in and air the stench out.

[SandRat]

Nope, not of the generations since the WWII generation at least.

[potlatch]

My parents were like that their whole lives, as you say it is rare.

Heading for bed now.

[SoldierDad]

Great story. As my wife and I prepare to celebrate our 26th anniversary this next week, I can only wonder what celebrating our 56th will be like. This couple provides a great inspiration to us all. God Bless them both, and God Bless all our Soldiers, Marines, Airmen, Sailors, and Coast Guard.

[fredhead]

Here's another one.

1942. A young soldier from eastern NC is stationed at Camp Forrest, Tennessee during maneuvers. He is attached to the Medical Detachment of the 13th Infantry. He was supposed to be driving one of the trucks. But the Regimental transportation officer caught him playing around in convoy and banished him to the back of the truck.

While passing through the small town of Alexandria, TN he sees a girl on the town square. He writes his name and address on a slip of paper and throws it to her. She responds with a letter. He visits her with her family while still stationed in TN.

He gets transferred to the Mojave desert for more training, and then sent to Northern Ireland in preparation for the invasion of Europe. He goes ashore at Normandy one month after D-Day and fights until the German surrender. They continue to exchange letters.

After a short time doing occupation duties his regiment is sent back to the states to train for the invasion of Japan. That's where he was when, in his words, "Harry Truman saved my life" by ordering the a-bombs dropped on Japan, thus ending the war.

He is discharged near the end of September 1945. On October 20, 1945 he married the girl he threw his address to that day in 1942. They settled back at his home in eastern NC, and raised two children.

In 1995 they celebrated their 50th anniversary, and their 60th last year.

On the 18th of last month, my father passed away, one month after his 87th birthday and one month shy of the 61st anniversary.

[The Right Stuff]

Condolences on the loss of your father - that was a wonderful story.

[SandRat]

Yep! Those were the love stories of the WWII generation. My folks were and are the same still today.

[jlarlee]

Wow I was googling myself(I know true nerdy)to find one of my articles to show someone and came across this. Always good to get some feedback as a writer. Those two wrote the story honestly, very nice genuine people. Some interesting facts got cut out of the story though. They actually had to get married 4 times because either the military or the country wouldn't recognize the authority that had married them previously. Their last marriage was in 1959 in a catholic church after they had their 3 children. They had a waiver of some type. Both of them still do a lot of volunteer work it is amazing.

[SandRat]

Well I'm glad you're smiling.

Thanks for, ... ahem ..., filling in some of the blank spots.

lol