【《We Chinese in America》Media Editor Tang Zhao, July 21, 2022】Duane Mann, a 91-year-old Korean War veteran, has never forgotten Peggy Yamaguchi, a Japanese girl he fell in love with when he was stationed in Yokosuka, Japan when he was 22 years old. Mann, who has been worrying about her for 70 years, went to Facebook in May to ask for help from "Looking for People", and got the assistance of a Chinese girl and a local TV station. A wartime love story spanning 70 years of time and space with a happy and surprising ending. (Image credit: Reputation Defender)

I want to marry her...mother blocked and lost contact

Mann fell in love with Yamaguchi for a year in 1953, but the first love came to an abrupt end when the Navy sent the soldier back to the U.S. earlier than expected; Mann recalled that Yamaguchi was pregnant with their child at the time, and the two decided to let Mann go. The plan was Mann would go back to his home state of Iowa to get the money that Mann's father had saved for him, and then he would return to Japan to bring Yamaguchi back to the United States; Mann said, "I want to marry her."(Mann, 22, stationed in Japan, and 19-year-old Peggy Yamaguchi. (taken from Facebook) Taken from Facebook)

It was only after Mann returned to the United States that he found that his father had spent all his savings. He worked hard to find a solution and started working to make money, but a month later, he never received a letter from Yamaguchi. It was later learned that his mother objected to his association with Japanese girls, blocking and burning Yamaguchi's letter; Mann said that later his sister secretly handed him the last letter from Yamaguchi, "Yaguchi said in the letter that she lost had children, married a U.S. Air Force member from Wisconsin.”

A strong sense of guilt haunted Mann for 70 years. "I was worried she thought I abandoned her." But he never forgot Yamaguchi, and to this day, there are still two pictures of her hidden in his wallet.

To find Yamaguchi, Mann posted a tracing request on Facebook on May 1, sharing his story with Yamaguchi and posting a photo he took of Yamaguchi. People who knew or didn't know offered suggestions, and local news channel KETV7 also reported on the incident. Theresa, 23, of Chinese descent, works for the History Channel in Vancouver. Theresa Wong, also determined to join the search, said: "I can't get over this, Mann has been searching for 70 years and it's hard to imagine how much it affects a person."

Theresa entered Peggy Yamaguchi's English name at newspapers.com and found an article that matched her situation. KETV7 reportedly found Yamaguchi's name and address in Michigan with her husband's surname Sedenquist. , contacted her 66-year-old son Rich Sedenquist.

I don't blame him...eldest son is named after him

"I remember him," Yamaguchi said when Sedenquist showed his 91-year-old mother, Yamaguchi, an old photo of Mann. Contrary to Mann's concerns, Yamaguchi held no grudge against him. Yamaguchi gave birth to three sons and still lives with her husband, whom she married in 1955.

Knowing that his former lover is still alive, Mann insists on seeing Yamaguchi in person. On June 1, Mann embarked on a journey with his eldest son, a 14-hour drive from Iowa to Michigan. When the two met, all worries disappeared, and Yamaguchi stood up and gave Mann a big hug and lots of kisses.

As the two basked in their memories for hours, Mann learned that Yamaguchi's eldest son, Mike's middle name, Duane, was named after him. Talking about finally having the opportunity to tell his first love after 70 years, Mann said: "I feel very peaceful now."

(Source: World News Network)

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