A Tale of Love and War - KCOY Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo - News

A Tale of Love and War

SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. --  On Veteran's Day a Korean vet and his wife tell their story of how they fell in love and made it through the war.  

Louis and Jeanne Silva met their freshmen year at Arroyo Grande high school, and said through the years nothing could break up these two, even the Korean War.  

They met at a school dance when they were 14, but it took a few years for Jeanne to give Louis a chance. "I finally realized that he was someone that I really liked, when I was 14 and he wanted to go out with me, I thought I was too young," said Jeanne.

Shortly after high school wedding bells rang for the Silvas at Old Mission Church. The next exciting news, Jeanne found out the couple was having a baby, but that's when Louis got the call, he was going to war and they had their goodbyes at the San Luis Obispo train station. "there she was looking at me, she's pregnant and I'm going away I don't know what's going to happen to me if ill come back. I watched him until I couldn't see him anymore and I didn't know if I would ever see him again," said Jeanne.  

Their only communication for eight months was through letters, but Jeanne's letters will live only as long as Louis' memory, he didn't save any of them. "If the enemy captures they use them for propaganda, and torment your family back in the states, they used every trick in the book, so as soon as I got through with the letters I would burn them," said Louis.

Memories like those last a lifetime, and 63 years later the freshest memory is the day Louis got home. "We were so happy to see one another, we just felt like it was, it was a miracle, it was, it was just like a miracle," said Jeanne.  

More than 35,000 people lost their lives during the Korean War.  It was the 5th deadliest in American History.