104-Year-Old Veteran Receives 200,000 Valentines Day Cards

Marine Corps veteran, Major Bill White, 104, who served in World War II said he’s “floored” as he received over 200,000 Valentine’s cards from all over the world. “Operation Valentine” is a social media campaign launched by a friend of Major Bill White. The campaign is to collect Valentine’s Day cards for the centenarian veteran.

Fox News reported that White resides at an assisted living facility in Stockton, California and cites scrapbooking as a favorite hobby. White’s military medals include a Purple Heart awarded for surviving the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945. He enjoys keeping his scrapbooks and mementos organized.

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Hoping to grow his collection of mementos with 100 Valentine’s Day cards in honor of his 100 years, White was surprised to receive hundreds of thousands of love letters. He told “The Story” host, Martha MacCallum, that well-wishers sent over 200,000 cards ahead of Valentine’s Day.

“It just floored me, this is something that has never happened to me before in my life, and I doubt this will ever happen again!” he joked.

“So much mail has been delivered that White’s family has had to enlist volunteers to help open the cards and read the warm wishes to White, who retired after 35 years of active service, including time in the Pacific theater of WWII, when he was wounded at Iwo Jima,” said Reuters.

According to White, he has never celebrated Valentine’s Day in such a big way before – even when his wife of 42 years was still alive. “It’s something I’ve never heard of or seen. All of a sudden here, like a ton of bricks. I’m sort of speechless,” he said.