Ned Felder and Kris Feeney met for the first time in November, 56 years after they first corresponded during the Vietnam War
An Army captain in the Vietnam War and a young Michigan girl began an unusual relationship 56 years ago as friends – and now they’ve finally met!
Ned Felder received a care package from 13-year-old Kristina Olson almost by accident in 1967, when the teenager reached out to “any soldier” fighting in the war as part of the Camp Fire Girls project, according to a press release from South Carolina State University.
A thoughtful note attached to the items resonated with the SC State 1959 graduate, who recalled the “divine guidance” of their relationship.
“It was rich, emotional — someone, a girl in seventh grade — to be able to correspond with her,” Felder said, according to the post. “I think that kind of interface with soldiers and civilians has happened in other wars. It felt good to be able to stay in touch with someone at home other than my family.”
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As time passed, Olson and Felder continued to correspond, with the soldier sending his friend birthday cards, a book about Vietnam, and even a doll with their names on it.
“Just to see something that came out of Vietnam at that time — my life used to be very sheltered, and my high school was in an apple orchard — so anything mundane was amazing,” Olson — who now calls her married by name, Feeney – it was said, according to the press release.
She added: “He made me want to be a better person, which is the best thing I can say about anyone. I like to be in the company of people who push me to be the best person possible.”
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Pen pals Ned Felder and Kris Feeney.
South Carolina State University
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After losing touch in the 1970s, the two reconnected after Feeney contacted the university to track down Felder, who rose to the rank of colonel and served as a senior judge on the U.S. Army Court of Criminal Appeals.
Feeney said the recent deaths of her husband and son motivated her to reach out to Felder, now in his mid-80s.
“A lot of things happened in my life that made me want to remember the things that were important to me,” Feeney said of her personal losses, according to the university.
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Earlier this month — on Veterans Day — long-lost friends were reunited for the first time at the university. During their one-on-one meeting, Feeney was able to tell Felder how much he had influenced her life.
In a video of their special meeting shared by the university, the two embraced multiple times. And at one point, the octogenarian planted a sweet kiss on Feeney’s forehead.
“Can you imagine something from your childhood or teenage years – something that was just an enigma – becoming a reality?” Feeney said, “It’s amazing.”
She continued: “I have everything he ever sent me, I showed it to everyone in my life who meant anything to me, so a lot of people knew about you. He’s just one of the most remarkable people in the world that I’ve ever known.”
Felder added of their unexpected relationship: “There was no requirement to do what we did, and it’s real. There was a sense of wonder, and even today it transcends that sense.”
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education