Updated: 5/21/2010 12:16:52 PM
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"Thank You's" often take so many different shapes. Sometimes you see them in a smile. Other times they come with a handshake, phone call, or email.
In our ongoing look at the lives and life challenges of East Tennessee veterans, we helped solve a mystery behind a thank you letter sent to the family of an Iraq War veteran.
Sabrina Copas sent us an email a few weeks ago in hopes 10News might help track down a thoughtful stranger. Back in 2007, a 94 year old widow sent the Copas family a handwritten "welcome home letter" after Sabrina's husband Robby returned from a second tour of duty with the Air National Guard in Iraq. Ms. Nona Ruth wrote that she had seen news coverage of the Copas family reunion and was so happy to see the husband and father back home. In all the commotion surrounding Robby's return the family put Ms. Ruth's letter aside with the plan to write a thank you note in the near future.
Flash forward three years. The note fell out of a place where Sabrina had tucked it to keep it safe. It was so safe, she'd forgotten where she put it. But by the time she was ready to write back she was pretty certain Ms. Ruth had moved. Two notes went unreturned and Sabrina felt certain Ms. Ruth would have responded had she received the thank you letter and then later and Easter card.
Sabrina contacted 10News asking if we could help. Our web producer Jake managed to find the man who we later learned was Ms. Ruth's son. Helped helped us get in touch with his mom.
When we called to tell Sabrina about the discovery she was thrilled. A few days later we set up a meetings. And in the video tied to this story you can see the exchange between Sabrina and the now 97 year old Nona Ruth who so touched the hearts of one East Tennessee military family.