Happy Valentine’s Day! When contemplating the holidays that have special significance for active-duty service members, veterans, their families, and significant others, never count out the magical St. Valentine’s Day. Historically, and even up to 2025, there is no shortage of human interest stories featuring expressions and demonstrations of love both to and from those who have served in the military.
For example, an exhibit in the World War II Museum in New Orleans reveals that the simple act of sending a valentine to almost anyone assumed a tremendous significance during World War II. There were no phone conversations, no emails, and no text messages back then. Without them, there was perhaps more wrestling with homesickness as service members, a vast majority of them young men, endured dreadful conditions and faced constant dangers. On the other side of the world, stateside sweethearts and family members aware of the high casualty rate agonized over the fate of their fiancés, husbands, dads, sons, brothers, and grandsons.
When Valentine’s Day arrived during World War II, partners, friends, and family felt more compelled than ever to deliver heartwarming sentiments of love and affection. The Museum possesses an extensive array of these wartime Valentine’s Day letters. One particularly moving collection of correspondence highlights just how much lovers relied on cards and letters to maintain contact, provide solace and support, strengthen emotional bonds, and foster love. Hundreds of exchanges between a newlywed couple over the course of a single year tell the intimate story of their unrelenting passion, dreams and desires, fears and failings, and growth—both personal and shared.
Examples that are more contemporary also abound. This year, Navy Federal Credit Union partnered with Soldiers’ Angels in the initiative “Valentines for Veterans” to send more than 28,000 handwritten cards to veterans across VA Medical Centers nationwide and to deployed troops overseas. Letter-writing stations were active across Navy Federal’s Campuses from January 26-February 7, where team members could quickly complete a Valentine’s Day Card.
