What one student found beside a trash bin has turned into a priceless family reunion nearly 80 years in the making.
In 2017, a former Oak Lawn Community High School student stumbled upon a box filled with nearly 100 World War II–era letters outside a trash bin. Unsure of their significance but sensing their importance, the student carried them to Social Studies teacher Phil McGee and Department Chair Kristin Kuchyt.
“This was an extraordinary discovery by one of our students,” said Kuchyt, Social Studies Department Chair at OLCHS. “These were wonderful primary source documents that show life at war and on the home front. Our social studies classes often address the challenges of war and family life at home. These letters brought that history to life in a very personal way.”
The correspondence, written mostly from the Pacific theater, included updates from veteran Leonard Andersen to his wife Marian, as well as letters from his brother-in-law, Al Binsfield. Together, they captured the story of one American family navigating both battlefront and home front during wartime.
Recognizing their value, McGee and Kuchyt turned the letters over to the Oak Lawn Public Library, where local historian Kevin Korst scanned and archived them as part of the library’s World War II collection.
Years later, Andersen’s daughter, Marge Harrington, discovered her family’s words while conducting a late-night genealogy search.
“Before my eyes was a library listing that referenced a letter sent by my uncle to his mother,” Harrington said. “In the bit of online information supplied, it noted my uncle’s plane was shot down during WWII, and that he survived. I knew this about my uncle, but was surprised to see it online. I contacted the library to inquire what they had and how they obtained it. They referred me to a local teacher, Kristin Kuchyt, whom I contacted, and a few days later, we spoke by phone.”
Kuchyt soon returned the originals to Harrington, reuniting the family with the letters after decades of separation.
“Finding out about these letters was initially quite puzzling, especially how the letters got out of the possession of our family,” Harrington said. “After my conversation with Kristin, I was excited that I was going to get the letters back and be able to read them and share them with family.”
Harrington sees the letters as far more than keepsakes.
“Our family considers the letters a priceless treasure, and they will be kept safe and secure,” she said. “I plan to scan all the letters so each of my siblings will have an electronic copy for themselves.”
Kuchyt said the experience underscores the unexpected ways history can resurface.
“When teaching about World War II, we emphasize not only the experiences of soldiers but also how families on the home front navigated their daily lives,” Kuchyt said. “These letters offer a powerful window into the realities faced by an American family during wartime.”
What began as a box left for trash is now restored to its rightful place, a family heirloom and a living piece of history.