7,000 letters in 6 years, one woman gives deployed troops a connection to home

A 98-year-old woman has written 7,000 letters to troops overseas in the past six years, WGN Chicago reports.

Alleen Cooper of California first started writing letters to troops during World War II. She sent her son letters when he served in Vietnam and hasn't stopped since, sending letters to troops serving overseas and to those who have been injured.

"One in Florida, he had to have a new ear. And I'm sure he was very, very depressed," she told WGN Chicago.

She decided to start counting her letters six years ago and has officially sent 7,000 letters since then. The letters are all hand-written, about four pages in length and each is unique. 

WGN Chicago set up a meeting for Cooper to meet one of her correspondents over Skype, Chris Cantos. Cantos is a Marine she began writing to years ago. When he first received her letters, Cantos was deployed to a remote area of Afghanistan where the only method of communication available to him written letters. 

During the Skype meeting, Cantos told Cooper and WGN Chicago that he would look forward to her letters. "She would always send us clippings and jokes. She would tell us about her day." 

Although her hands are getting tired, she said her letters will continue. "I decided I'm going to write as long as I can," she told WGN Chicago.

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