In 1944, while stationed in London during World War II, Norwood Thomas met Joyce Morris. They were young, hopeful, and caught in the brief calm between chaos. A quiet romance grew—but the war had other plans. Norwood was redeployed, and like so many wartime love stories, theirs ended not with goodbye, but with silence. They lost touch, lived separate lives, and for decades assumed they’d never cross paths again. But fate wasn’t finished with them yet—their love story was about to defy time, distance, and even death.
A Young Man With Big Dreams
Norwood “Tommy” Thomas was born in Durham, North Carolina, in 1923 with his head tilted toward the clouds and dreams of becoming a bomber pilot.
When he joined the Army in 1942, he hoped to serve as an automatics mechanic, ideally stationed near aircraft—close enough to touch the machines that had long fascinated him.
Instead, the Army handed him an infantry rifle, not a wrench. Refusing to settle, Thomas joined the paratroopers, eager to drop in first and take the fight head-on.
Into the Airborne: A Long Road to War
After surviving the punishing trials of paratrooper training, Norwood Thomas earned his place in the newly formed 101st Airborne—an elite unit built for impossible missions.
Training began at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, where long days and relentless drills tested every recruit’s strength, resolve, and willingness to push through pain for something greater.
When it was time to deploy, Thomas boarded the HMS Strathnaver. The journey dragged on due to lots of technical issues, but he finally made it to England after forty-six days.
A Chance Encounter in Wartime London
While the 101st Airborne was stationed on the outskirts of London, life settled into a strange rhythm—part preparation, part waiting, and part searching for normalcy.
Soldiers filled their days with drills and routine, but evenings brought rare pockets of calm, moments when the world felt almost ordinary again.
It was during one of those quiet stretches in 1944 that Norwood Thomas crossed paths with someone unexpected—someone who, without warning, would shift everything.
The Day Everything Changed
One evening, while walking around London with a friend, Norwood met a 17-year-old British girl named Joyce Morris.
“I was out with a friend, and being young, we had our eyes out for young ladies,” Thomas told ABC News decades later. “We were on a bridge crossing the Thames when we looked down and saw these two fine, young ladies.”
What followed was an impromptu river outing in rowboats, some food and drinks, and a spark that was undeniable. “Joyce and I just clicked,” he said. For Thomas, it was love at first sight.
Falling Fast
For a few brief but unforgettable months, Norwood and Joyce spent as much time together as war and duty would allow.
Their days were filled with simple joys—walks, conversations, quiet moments that felt untouched by the chaos surrounding them. For Thomas, it was more than a crush.
“I think I fell in love with the way that she smiled,” he said. “I’d always look at her and think, ‘My God, that is one, sweet girl.’”
Dreams Interrupted
In his heart, Norwood was already looking far beyond wartime London, imagining a life built together with the girl who had captured his heart.
“I knew that she was the girl that I wanted to marry,” he explained in an interview. He was certain then that their connection was something rare and lasting.
But war doesn’t pause for love. As the fighting intensified and orders loomed, the future he pictured disappeared.
A Goodbye Neither Wanted
When Norwood learned his division was being deployed to Normandy, the weight of duty hit harder than ever—it meant leaving her behind.
Before parting, he asked her to write, hoping their bond could survive the miles. She agreed, and for a while, their connection lived on through letters and longing.
With a heavy heart, he said goodbye: “I said that I would see her soon, and I went away. I never saw her again.”
From Normandy to Bastogne
On June 6, 1944, Norwood was among the 18,000 paratroopers dropped into Normandy, part of the massive Allied push to liberate Europe.
He survived the chaos of D-Day, parachuting behind enemy lines under fire, and went on to fight in some of the war’s fiercest battles.
He saw action in Operation Market-Garden and stood his ground in the bitter cold of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge—proving courage doesn’t wait for comfort.
A War Hero Driven by Love
During the brutal Battle of the Bulge, Norwood was injured by artillery, but refused to give in—choosing instead to stay in the fight.
He pushed forward with his unit through the final months of war, eventually reaching Bad Reichenhall, Germany, near Hitler’s famed Eagle’s Nest.
Through pain, cold, and chaos, it was Joyce’s letters—her words, her memory—that helped carry him. Love, as much as duty, kept him moving forward.
Fading Memories, Lingering Feelings
The months following the war blurred into a haze for Norwood—memories scattered by time and the weight of everything he had lived through.
“My memory is very dim,” he admitted, “but I remember that after the war was over and I went back to the U.S., we corresponded via letters for a little bit, and I did send her a couple of gifts.”
Though the details faded, one thing stayed clear: even across oceans and years, he still carried thoughts of her, quietly and faithfully.
A Proposal and a Heartbreak
Back in the U.S., Norwood held onto hope and the memory of what they had shared in London, still believing it might lead somewhere.
At one point, he asked her to come to America—to “be my wife,” he said, the words full of longing and certainty.
But her answer broke his heart. “She said she couldn’t and that she was just getting into nurse’s training, and I realized I had more feelings for her than she did for me.”
A Different Kind of Love
Heartbroken, Norwood moved forward, carrying the past with him while choosing to build something new. “So I thought that if I couldn’t have my first choice, I’d have my second.”
His second choice, as it turned out, was no compromise. He married a “very wonderful, strong woman,” someone who would stand by him through the years.
Together, they shared 56 years of love, laughter, and life. “A beautiful choice,” he called her. She passed away in 2001 at 75, after a battle with lymphoma.
Building a Life, Remembering a Love
Before meeting his new love, Norwood returned to America and began piecing his life back together. He tried construction work, but it didn’t stick.
Still drawn to service, he re-enlisted in the Army, serving in both Korea and Vietnam before finally settling in Norfolk—and later Virginia Beach—with the family he built.
Through it all—marriage, fatherhood, decades of military and civilian life—Joyce remained quietly tucked in the back of his mind.
Memories That Never Faded
Years after his wife passed, Norwood found himself drifting back to the past, to a time and a girl he had never truly let go of.
“She had always been on the fringes of my thoughts this whole time,” he said. He remembered her not just fondly, but reverently.
“I placed her on a pedestal—untouched, pure, and unattainable because in my mind that is what she really was.” He didn’t know that during all that time, Joyce had been thinking of him, too.
A Message That Changed Everything
In 2015, seventy years after they last saw each other, Norwood got news he never expected—Joyce had been looking for him.
It started when Norwood’s son received a message from Joyce’s son. She had asked for help finding the young paratrooper she’d never forgotten.
When his son told him, Norwood was stunned. “I couldn’t believe it,” he said. After decades of silence, the girl he’d placed on a pedestal was reaching out, ready to reconnect.
Joyce’s Journey
So what had Joyce been doing all those years? As it turns out, exactly what she’d set out to do—she became a nurse, just like she planned.
She eventually moved to Australia, built a life, got married, and raised a family. Decades passed, filled with routines, milestones, and memories of another time.
After more than 30 years of marriage, she divorced. In that quiet space after, she decided to search for the one person who had never really left her heart—Norwood.
A Simple Search, a Life-Changing Discovery
In 2015, on a whim, Joyce turned to her son with a quiet request—could he try finding her “Tommy” with that computer of his?
She never expected much. Just a name, a hope, and a memory. But within moments, an old newspaper story appeared—Norwood Thomas had gone skydiving for his 88th birthday.
That one article opened the door. Soon after that, they managed to find Norwood’s son online. The rest was history.
The Family’s Blessing
When Norwood’s children found out that the woman from his past—the one he never really stopped thinking about—was looking for him, they didn’t hesitate.
They encouraged him to reconnect, to answer a call from decades ago, and maybe rediscover something beautiful he thought was long gone.
“Our mother had been gone a long time by then,” his daughter Vicki Frango said. “And to have someone like that find you again after all those years? We were just really happy for him.”
A Date Seventy Years in the Making
After weeks of planning and juggling time zones, 93-year-old Norwood and 87-year-old Joyce finally set a date for their first online meeting—seventy years in the making.
They were both nervous. How would it feel to see the face of someone they hadn’t laid eyes on in decades? Would they still connect?
Would the spark still be there? Neither of them knew. But as the screen flickered to life, their hearts raced with the weight of everything unspoken.
Like No Time Had Passed
Their first virtual encounter, after more than seventy years, was nothing short of incredible. The screen lit up, and suddenly, it was as if no time had passed.
They talked for over an hour—laughing, remembering, rediscovering a connection that had waited patiently beneath the years. It all felt strangely natural.
“When she called me ‘Tommy,’ her nickname for me… oh, my God,” Norwood said. “It stirred emotions that had been dormant for a long, long time,” said Norwood.
Reconnecting, Not Rushing
Was Norwood in love again? Even he wasn’t quite sure. The feelings were strong, yes—but he hesitated to call it love, at least not yet.
After all, time changes people, and seventy years is a lifetime. Still, something familiar stirred, something too meaningful to ignore or explain away.
So they made plans—not for forever, but to stay in touch, to catch up, and to see where this rare, late chapter of their story might lead.
A Wish Waiting to Come True
Whether it was love or something just as deep, one thing was clear—Norwood and Joyce cared for each other, truly and unmistakably.
Their online conversations grew warmer with every call, each one layered with laughter, shared memories, and the quiet ache of distance.
“I just really want to give you a hug,” Norwood told her during one of their chats. What he didn’t know then was that this simple wish was about to become reality.
Their Story Touched the World
After The Virginian-Pilot, a local newspaper, shared the heartfelt story of Norwood and Joyce’s virtual reunion, something unexpected happened—readers were moved to act.
Inspired by the pair’s desire to meet again in person, strangers across the internet launched a GoFundMe campaign to help make it happen.
The fundraiser gained traction quickly and raised a generous amount, but not quite enough to cover the full cost of the trip—especially with Norwood planning to travel with his son.
A Flight Fueled by Kindness
As Norwood and Joyce’s story spread, it captured hearts far beyond their own circle, so much so that it reached across oceans.
Moved by the story, Air New Zealand stepped in, offering to donate first-class airfare to make the long-awaited reunion possible.
In February 2016, at 93 years old, Norwood boarded a plane with his son for the 10,000-mile journey to Australia, where 88-year-old Joyce was waiting.
Hope, with a Hint of Fear
As the flight to Australia approached, Norwood Thomas couldn’t help but feel a mix of excitement and unease—this wasn’t just another Skype call.
Seeing Joyce in person, after so many years, felt like opening a door to the past with no promise of what might be on the other side.
“We may feel the attraction for each other,” he said, “but there will be another separation—and that separation may be forever.” The risk didn’t erase the hope, but it made it real.
Face to Face
On February 10th, 2016, Norwood and Joyce finally reunited—face to face, heart to heart—after seventy years apart.
As soon as they saw each other, the years melted away. They embraced tightly, holding on like they were afraid to ever let go again.
“Well, you are still vertical,” Joyce quipped with a smile as they hugged. Later, she told Australian media, “To find someone who loves you and you love them in the latter years of your life—it would rather be special, wouldn’t it?”
Two Wonderful Weeks
Norwood and Joyce spent two unforgettable weeks together in Australia—days filled with laughter, stories, and the kind of closeness that time hadn’t touched.
They walked, talked, and revisited the memories they had carried alone for decades, now finally shared in the same space, side by side.
And for the first time ever, they celebrated Valentine’s Day together—a moment 70 years overdue, but made all the more meaningful by the wait.
A Heart Reawakened
When Norwood returned from Australia, something in him had changed—he wasn’t just older and wiser, he was somehow lighter, renewed from the inside out.
“He told us that when he saw her, he didn’t see the gray hair,” his daughter shared. “And she didn’t either. He said he looked into the eyes of a 17-year-old.”
Back home, Norwood moved like a man half his age. Smiling more, laughing easier. “He was like a teenager himself,” his daughter said. “Walking on air.”
A Connection That Endured
In the months after their reunion, Norwood and Joyce refused to let distance affect what they had rediscovered—they spoke almost every day.
Their bond, rekindled after decades, became part of their daily rhythm. Messages, video calls, laughter—it all continued like they’d never skipped a beat.
Joyce kept a photo of Norwood next to her bed. Every morning, she’d greet it softly, as if he were right there: “Hi, Tommy.” And in a way, he was.
A Final Goodbye
Sadly, in late 2016, just months after their long-awaited reunion, tragedy struck—Joyce suffered a heart attack and passed away from complications shortly after.
The news hit Norwood hard. After finally finding her again, after so many years of wondering and waiting, he had to say goodbye all over again.
He was devastated. The ache of loss returned, deeper this time, because now he knew exactly what he had found—and what he had to let go.
His First Love, And Also His Last
When Joyce passed away that December, Norwood wept openly—grief settling into the spaces between memory and heartache.
He had already mourned the loss of his wife, the woman who gave him a lifetime of love and family. But this was different, too.
“He’d already lost the love of his life—our mother,” his daughter told the media “But now he’d also lost his first love, he told us, and his last.”
Still Soaring
Despite the loss, Norwood Thomas kept moving forward, never one to stay grounded for long, not in spirit, and certainly not in life.
In his final years, he dedicated his time to supporting fellow servicemen through Disabled American Veterans, giving back to those who had walked a path like his.
His love for aviation never faded, and neither did his daring streak. To celebrate his 95th birthday, he leapt from the sky again—another skydive, another moment of flight.
A Life Remembered
In 2021, Norwood Thomas passed away, he was ninety-eight. Closing a chapter that spanned nearly a century, one filled with courage, love, heartbreak, and quiet heroism.
Due to the pandemic, and in keeping with his own wishes, there would be no traditional funeral. Norwood never cared much for fuss.
Instead, his family planned a quiet Celebration of Life at Grace Bible Church in Virginia Beach—a tribute to a man who lived fully, loved deeply, and kept jumping forward.
More Than a Hero
To many, Norwood was a brave paratrooper—a soldier who dropped into Normandy and stood strong at Bastogne. To others, he was the man who reunited with his first love at 93, proving it’s never too late.
But to his children, he was simply “Dad.” The man who made them laugh, who held their hands through life, who was always quietly there.
“He was the man whose shoes I stepped up onto to dance as a little girl,” said his daughter, Vicki Frango. “He touched so many lives,” his son added. “But to us, he was just Dad.”
A Love Beyond Time
Norwood and Joyce’s story reminds us of something beautifully simple: life is unpredictable, full of detours, delays, and surprises that can arrive when you least expect them.
They didn’t get decades together, just a handful of days—but in that short time, they showed the world what it means to hold onto hope.
We like to believe that somewhere beyond this life, they’ve found each other again. No more distance, no more waiting. Just two hearts, finally home.
