An 82-year marriage between a World War II veteran and his wife is standing strong. The love story of Eleanor Rogers and Lyle Gittens, aged 106 and 107 respectively, started with an instant connection during their college years at Clark Atlanta University.
“[Lyle] came up to me and told me I was his secret passion,” said Rogers. “We met and became boyfriend and girlfriend.”
However, their journey wasn’t without its trials. In 1939, the outbreak of World War II cast a shadow over their lives, disrupting their plans and bringing separation and uncertainty.
“I proposed to her and 2 weeks later, I got drafted,” said Gittens.
By 1941, the war extended to the United States, uprooting their lives and forcing them apart. But against incredible odds, they reunited amidst the chaos and married in New York in 1942.
The years that followed were filled with challenges as the war raged on for another three years. Even though Rogers worried and feared for their future, the couple constantly wrote letters to one another. After the war ended in 1945, Gittens returned home to his wife and two-year-old child.
Eleanor and Lyle’s story continues to inspire. The couple lives just north of downtown Miami and their daughter lives on 125th Street in North Miami. Their journey serves as a poignant reminder of love’s ability to endure even the harshest trials, proving that true devotion transcends time and circumstance.
