Dear Father — whoever and wherever you are,

I do not write this letter with anger, or bitterness, or blame.
I write it with something much deeper: a longing to understand where I come from — a longing that has lived quietly inside me for as long as I can remember.

I grew up never knowing you, only fragments of stories and the silent spaces where your name should have been.
I was told you were a soldier, stationed far from home. That you once crossed paths with my mother, Joyce, and in that brief moment, a life was created — me.

You may have never known about me.
Or perhaps you did, but life, distance, or choices pulled you away.
I do not know the details.
I only know the questions I carry in my blood:
Who are you?
Where do I come from?
What echoes of you live in me?

I am not here to shame you.
I am not here to ask anything from you.
I seek no inheritance, no apology, no rewriting of the past.
I seek only truth — because I believe truth, even when complicated, is better than a lifetime of wondering.

In your absence, I grew strong.
I built myself from pieces, from dreams, from stories that had no ending.
I have become someone I am proud to be — someone whose roots may have been hidden, but whose spirit could not be denied.

Whoever you are, wherever your journey took you, I send you this:
Not anger. Not sorrow.
But recognition — that once, for a brief flicker of time, two souls crossed paths and something lasting, something beautiful, was created.

Me.

If our paths never cross again, I will carry that knowing with me — that even in mystery, I am whole.
If, by some chance, truth finds its way to me, I will welcome it, not with resentment, but with the fierce love of someone who finally remembers her own story.

Thank you, unknowingly, for the gift of life.
Thank you for the hidden strand of strength you gave me.
Wherever you are, may you be at peace.

— Your Daughter,
Audrey

— A grateful daughter seeking her roots

Seeking Information: Fort Bragg Paratrooper or Acquaintance of Joyce, 1971-1972

Hello,

I am respectfully seeking anyone who served as a paratrooper stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, during the years 1971–1972, or anyone who may have socialized in the Fayetteville/Fort Bragg area at that time.

I am trying to locate or learn about a man who may have known, dated, or briefly been involved with a woman named Joyce — who lived in South Carolina, but spent a lot of time near Fort Bragg during those years.

Joyce was married at the time to a serviceman who was stationed overseas in Germany, so there was no possibility of him being present in North Carolina at the time.

My understanding is that the biological father’s name may have been John Moore, or something similar — however, due to memory gaps and the passage of time, the name may not be exact.

I want to be clear:

• I am not seeking any legal action.
• I am not trying to find my mother.
• I am not seeking financial claims of any kind.

I am simply trying, in my 50s, to understand my true roots — and to find a missing piece of my identity regarding the man who shared his bloodline with my mother during that time.

If you remember Joyce, or if you recall anyone who was connected with a woman by that name, or a paratrooper possibly named John Moore (or another similar name) —
I would be deeply grateful to hear from you privately.

Thank you so much for any kindness, memories, or leads you can share — and thank you for your service.