Korean war vet reunites with his long-lost love 70 years after first meeting in Japan
Love knows no time.

You never forget that first love.
We swoon over romantic movies like “The Notebook” and “Before Sunrise” because they remind us of the enduring power of love. But sometimes, real life offers us a love story far more inspiring than any movie. This is one of those times.
Duane Mann thought he might have lost the love of his life forever. But after 70 years, he got his long-awaited reunion.
When Mann was just 22 years old, the farm boy from Iowa became a Navy soldier in the Korean War. While stationed in Japan, he fell in love with a young woman named Peggy Yamaguchi.
The two first met at the Air Force NCO Club, where Mann would fix the slot machines and Yamaguchi worked as the hat check girl. They shared a classic meet-cute—finding love on the dance floor.
“We could really dance together…I mean, to where the people would watch us,” Mann told KKTV, which originally covered their story.
Mann and Yamaguchi gradually fell in love, but fate apparently had other plans.
Not long after Yamaguchi became pregnant, Mann received word that the Navy would be shipping him back home. The father-to-be left his lover behind with the promise that he’d soon send for her, so that they could marry. He would soon tragically learn that his own father had fallen destitute, spending Mann’s life savings.
To make matters worse for Mann, Yamaguchi stopped writing to him … or so he thought. He discovered later that his mother had burned Yamaguchi’s letters, not wanting him to “marry a Japanese girl.” One final letter prevailed, however. In it Peggy disclosed that she had lost their baby, and had married someone else.
Struck with grief and guilt, Mann carried the fear that Yamaguchi felt abandoned by him. “It just wore me out,” he lamented. “That’s not the honorable thing to do.”
KKTV shared Mann’s heartbreaking story and it quickly spread on the internet. As is the way with social media, pretty soon people all over the world (even those in Japan) were invested in helping Mann with his lifelong search. As it turns out, Yamaguchi wasn’t exactly an ocean away anymore. More like across the river.A 91-year-old retired soldier Duane Mann's heart was finally put to rest when he finally met his long-lost love, Peggy Yamaguchi. The two lost contact 70 years ago after Mann left for his country, the US, leaving Yamaguchi pregnant. https://t.co/g6lD6jhmaI
— TUKO.co.ke | The Heartbeat of Kenya (@Tuko_co_ke) June 7, 2022
Yamaguchi lived only 650 miles away, across the Mississippi River in Michigan. She had built a life there with her second husband, with whom she shared three sons.
Had it not been for an article from a local newspaper in 1955 and a helpful history-savvy stranger, Yamaguchi’s whereabouts might have remained a mystery. Theresa Wong, a researcher for the TV channel HISTORY, found the old Daily Press article that had Yamaguchi’s picture, last name and address. Finally a solid clue. She knew she had to reach out.
“It just cut me right to my soul. I cannot imagine carrying around that kind of heartbreak for 70 years. I really hope this is that opportunity to get closure,” Wong told KKTV.
Mann seized that opportunity. And at age 91, he finally found his first love.
KKTV released a video of their touching reunion. In it they shared a long, sweet embrace. “You remember the dancing,” Yamaguchi asked, all smiles. “Oh yeah,” he replied with a warm chuckle.As they reminisced about their time together, it was evident that no love was truly lost.
Duane got his wish after so many years. He told Yamaguchi that he didn’t abandon her … he just couldn’t find her. Yamaguchi gave him a kiss, whispering, “You must have loved me.”
He then showed her the glamorous black-and-white he had always kept close by in his wallet.
“It’s really been a freeing experience,” he told KKTV.
We don’t always get to choose the path that life takes us on. But if we’re patient, hopeful and maybe a little lucky, it puts us exactly where we need to be to find peace.
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."
This article originally appeared in May.