Sparks students ponder unopened letter

Monday, May 31, 1999 | 3:43 a.m.

Their dilemma pitting curious human nature against the moral question of privacy began when history teacher Bernard Lund purchased the letter at an antique paper show.

Lund said at the time he was only interested in the ink stamps on the envelope and didn't realize there was an unopened letter inside.

"It's a piece of history," Lund said. "It's a piece of love. We don't know exactly what it is."

All students know is what they can see on the aging envelope, which is stamped with an American flag and the slogan, "Idle gossip sinks ships."

It was sent during World War II by Bill Barnes, who served in the 71st Infantry out of Fort Lewis, Wash., to Lenore Pelka in Staten Island, N.Y.

An ink stamp on the bottom left corner indicates the letter was received in Los Angeles.

Lund says at first his students wanted to open the letter.

But that impulse quickly waned when discussion turned to how opening the letter would violate the privacy of the sender and receiver.

"I tried to present this as a moral question to the kids," Lund said. "The curiosity about it is tremendous."

Was it a love letter? A marriage proposal? Only Barnes would know.

"I think we should leave it closed," said David White, an eighth grader. "If it's that important that they didn't open it for 57 years, we probably don't have the right to snoop."

The students are trying to find Barnes, Pelka or their relatives. If that fails, they are considering donating the unopened letter to the Veterans Administration hospital as a museum piece.

For now, Lund says the letter's secrets are safe.

"I keep it in a safety deposit box just so I don't relent during a weak moment," he said.