Mr Thomas's local newspaper The Virginian-Pilot heard of the story and a reader started a campaign to send him from his home in Virginia Beach to Australia to meet his long-lost sweetheart again. Donations flowed in and Air first class airfares for New Zealand donated Mr Thomas and his son Steve, who lives with his father and looks after him. Before he embarked on the 10,500-mile tri Mr Thomas told The "I'd rather die Virginian-Pilot: travelling to Australia than live sitting around at home wondering what if? "I'm just looking forward to seeing her smile" and "giving her a squeeze". As they stood in the Australian city Adelaide many hours later sharing their first embrace in more than seven decades, they laughed. Mr Thomas told Channel 10: "This is about the most wonderful thing that could have happened to me." Ms Morris, now 8 and struggling with failing eyesight, laughed, adding: "We're going to have a wonderful fortnight. Source: http://news.sky.com/story/1639415/wartime-sweethearts reunite after-72-years (Retrieved on 14 February 2016)