So I saw this and showed it to a friend (because I am a softie, it made me all chokey chokey), and my friend was like, HOAX.  Then curiosity got the better of me, so I started researching.

If you do not like extreme nerdery, look away.  It’s about to get ugly.

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At the time of the Korean War, the minimum enlistment age was 18 1/2, having recently been lowered to allow a bigger conscription pool.

A quick google search reveals that there was an Elsie Scanlon who lived in Peekskill in the 1950’s; she’s listed as Peekskill class of 57.

Let’s assume an 18 1/2 year-old high school graduation age.  (Sidenote: Interesting.  That law makes a little more sense.)

So!  That would put Elsie, in 1954 when the posting says they lost touch, as a freshman at age 15 1/2 (since she graduated in 1957).

So, let’s think more on 1954.

Elsie probably dreamed about wearing one of these.

Also, more to the point, in 1954, the Korean War is over, having had an armistice in 1953.  Hmm.  So John is at this point, again assuming he enrolled the minute he could, at age 19 1/2 from math and math alone.

19 1/2 year-old boy dating a 15 1/2 year-old girl.  Interesting.  Little freshman/senior romance. But not impossible.  However, wait, wait, wait - he says in the post itself his age is 74.

Ah HA!

Since it’s 2010, he has to have been born in 1936/35 (let’s not be judgmental; we don’t know what month he was born.  He could be a Sagittarius; my mom is one and never remembers her real age though that could be for other reasons and the term “remembers” is subjective).  So, assuming 1936 - that puts him at age 18 in 1954.  Which would mean this guy’s a liar - either now at age whatever he is when WHOEVER he is decided to post this made up bs on Craigslist - or! - he’s really John and back in 1953, he lied to get into the army.  Crazier things have happened.  I’d bet that’s in several military movies; I know it’s the plot of the book Age 14.  However!  Assuming the earlier birth year of 1935, that puts John exactly on track at age 19!  Wowzers!

We have reached MathNet level.

Not only could he have been serving in the army for a year (since the war is now over) but he didn’t even have to lie about his age.  He was age 19.

I’m sure that there are people out there who would go to great lengths to make something seem real that is not real.  Hell, I just devoted a good google hour of my life to people I don’t even know who may or may not be real.  However, it’s awful convenient that everything lines up, don’t you think?  Convenient like the truth.

I think Elsie and John are both real.  To be fair, I thought that based on his weird comma structure alone.  That’s totally a 74-year-old keyboard guy.  So, while it could be a hoax, it’s still an awfully good hoax.

I personally hope they find each other.

I also personally hope to one day go to Treasure Coast, Florida.  Tans!  Hurrah!