A 93-year-old World War II army veteran from Virginia Beach, Virginia, recently reunited with the first girl he ever fell in love after over 71 years apart.

The 101st Airborne Division veteran, Norwood Thomas, first met Joyce Durrant in the spring of 1944 when he was 21 and Durrant was 17, he told ABC News today. The two had met just outside London, where Thomas was stationed at the time.

“I was out with a friend, and being young, we had our eyes out for young ladies,” Thomas said. “We were on a bridge crossing the Thames when we looked down and saw these two fine, young ladies. We went down, paddled around the Thames in rowboats for a bit, later got some drink and food and Joyce and I just clicked.”

Read the article “World War II Veteran Reunites With Long-Lost First Love on Other Side of World After 71 Years Apart” on abcnews.go.com.