(Mirror photo illustration by Tom Worthington II/Mirror file photo)

Sgt. 1st Class Thomas Dodson was missing in action in Korea when his twins were born. His situation in Korea was unclear except that Dodson was lost after a battle Nov. 30, 1950. An early sign of problems back home came when the military returned letters Virginia Dodson wrote to her husband. Her family hid the returned mail to keep her calm. A month later, Bonnie and Brady Dodson were born as the family prayed for their father’s safe return. ‘‘We didn’t know what a dad was,’’ Bonnie said. ‘‘Our cousins had a dad, but we didn’t have a dad.’’ Months passed with no new information. Over the years, the twins and their older brother, Tom, were nurtured by an extended family. The wondering about what really happened didn’t end when 55 years ago today the U.S. Government presumed Army Sfc. Dodson was dead. The declaration came two days after the twins’ third birthday. His remains were never discovered. The children were too young to recognize the loss.