I pray you will be able to track someone in this family. My brother served during that time, too. And I know how we treasured his every letter. My Dad lived to see my brother return and died just a few years after that. This mother may have placed them there and over the years maybe got sick and forgot where they were.
My father-in-law served in World War I. He joined at the age of 17 and his parents didn't know it. He signed up under an assumed name and was injured and he found it very difficult to get benefits. They finally got the records straightened out. His first name was Charles and his last name started with Mc, but he enlisted under the name of Charlie Mack. All his military photos and everything have his assumed name on them.