A Lexington mother — who spent what must have seemed like a lifetime worrying about her imprisoned 25-year-old soldier son — told the Lexington Advertiser-News the morning of Aug. 14, 1953 she was “thrilled to death” with the news that her son had been released by the Communists in Korea and would be on his way home soon.

Pvt. Claude Dennis Pence, son of Mrs. Nellie Pence of Lexington, was taken prisoner in May of 1951 while serving with a field artillery unit.

News of Pence’s release in the prisoner exchange was announced Aug. 13, 1953 by radio and television. The mother learned of her son’s release then and received an official telegram the morning of the 14th from the Department of Defense.

The telegram stated that the former Lexington boy would sail for the U.S. within the next few days.

Mrs. Pence had received several letters from her son since he was taken prisoner.

“I’m just thrilled to death,” she said. “He has always written that he was all right, and I’m thankful for that, but of course this news is the best yet.”

The most recent word Mrs. Pence had received came in May 1952, when two letters and a card were delivered to her. He wrote that he had a touch of flu, as had many of the other prisoners in his camp, but that for the most part he was well.

“He never wrote about conditions in the camp,” said Mrs. Pence. “He never could say what he wanted to say. It seemed like they were always watching over his shoulder when he would write.”

Pvt. Pence was born in Lexington in 1928 and lived here until he was in the sixth grade, when he moved to Liberty.

He was inducted Oct. 28, 1950, and went overseas in March of 1951. He was taken prisoner two months later.

No word was received of him until the following January, after his name was included in a list of prisoners announced by the Reds.

Some American soldiers repatriated in the earlier exchange of sick and wounded prisoners told of seeing Pvt. Pence in the Red prison camp.